Narrative:

Departing the airline ramp we were cleared to taxi to runway 1L via taxiway a then taxiway M. I read back the clearance and we started taxiing. While on taxiway a, aircraft Y checked in with ground. I didn't hear their initial taxi clearance but ground later called them back and revised it to txwys a, D, B because aircraft Z was pushing onto taxiway a. We were just coming up abeam aircraft Z on taxiway a when ground demanded to know where we were going. The captain stopped the aircraft on taxiway a short of taxiway east while I told ground that we were given txwys a, M. He said, no I cleared you txwys a, D, B. I said, well someone else may have read back our clearance. He said 'that's unfortunate' in a condescending tone. He then asked company behind us to verify their clearance and they said taxiway a, M. Ground then got upset and demanded to know why nobody was following his instructions. He issued txwys D, B to company behind us and sequenced them in front of us. He told us to remain where we were, in a very derogatory tone and then once company was in front, cleared us to continue on taxiway a. We did not interfere with aircraft Z, push and caused no traffic problems that we were aware of. Contributing to the confusion was the similar call signs of us and company with those being aircraft X, and aircraft Y. I believe ground issued the amended clearance of taxiway a, D, M to aircraft Y believing it to be us, aircraft X since we were in front. The ground controller's negative attitude did not help matters much at all. We continued to the runway with no further confusion.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SFO ATCT GND CTLR BECOMES CONFUSED WITH 2 COMMUTERS TAXIING OUT FROM THE SAME LOCATION WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS.

Narrative: DEPARTING THE AIRLINE RAMP WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 1L VIA TXWY A THEN TXWY M. I READ BACK THE CLRNC AND WE STARTED TAXIING. WHILE ON TXWY A, ACFT Y CHKED IN WITH GND. I DIDN'T HEAR THEIR INITIAL TAXI CLRNC BUT GND LATER CALLED THEM BACK AND REVISED IT TO TXWYS A, D, B BECAUSE ACFT Z WAS PUSHING ONTO TXWY A. WE WERE JUST COMING UP ABEAM ACFT Z ON TXWY A WHEN GND DEMANDED TO KNOW WHERE WE WERE GOING. THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT ON TXWY A SHORT OF TXWY E WHILE I TOLD GND THAT WE WERE GIVEN TXWYS A, M. HE SAID, NO I CLRED YOU TXWYS A, D, B. I SAID, WELL SOMEONE ELSE MAY HAVE READ BACK OUR CLRNC. HE SAID 'THAT'S UNFORTUNATE' IN A CONDESCENDING TONE. HE THEN ASKED COMPANY BEHIND US TO VERIFY THEIR CLRNC AND THEY SAID TXWY A, M. GND THEN GOT UPSET AND DEMANDED TO KNOW WHY NOBODY WAS FOLLOWING HIS INSTRUCTIONS. HE ISSUED TXWYS D, B TO COMPANY BEHIND US AND SEQUENCED THEM IN FRONT OF US. HE TOLD US TO REMAIN WHERE WE WERE, IN A VERY DEROGATORY TONE AND THEN ONCE COMPANY WAS IN FRONT, CLRED US TO CONTINUE ON TXWY A. WE DID NOT INTERFERE WITH ACFT Z, PUSH AND CAUSED NO TFC PROBS THAT WE WERE AWARE OF. CONTRIBUTING TO THE CONFUSION WAS THE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS OF US AND COMPANY WITH THOSE BEING ACFT X, AND ACFT Y. I BELIEVE GND ISSUED THE AMENDED CLRNC OF TXWY A, D, M TO ACFT Y BELIEVING IT TO BE US, ACFT X SINCE WE WERE IN FRONT. THE GND CTLR'S NEGATIVE ATTITUDE DID NOT HELP MATTERS MUCH AT ALL. WE CONTINUED TO THE RWY WITH NO FURTHER CONFUSION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.