Narrative:

We departed on runway 22L at mdw. (They were departing and landing on runway 22L, also there were a few aircraft departing on runway 31C.) we have special procedures out of mdw due to the short runway length as well as the close proximity to ord. Our company procedures and ATC requirements have us climb to 3000 ft and we are required by ATC to make our turn within 4 DME of the airport to stay out of ord's airspace and to stay within the class D airspace we maintain 200 KTS or less below 3600 ft. We were cleared to take off on runway 22L and were instructed to turn to a heading of 090 degrees, which is quite a normal departure at mdw. Also we are to initiate this turn out of 1300 ft MSL. After departing and well into our turn to 090 degrees, we had called mdw departure control. All we heard was 'air carrier X maintain 2000 ft,' which we acknowledged to ATC. They re-read our call sign '(full call sign), maintain 3000 ft' back to us and said the 2000 ft was for another air carrier departing on runway 31C who had a call sign with an 'X' on the end of it. Also, ATC had this traffic turning directly towards us and maintaining 2000 ft while we were in a right turn, turning towards him as well. When you are dealing with turbojet aircraft with excellent performance, it doesn't take you long to get to 3000 ft or 2000 ft. Not to mention departing from a very poor airport with very unique and special departure procedures. I think it is very irresponsible for ATC or anyone else turning 2 high performance aircraft towards one another with only 1000 ft separation. There is too great a chance for something going wrong. In our case, we saw the other aircraft and our TCASII gave us a TA message -- no RA. The other aircraft saw us visually and climbed behind us. I know that our passenger thought it was closer and were concerned. My point is that with all the similar call signs we are dealing with today, it is imperative that we do not and should not be turning high performance aircraft towards one another especially after takeoff. This type of situation could create the potential for an near midair collision or worse!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TURBOJET ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC FOR A SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON DEP FROM MDW WITH DEPARTING XTFC FROM ANOTHER RWY.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ON RWY 22L AT MDW. (THEY WERE DEPARTING AND LNDG ON RWY 22L, ALSO THERE WERE A FEW ACFT DEPARTING ON RWY 31C.) WE HAVE SPECIAL PROCS OUT OF MDW DUE TO THE SHORT RWY LENGTH AS WELL AS THE CLOSE PROX TO ORD. OUR COMPANY PROCS AND ATC REQUIREMENTS HAVE US CLB TO 3000 FT AND WE ARE REQUIRED BY ATC TO MAKE OUR TURN WITHIN 4 DME OF THE ARPT TO STAY OUT OF ORD'S AIRSPACE AND TO STAY WITHIN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE WE MAINTAIN 200 KTS OR LESS BELOW 3600 FT. WE WERE CLRED TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 22L AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO TURN TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS, WHICH IS QUITE A NORMAL DEP AT MDW. ALSO WE ARE TO INITIATE THIS TURN OUT OF 1300 FT MSL. AFTER DEPARTING AND WELL INTO OUR TURN TO 090 DEGS, WE HAD CALLED MDW DEP CTL. ALL WE HEARD WAS 'ACR X MAINTAIN 2000 FT,' WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED TO ATC. THEY RE-READ OUR CALL SIGN '(FULL CALL SIGN), MAINTAIN 3000 FT' BACK TO US AND SAID THE 2000 FT WAS FOR ANOTHER ACR DEPARTING ON RWY 31C WHO HAD A CALL SIGN WITH AN 'X' ON THE END OF IT. ALSO, ATC HAD THIS TFC TURNING DIRECTLY TOWARDS US AND MAINTAINING 2000 FT WHILE WE WERE IN A R TURN, TURNING TOWARDS HIM AS WELL. WHEN YOU ARE DEALING WITH TURBOJET ACFT WITH EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE, IT DOESN'T TAKE YOU LONG TO GET TO 3000 FT OR 2000 FT. NOT TO MENTION DEPARTING FROM A VERY POOR ARPT WITH VERY UNIQUE AND SPECIAL DEP PROCS. I THINK IT IS VERY IRRESPONSIBLE FOR ATC OR ANYONE ELSE TURNING 2 HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER WITH ONLY 1000 FT SEPARATION. THERE IS TOO GREAT A CHANCE FOR SOMETHING GOING WRONG. IN OUR CASE, WE SAW THE OTHER ACFT AND OUR TCASII GAVE US A TA MESSAGE -- NO RA. THE OTHER ACFT SAW US VISUALLY AND CLBED BEHIND US. I KNOW THAT OUR PAX THOUGHT IT WAS CLOSER AND WERE CONCERNED. MY POINT IS THAT WITH ALL THE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS WE ARE DEALING WITH TODAY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE DO NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE TURNING HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER ESPECIALLY AFTER TKOF. THIS TYPE OF SIT COULD CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR AN NMAC OR WORSE!

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.