Narrative:

Safety concern: communications so busy on frequency that ATC could not recognize we were attempting to tell them about our incorrect call sign. On first contact with ground, they called us 'XXABC7' when our correct call sign was XXABC6. Complicating the situation, ATC issued 4 clrncs simultaneously without allowing any aircraft acknowledgement. As we taxied out, ATC again called us XXABC7 and again no time to respond was given. An attempt to call ground and correct our call sign resulted only block frequency. We realized ATC was talking to us because no other aircraft from our carrier was active on the field. Ground sent us to tower using ABC7. Again, the copilot was busy with pretkof duties and responded using (incorrectly) 'ABC7.' I said to correct this with tower. We were cleared onto the runway and used our ABC6 call sign and then immediately cleared for takeoff. We were very busy and I'm not sure now if tower said ABC7 or ABC6, but we responded XXABC6. The copilot said we'd correct it with departure. When we checked in with departure with XXABC6, they initially seemed confused and questioned our destination. He then said 'ok, we've got it figured out,' and the rest was uneventful. During research for this report, we discovered our airline had canceled XXABC7 going to another destination, so the confusion now makes more sense than it did at the time. Conclusion: when a red flag arises, even just 1 digit wrong in a call sign, we need to be assertive in correcting it, even if everything else is normal. ATC thought we were another flight and we didn't realize this. They failed to note our continued responses with ABC6 or didn't even permit time to respond. Communication must be 2-WAY!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 FLC HAS DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH ATC AND RE-ESTABLISHING THEIR CORRECT CALL SIGN WHILE ENCOUNTERING FREQ CONGESTION AT ORD, IL.

Narrative: SAFETY CONCERN: COMS SO BUSY ON FREQ THAT ATC COULD NOT RECOGNIZE WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO TELL THEM ABOUT OUR INCORRECT CALL SIGN. ON FIRST CONTACT WITH GND, THEY CALLED US 'XXABC7' WHEN OUR CORRECT CALL SIGN WAS XXABC6. COMPLICATING THE SIT, ATC ISSUED 4 CLRNCS SIMULTANEOUSLY WITHOUT ALLOWING ANY ACFT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. AS WE TAXIED OUT, ATC AGAIN CALLED US XXABC7 AND AGAIN NO TIME TO RESPOND WAS GIVEN. AN ATTEMPT TO CALL GND AND CORRECT OUR CALL SIGN RESULTED ONLY BLOCK FREQ. WE REALIZED ATC WAS TALKING TO US BECAUSE NO OTHER ACFT FROM OUR CARRIER WAS ACTIVE ON THE FIELD. GND SENT US TO TWR USING ABC7. AGAIN, THE COPLT WAS BUSY WITH PRETKOF DUTIES AND RESPONDED USING (INCORRECTLY) 'ABC7.' I SAID TO CORRECT THIS WITH TWR. WE WERE CLRED ONTO THE RWY AND USED OUR ABC6 CALL SIGN AND THEN IMMEDIATELY CLRED FOR TKOF. WE WERE VERY BUSY AND I'M NOT SURE NOW IF TWR SAID ABC7 OR ABC6, BUT WE RESPONDED XXABC6. THE COPLT SAID WE'D CORRECT IT WITH DEP. WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH DEP WITH XXABC6, THEY INITIALLY SEEMED CONFUSED AND QUESTIONED OUR DEST. HE THEN SAID 'OK, WE'VE GOT IT FIGURED OUT,' AND THE REST WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING RESEARCH FOR THIS RPT, WE DISCOVERED OUR AIRLINE HAD CANCELED XXABC7 GOING TO ANOTHER DEST, SO THE CONFUSION NOW MAKES MORE SENSE THAN IT DID AT THE TIME. CONCLUSION: WHEN A RED FLAG ARISES, EVEN JUST 1 DIGIT WRONG IN A CALL SIGN, WE NEED TO BE ASSERTIVE IN CORRECTING IT, EVEN IF EVERYTHING ELSE IS NORMAL. ATC THOUGHT WE WERE ANOTHER FLT AND WE DIDN'T REALIZE THIS. THEY FAILED TO NOTE OUR CONTINUED RESPONSES WITH ABC6 OR DIDN'T EVEN PERMIT TIME TO RESPOND. COM MUST BE 2-WAY!

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.