Narrative:

A B757 crossed the hold short lines on runway 12R with an aircraft Z on short final, resulting in a go around. Aircraft X mistakenly took a clearance for aircraft Y to taxi to the gate. This is part of an overlying problem that has arisen at stl. There have been numerous occasions like the aforementioned. Fortunately, they have not resulted in runway incursions. Air carrier has implemented new 4 digit, similar sounding call signs and other procedures that have either created distrs or have pilots confused because the result has been to create sits like the runway incursion. There have been an increased number of readback errors and just an overall confusion on the airport. In my opinion, this airport has become very unsafe and is an accident waiting to happen if somebody does not get control of air carrier call signs. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that there have been numerous flight crew readback and reply to wrong aircraft call sign incidents over a 10 month period. There were 8 incidents in only 1 hour during a recent visit by an FAA headquarters observer. This and other incidents have been recorded as pilot deviation for investigation by their facility and FAA flight standards. These incidents have been brought to the attention of the airline, but no resolution has been established to date.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLC CROSSED RWY HOLD SHORT LINES AT STL DURING TAXI IN DUE TO RESPONDING TO ANOTHER ACFT'S SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN.

Narrative: A B757 CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINES ON RWY 12R WITH AN ACFT Z ON SHORT FINAL, RESULTING IN A GAR. ACFT X MISTAKENLY TOOK A CLRNC FOR ACFT Y TO TAXI TO THE GATE. THIS IS PART OF AN OVERLYING PROB THAT HAS ARISEN AT STL. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS OCCASIONS LIKE THE AFOREMENTIONED. FORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE NOT RESULTED IN RWY INCURSIONS. ACR HAS IMPLEMENTED NEW 4 DIGIT, SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS AND OTHER PROCS THAT HAVE EITHER CREATED DISTRS OR HAVE PLTS CONFUSED BECAUSE THE RESULT HAS BEEN TO CREATE SITS LIKE THE RWY INCURSION. THERE HAVE BEEN AN INCREASED NUMBER OF READBACK ERRORS AND JUST AN OVERALL CONFUSION ON THE ARPT. IN MY OPINION, THIS ARPT HAS BECOME VERY UNSAFE AND IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN IF SOMEBODY DOES NOT GET CTL OF ACR CALL SIGNS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS FLC READBACK AND REPLY TO WRONG ACFT CALL SIGN INCIDENTS OVER A 10 MONTH PERIOD. THERE WERE 8 INCIDENTS IN ONLY 1 HR DURING A RECENT VISIT BY AN FAA HEADQUARTERS OBSERVER. THIS AND OTHER INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN RECORDED AS PLT DEV FOR INVESTIGATION BY THEIR FACILITY AND FAA FLT STANDARDS. THESE INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE AIRLINE, BUT NO RESOLUTION HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED TO DATE.

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.