Narrative:

I was flying flight from rdu-bwi. After checking in with ZDC, we heard another company flight on frequency with a very similar callsign (company acbd) from tpa-bwi. Both of these flts operate 7 days a week and are scheduled to land at bwi within 5 mins of each other (company abcd at XA25, and company acbd at XA30). It's bad enough that the call signs are so similar, but since both flts are on the nottingham arrival, and within a few mi of each other, a clearance for one aircraft is the same clearance the crew in the other aircraft is expecting to hear. The crew of acbd acknowledged at least 3 xmissions that were for us. What's worse, ATC mixed them up. We were about 13 mi out on final and still at 4000 ft when bwi approach issued a clearance for company acbd to descend to 2000 ft. Since we were 5-10 mi closer to the airport than acbd, I figured approach control either forgot about us or transposed the call signs. I advised approach that we would also like lower. They promptly cleared us to 2000 ft and advised company acbd to climb back to 4000 ft. On final, when we checked in with tower, they acknowledged with a clearance for company acbd to land. We had to correct them that it was company abcd that had called. This scheduled call sign conflict causes way too much confusion and provides too many opportunities for mistakes by both the air crews and controllers. The repeated radio calls and corrections were distracting and clearly had a negative effect on the operation of the ATC system. As the ZDC controller said, 'you guys need to talk to your company about this.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 SAME COMPANY ACFT WITH SIMILAR CALL SIGNS FLY INTO BWI WITHIN 5 MINS OF EACH OTHER CAUSING COM PROBS FOR THE CREWS AND ATC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FLT FROM RDU-BWI. AFTER CHKING IN WITH ZDC, WE HEARD ANOTHER COMPANY FLT ON FREQ WITH A VERY SIMILAR CALLSIGN (COMPANY ACBD) FROM TPA-BWI. BOTH OF THESE FLTS OPERATE 7 DAYS A WK AND ARE SCHEDULED TO LAND AT BWI WITHIN 5 MINS OF EACH OTHER (COMPANY ABCD AT XA25, AND COMPANY ACBD AT XA30). IT'S BAD ENOUGH THAT THE CALL SIGNS ARE SO SIMILAR, BUT SINCE BOTH FLTS ARE ON THE NOTTINGHAM ARR, AND WITHIN A FEW MI OF EACH OTHER, A CLRNC FOR ONE ACFT IS THE SAME CLRNC THE CREW IN THE OTHER ACFT IS EXPECTING TO HEAR. THE CREW OF ACBD ACKNOWLEDGED AT LEAST 3 XMISSIONS THAT WERE FOR US. WHAT'S WORSE, ATC MIXED THEM UP. WE WERE ABOUT 13 MI OUT ON FINAL AND STILL AT 4000 FT WHEN BWI APCH ISSUED A CLRNC FOR COMPANY ACBD TO DSND TO 2000 FT. SINCE WE WERE 5-10 MI CLOSER TO THE ARPT THAN ACBD, I FIGURED APCH CTL EITHER FORGOT ABOUT US OR TRANSPOSED THE CALL SIGNS. I ADVISED APCH THAT WE WOULD ALSO LIKE LOWER. THEY PROMPTLY CLRED US TO 2000 FT AND ADVISED COMPANY ACBD TO CLB BACK TO 4000 FT. ON FINAL, WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH TWR, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED WITH A CLRNC FOR COMPANY ACBD TO LAND. WE HAD TO CORRECT THEM THAT IT WAS COMPANY ABCD THAT HAD CALLED. THIS SCHEDULED CALL SIGN CONFLICT CAUSES WAY TOO MUCH CONFUSION AND PROVIDES TOO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR MISTAKES BY BOTH THE AIR CREWS AND CTLRS. THE REPEATED RADIO CALLS AND CORRECTIONS WERE DISTRACTING AND CLRLY HAD A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THE OP OF THE ATC SYS. AS THE ZDC CTLR SAID, 'YOU GUYS NEED TO TALK TO YOUR COMPANY ABOUT THIS.'

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.