Pdk local controller expressed concern regarding facility policy that requires ground control to ins...

Attributes
ACN	674830
Time
Date	200509
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pdk.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tul.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	SR22
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : pdk.tower
Make Model Name	Challenger CL600
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local controller : ground
ASRS Report	674830
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground critical
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : pdk.tower

Narrative:

Procedure at pdk is to have ground control instruct aircraft to 'monitor' local control. Local control then broadcasts 'in the blind' control instructions. I have had 2 incidents where there were similar sounding call signs on frequency but I did not know this because both had not contacted me. One incident (aircraft X and aircraft Y) occurred when I cleared aircraft X (talking to aircraft Y at runway 2R; who I had already talked to and; therefore; could use last 3 of call signs) for takeoff; not knowing that the aircraft that ground control had taken to runway 2L at intersection F was aircraft X. Situation was caught by myself as aircraft at runway 2L started to roll. Similar situation at runway 20L and runway 2L at intersection G. I cleared aircraft at runway 20L at intersection G for takeoff using full call sign. He got on runway but was not moving very fast and traffic was on final. I cleared him again for immediate takeoff traffic on final using last 3 of call sign. The aircraft at runway 20L full length had same last 3 of call sign and started to roll! I did not know he had similar sounding call sign because ground control had instructed him to monitor only and he had not called me. Potentially very tragic incident; I caught in time; luckily.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PDK LCL CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING FACILITY POLICY THAT REQUIRES GND CTL TO INSTRUCT ACFT TO MONITOR LCL CTL RATHER THAN CALLING THEM.

Narrative: PROC AT PDK IS TO HAVE GND CTL INSTRUCT ACFT TO 'MONITOR' LCL CTL. LCL CTL THEN BROADCASTS 'IN THE BLIND' CTL INSTRUCTIONS. I HAVE HAD 2 INCIDENTS WHERE THERE WERE SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGNS ON FREQ BUT I DID NOT KNOW THIS BECAUSE BOTH HAD NOT CONTACTED ME. ONE INCIDENT (ACFT X AND ACFT Y) OCCURRED WHEN I CLRED ACFT X (TALKING TO ACFT Y AT RWY 2R; WHO I HAD ALREADY TALKED TO AND; THEREFORE; COULD USE LAST 3 OF CALL SIGNS) FOR TKOF; NOT KNOWING THAT THE ACFT THAT GND CTL HAD TAKEN TO RWY 2L AT INTXN F WAS ACFT X. SIT WAS CAUGHT BY MYSELF AS ACFT AT RWY 2L STARTED TO ROLL. SIMILAR SIT AT RWY 20L AND RWY 2L AT INTXN G. I CLRED ACFT AT RWY 20L AT INTXN G FOR TKOF USING FULL CALL SIGN. HE GOT ON RWY BUT WAS NOT MOVING VERY FAST AND TFC WAS ON FINAL. I CLRED HIM AGAIN FOR IMMEDIATE TKOF TFC ON FINAL USING LAST 3 OF CALL SIGN. THE ACFT AT RWY 20L FULL LENGTH HAD SAME LAST 3 OF CALL SIGN AND STARTED TO ROLL! I DID NOT KNOW HE HAD SIMILAR SOUNDING CALL SIGN BECAUSE GND CTL HAD INSTRUCTED HIM TO MONITOR ONLY AND HE HAD NOT CALLED ME. POTENTIALLY VERY TRAGIC INCIDENT; I CAUGHT IN TIME; LUCKILY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Pdk local controller expressed concern regarding facility policy that requires ground control to instruct aircraft to monitor local control rather than calling them.