CHICAGO, IL, USA
N366MQ
SHORT BROTHERS SD360
THE LOCAL CONTROLLER POSITIONED SIMMONS 4058 ON RWY 9L FIRST, AND THEN POSITIONED SIMMONS 4158 (THIS AIRPLANE) ON RWY 4L. HE THEN RETURNED TO SIMMONS 4058, STATED THE RWY NUMBER, & CLEARED IT FOR TAKEOFF. BEFORE SIMMONS 4058 HAD A CHANCE TO REPLY, SIMMONS 4158 (THIS AIRPLANE) ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLEARANCE. SIMMONS 4058 QUERIED THE CLEARANCE. REALIZING THE CONFUSION, AND SEEING SIMMONS 4158 (THIS AIRPLANE) MOVING, THE CONTROLLER CANCELED SIMMONS 4058 TAKEOFF CLEARANCE. SIMMONS 4058 REPLIED 'WE THOUGHT THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN'. A PILOT 'SLOWDOWN' WAS TAKING PLACE AT THE TIME, AND THE CONTROLLERS STATED THAT PILOTS WERE TAXIING MORE SLOWLY THAN USUAL AND APPEARED TO GET LOST OR CONFUSED ON THE GROUND MORE OFTEN. THE CREW OF SIMMONS 4158 VEHEMENTLY DENIED PARTICIPATION IN THE UNION-RELATED WORK SLOWDOWN. THE SAFETY BOARD HAS ISSUED RECOMMENDATIONS ADDRESSING SIMILAR FLIGHT CALL SIGN CONFUSION.
THE PIC FOLLOWED A CLEARANCE INTENDED FOR ANOTHER AIRPLANE.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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