Air carrier described confused runway crossing event after landing at ATL; alleging four digit company call signs can easily lead to missed and/or transposed digits in communications with ATC.
Synopsis
Air carrier described confused runway crossing event after landing at ATL; alleging four digit company call signs can easily lead to missed and/or transposed digits in communications with ATC.
Narrative
We landed on Runway 28 in ATL. Tower informed us we did not have a gate. I held short of Runway 27L until cleared to cross. There was another company flight on frequency with the number ABCD. We crossed the runway when Tower cleared us to cross. After crossing 27L and following instructions to hold short of Runway 27R; Tower said 'ABCD you were supposed to hold short on ROMEO back there.' I believe the mistake he was addressing was my failure to hold short of ROMEO 7 on ROMEO. The purpose of this being to wait on a gate. I did not feel we had crossed the actual runway in error. But then after realizing the similarity of the call signs; nearness of the flights to each other and the fact that controllers and pilots are human; I began to get very worried that someone along the way may have misinterpreted an instruction. I don't believe we crossed the runway without clearance. Tower did not give us any sort or reprimand. The similarity of ABCD and ABCE and the way that mouthful of syllables sound so similar and unclear on the radio caused me to submit this report. I do wish that there was a way to keep all the company call signs from being so perpetually similar. It is not just this case; it is across the board. The 4-digit format is hard to get out on the radio. Even after getting used to it.
Second reporter narrative
We landed on Runway 28 in ATL and were told to taxi on SJ hold short of Runway 27L and that our gate was occupied and we were not going to be cleared in until it opened. While the Captain monitored Comm 1; I attempted to contact operations numerous times to try to find out when our gate would be open. During this I heard Tower clear us across 27L and hold short of 27R. After crossing 27R; Tower told us that we were supposed to have been holding short of Taxiway ROMEO and gave us alternate instructions. We were sure however that we were cleared to cross Runway 27L however; after hearing several other company aircraft with similar call signs we became slightly unsure.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.