Fortunately this wasn’t a close call, but it sure seems like there are some lessons to be learned here…
Chicago O’Hare runway incursion caused by callsign confusion
VASAviation has a video of a minor incident that happened at Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD) on September 27, 2025. Two planes were holding short of runway 28R, awaiting departure.
There was EVA Air flight BR647, a Boeing 777 operating a cargo flight to Anchorage (ANC), and there was Viva flight VB633, an Airbus A320 operating a passenger flight to Monterrey (MTY). The planes had the callsigns EVA 647 and Viva 633, and the planes were waiting on opposite sides of the same runway.
The air traffic controller gave pretty clear instructions:
“EVA 647 Heavy, O’Hare Tower, wind 250 at 11 gusts 16, runway 28R at EE, line up and wait.”
Two people responded to that call, so the air traffic controller then said the following:
“Okay, that was two calling at once. That was for EVA 647, 28R at EE, line up… Viva, stop, Viva, stop!”
The Viva A320 crossed the runway hold short line, meaning there was a runway incursion. As a result, the Viva pilots were given a number to call, for a possible pilot deviation.
This whole situation could have easily been avoided
As I said at the beginning of this post, fortunately this wasn’t a close call, or anything, since it’s not like there was another plane on the runway. However, incidents like this remind you of how communication issues can lead to very serious consequences in the aviation world. A couple of things most stand out with this incident.
For one, what were the Viva pilots thinking? Obviously “EVA” and “Viva” sound similar, but:
- Their flight numbers were different, even though they both started with the number six
- The instructions were for an EVA “heavy” jet, while the Viva A320 isn’t a “heavy”
- The instructions were specifically to line up and wait at EE, and that’s where the EVA plane was, and not the Viva plane
Clearly the Viva pilots lacked situational awareness. They were awaiting takeoff clearance, they hadn’t processed that their callsign was similar to that of another plane, and when they heard something that sounded like “Viva,” they just started rolling.
At the same time, it sure seems to me like the controller could’ve also done a bit more to proactively address this situation. For example, 28 seconds in, when the controller says “Viva, stop, Viva stop,” it really sounds like he’s saying “EVA” instead of “Viva.”
All too often, US air traffic controllers don’t do much to enunciate, and they assume everyone is a native English speaker. There’s something to be said for slowing down, speaking more clearly, and even acknowledging the similar callsigns on frequency.
Bottom line
There was recently a runway incursion at Chicago O’Hare Airport, caused by a basic misunderstanding over callsigns. EVA And Viva planes were waiting to depart from the same runway. The air traffic controller wasn’t enunciating very well, so when the EVA plane was given clearance to line up, the Viva plane started rolling. While this wasn’t a huge deal, it’s a prime example of how easily communication issues can happen in aviation.
What do you make of this Chicago O’Hare runway incursion?