M03 controller described a developing conflict when traffic issued the crson SID was navigating via ...

Attributes
ACN	1005575
Time
Date	201204
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	MEM.Airport
State Reference	TN
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Widebody Low Wing 3 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Medium Transport Low Wing 2 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Climb
Route In Use	SID CRSON1
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Departure
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Conflict Airborne Conflict Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Narrative:

Aircraft X; and aircraft Y; departed mem simultaneously. Aircraft X departed runway 36L. Aircraft Y departed runway 36C. I noticed aircraft Y commencing a left turn into aircraft X at roughly the same altitude. I immediately turned aircraft X left heading 230 and amended his altitude to maintain 3;000 ft. Once standard IFR separation was established; I sent aircraft X on his way and climbed him. There are two north sids that are closely named (crson and casln). One of the two needs to be renamed. Aircraft Y was supposed to have been on the CRSON1 departure as cleared. In fact; the aircraft was navigating via the CASLN1 departure. That was the root cause of the issue; I believe. This is not the first occurrence that I know of. The last time; there was not an aircraft on departure from another runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M03 Controller described a developing conflict when traffic issued the CRSON SID was navigating via the CASLN SID; the reporter noting that this was not the first instance of pilots confusing these similar SID names.

Narrative: Aircraft X; and Aircraft Y; departed MEM simultaneously. Aircraft X departed Runway 36L. Aircraft Y departed Runway 36C. I noticed Aircraft Y commencing a left turn into Aircraft X at roughly the same altitude. I immediately turned Aircraft X left heading 230 and amended his altitude to maintain 3;000 FT. Once standard IFR separation was established; I sent Aircraft X on his way and climbed him. There are two north SIDs that are closely named (CRSON and CASLN). One of the two needs to be renamed. Aircraft Y was supposed to have been on the CRSON1 departure as cleared. In fact; the aircraft was navigating via the CASLN1 departure. That was the root cause of the issue; I believe. This is not the first occurrence that I know of. The last time; there was not an aircraft on departure from another runway.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.

M03 controller described a developing conflict when traffic issued the crson SID was navigating via the casln SID; the reporter noting that this was not the first instance of pilots confusing these similar SID names.