Air carrier medium large transport track heading deviation.

Attributes
ACN	141070
Time
Date	199001
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : clt
State Reference	NC
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	141070
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We had been cleared a shine one arrival, changed frequencys and taken off of the arrival via a vector. Some traffic congestion at clt was creating vectoring and holds. We heard a couple of aircraft being given holding at 'chyne' intersection. We were searching high, low and arrival charts but couldn't locate the intersect when we were instructed to take a heading to 'chyne' and hold. Placing the heading on the MCP gave us a heading line intercepting the arrival inside of 'johns' intersection and now we had no idea where 'chyne' was. I asked the first officer to request a verification of the intersection. The reply was 'chyne'. I then asked the first officer to get a phonetic identify of the intersect. The first letter was unreadable, the second 'hotel', the third we copied as 'echo', the fourth was 'november' and the fifth was 'echo'. We tried a second time but other traffic covered the first three letters. Our third request met with a vector reply and the name of the intersection repeated three times: 'chyne, chyne, shine'. A slight change in dialect and then it hit us; the 'cheyenne' intersect we had been hearing was shine. We should have known(!), but the vector being some 7-8 mi inbound from 'shine' put us looking elsewhere. We were also confused because we didn't understand what the controller was saying prior and were looking for an intersection that sounded like cheyenne. So even though we believe we all use english here in the states we westerners hitting the south sometimes create communications problems. I'm certain the dialect problems will persist but we don't have to be foreigners to create or be confused with communications. It's funny afterwards but looking for intxns that aren't there while attempting to follow a clearance you don't fully understand while trying to get the verification and having communications problems with the verification can wet the armpits and palms. The controller, though most likely frustrated with us, did a great job of getting that aircraft out of his hair and off the air via a vector.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HEADING DEVIATION.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN CLRED A SHINE ONE ARR, CHANGED FREQS AND TAKEN OFF OF THE ARR VIA A VECTOR. SOME TFC CONGESTION AT CLT WAS CREATING VECTORING AND HOLDS. WE HEARD A COUPLE OF ACFT BEING GIVEN HOLDING AT 'CHYNE' INTXN. WE WERE SEARCHING HIGH, LOW AND ARR CHARTS BUT COULDN'T LOCATE THE INTERSECT WHEN WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAKE A HDG TO 'CHYNE' AND HOLD. PLACING THE HDG ON THE MCP GAVE US A HDG LINE INTERCEPTING THE ARR INSIDE OF 'JOHNS' INTXN AND NOW WE HAD NO IDEA WHERE 'CHYNE' WAS. I ASKED THE F/O TO REQUEST A VERIFICATION OF THE INTXN. THE REPLY WAS 'CHYNE'. I THEN ASKED THE F/O TO GET A PHONETIC IDENT OF THE INTERSECT. THE FIRST LETTER WAS UNREADABLE, THE SECOND 'HOTEL', THE THIRD WE COPIED AS 'ECHO', THE FOURTH WAS 'NOVEMBER' AND THE FIFTH WAS 'ECHO'. WE TRIED A SECOND TIME BUT OTHER TFC COVERED THE FIRST THREE LETTERS. OUR THIRD REQUEST MET WITH A VECTOR REPLY AND THE NAME OF THE INTXN REPEATED THREE TIMES: 'CHYNE, CHYNE, SHINE'. A SLIGHT CHANGE IN DIALECT AND THEN IT HIT US; THE 'CHEYENNE' INTERSECT WE HAD BEEN HEARING WAS SHINE. WE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN(!), BUT THE VECTOR BEING SOME 7-8 MI INBND FROM 'SHINE' PUT US LOOKING ELSEWHERE. WE WERE ALSO CONFUSED BECAUSE WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CTLR WAS SAYING PRIOR AND WERE LOOKING FOR AN INTXN THAT SOUNDED LIKE CHEYENNE. SO EVEN THOUGH WE BELIEVE WE ALL USE ENGLISH HERE IN THE STATES WE WESTERNERS HITTING THE S SOMETIMES CREATE COMS PROBS. I'M CERTAIN THE DIALECT PROBS WILL PERSIST BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO BE FOREIGNERS TO CREATE OR BE CONFUSED WITH COMS. IT'S FUNNY AFTERWARDS BUT LOOKING FOR INTXNS THAT AREN'T THERE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FOLLOW A CLRNC YOU DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND WHILE TRYING TO GET THE VERIFICATION AND HAVING COMS PROBS WITH THE VERIFICATION CAN WET THE ARMPITS AND PALMS. THE CTLR, THOUGH MOST LIKELY FRUSTRATED WITH US, DID A GREAT JOB OF GETTING THAT ACFT OUT OF HIS HAIR AND OFF THE AIR VIA A VECTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.