B737 flight crew reported a track heading deviation during approach to mco airport. Similar sounding...

Attributes
ACN	1622117
Time
Date	201902
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	MCO.Airport
State Reference	FL
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Not Flying Captain
Qualification	Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Instrument
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 244 Flight Crew Type 20000
Person 2
Function	Pilot Flying First Officer
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200 Flight Crew Type 2200
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Narrative:

ATC issued a clearance to a fix. I read back as 'cruze and descend to 1;600 feet;' but the controller meant hewes. We programmed cruze into the box and the aircraft started to turn. Something didn't seem right and I looked at the approach plate and saw the altitude to cross cruze was 5;000 feet. I was stating to the first officer something seemed wrong and he was saying the same thing when all of a sudden ATC started querying where we were going; and then issued an immediate 30 degree turn to the left away from traffic we had in sight. As all this was going on the controller started blaming us telling (other carrier) aircraft 'company turned the wrong way.' we continued the approach with little more discussion about it but several more times the controller said something to (other carrier) aircraft about us making a mistake; even asking if (other carrier) aircraft wanted to go-around because of the spacing. When the controller switched us to tower; I stated again; for the record; that we read back cruze. The controller came back and agreed that those two fixes sound alike. They ought to fix that. I doubt we're the first ones to do that.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 flight crew reported a track heading deviation during approach to MCO airport. Similar sounding fix names CRUZE and HUWES were cited as a contributing factor.

Narrative: ATC issued a clearance to a fix. I read back as 'CRUZE and descend to 1;600 feet;' but the controller meant HEWES. We programmed CRUZE into the box and the aircraft started to turn. Something didn't seem right and I looked at the approach plate and saw the altitude to cross CRUZE was 5;000 feet. I was stating to the First Officer something seemed wrong and he was saying the same thing when all of a sudden ATC started querying where we were going; and then issued an immediate 30 degree turn to the left away from traffic we had in sight. As all this was going on the controller started blaming us telling (other carrier) aircraft 'Company turned the wrong way.' We continued the approach with little more discussion about it but several more times the controller said something to (other carrier) aircraft about us making a mistake; even asking if (other carrier) aircraft wanted to go-around because of the spacing. When the controller switched us to Tower; I stated again; for the record; that we READ BACK CRUZE. The controller came back and agreed that those two fixes sound alike. They ought to fix that. I doubt we're the first ones to do that.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

B737 flight crew reported a track heading deviation during approach to mco airport. Similar sounding fix names cruze and huwes were cited as a contributing factor.