Narrative:

We were about to cross the richmond VOR for the irons 2 arrival to dca. A line of thunderstorms was beginning to impact the arrs to airports in the D.C. Area. We were at FL220 in the clouds and the static on the ZDC VHF frequency we were using was so severe that it was almost impossible to understand center xmissions. While the first officer was off the center frequency trying to get the dca ATIS, I thought I heard ZDC issue a clearance to us to fly V16 to colns intersection and then V33 to a fix which was unintelligible. I thought the clearance was taking us to the colns intersection (ldn 275/046) in order to fit us in with traffic deviating for the WX. I turned to intercept the richmond 283 degree radial on V16. The first officer informed me that there was a colin intersection (pxt 238/017) on V16 that made more sense. ZDC issued us a turn to a 180 degree heading as we were trying to clarify the clearance and then issued further vectors to pxt. Because there are 2 different intxns with identical sounding names and the fact that we were experiencing extreme difficulty with communications, I made the turn toward the intersection that I was familiar with. The clearance was received very close to the ric VOR so I had almost no time to analyze the route carefully and I turned in the wrong direction. There is no reason to have intxns with such similar names so close together even though one is on the high chart and the other is on the low chart.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE IN PRECIPITATION STATIC, AN ACR MLG MISUNDERSTOOD 'COLNS' INTXN FOR 'COLIN.'

Narrative: WE WERE ABOUT TO CROSS THE RICHMOND VOR FOR THE IRONS 2 ARR TO DCA. A LINE OF TSTMS WAS BEGINNING TO IMPACT THE ARRS TO ARPTS IN THE D.C. AREA. WE WERE AT FL220 IN THE CLOUDS AND THE STATIC ON THE ZDC VHF FREQ WE WERE USING WAS SO SEVERE THAT IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND CTR XMISSIONS. WHILE THE FO WAS OFF THE CTR FREQ TRYING TO GET THE DCA ATIS, I THOUGHT I HEARD ZDC ISSUE A CLRNC TO US TO FLY V16 TO COLNS INTXN AND THEN V33 TO A FIX WHICH WAS UNINTELLIGIBLE. I THOUGHT THE CLRNC WAS TAKING US TO THE COLNS INTXN (LDN 275/046) IN ORDER TO FIT US IN WITH TFC DEVIATING FOR THE WX. I TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE RICHMOND 283 DEG RADIAL ON V16. THE FO INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A COLIN INTXN (PXT 238/017) ON V16 THAT MADE MORE SENSE. ZDC ISSUED US A TURN TO A 180 DEG HDG AS WE WERE TRYING TO CLARIFY THE CLRNC AND THEN ISSUED FURTHER VECTORS TO PXT. BECAUSE THERE ARE 2 DIFFERENT INTXNS WITH IDENTICAL SOUNDING NAMES AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE EXPERIENCING EXTREME DIFFICULTY WITH COMS, I MADE THE TURN TOWARD THE INTXN THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH. THE CLRNC WAS RECEIVED VERY CLOSE TO THE RIC VOR SO I HAD ALMOST NO TIME TO ANALYZE THE RTE CAREFULLY AND I TURNED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. THERE IS NO REASON TO HAVE INTXNS WITH SUCH SIMILAR NAMES SO CLOSE TOGETHER EVEN THOUGH ONE IS ON THE HIGH CHART AND THE OTHER IS ON THE LOW CHART.

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.