An air carrier medium large transport crew inadvertently put 'dufer' vice into its FMC.

Attributes
ACN	258559
Time
Date	199312
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : boi
State Reference	ID
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	258559
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	258669
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route to pdx from den. Near boi cleared direct dufur direct pdx. Inadvertently spelled dufer in fmcs. Note: dufer is 14.1 DME, ILS runway 16R seattle. Since the course seemed reasonable, I did not double check the spelling or route deviation dufer to pdx. A lesson learned!! I am surprised that 2 intxns would be so close with similar names. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting captain says that the mistake was found by the ARTCC controller who asked 'where are you going?' the reporter realizes that the FAA is running out of five letter designators, but wishes that they could be separated by a few thousand mi if it is necessary to have similar sounding words with different spellings. Supplemental information from acn 258669: flight was cleared present position direct 'dufur' direct pdx. 'Dufer' was inadvertently typed into the fmcs. 'Dufer' is 14.1 DME on the sea ILS runway 16R approach. Rom the current position to 'dufur' the new course seemed reasonable. Contributing to the situation was the fact that 'dufer' and pdx 'dufur' were both beyond the ehsi map scale of 320 NM.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CREW INADVERTENTLY PUT 'DUFER' VICE INTO ITS FMC.

Narrative: ENRTE TO PDX FROM DEN. NEAR BOI CLRED DIRECT DUFUR DIRECT PDX. INADVERTENTLY SPELLED DUFER IN FMCS. NOTE: DUFER IS 14.1 DME, ILS RWY 16R SEATTLE. SINCE THE COURSE SEEMED REASONABLE, I DID NOT DOUBLE CHK THE SPELLING OR RTE DEV DUFER TO PDX. A LESSON LEARNED!! I AM SURPRISED THAT 2 INTXNS WOULD BE SO CLOSE WITH SIMILAR NAMES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING CAPT SAYS THAT THE MISTAKE WAS FOUND BY THE ARTCC CTLR WHO ASKED 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' THE RPTR REALIZES THAT THE FAA IS RUNNING OUT OF FIVE LETTER DESIGNATORS, BUT WISHES THAT THEY COULD BE SEPARATED BY A FEW THOUSAND MI IF IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE SIMILAR SOUNDING WORDS WITH DIFFERENT SPELLINGS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 258669: FLT WAS CLRED PRESENT POS DIRECT 'DUFUR' DIRECT PDX. 'DUFER' WAS INADVERTENTLY TYPED INTO THE FMCS. 'DUFER' IS 14.1 DME ON THE SEA ILS RWY 16R APCH. ROM THE CURRENT POS TO 'DUFUR' THE NEW COURSE SEEMED REASONABLE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE SIT WAS THE FACT THAT 'DUFER' AND PDX 'DUFUR' WERE BOTH BEYOND THE EHSI MAP SCALE OF 320 NM.

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.