Narrative:

Flight planning a flight from montgomery field, san diego, ca, to prescott, az, I was using a hand held flight management system called xyz, which has a database from FAA facilities tapes and is updated every 6 weeks. 1 of the en route fixes was the drake VOR in arizona. After specifying the VOR's for the routing and using a feature of the system for automatic airway routing (system picks the airways between VOR's) I noticed that 1 leg was 2300 nautical mi. After extensive checking I found the problem. Not taking the time to look up the idents of the VOR's in the routing, I used a feature of the system to enter the full text names (drake) of the VOR's. This worked fine, except that in the case of drake VOR arizona the system displayed all the drake VOR's that were available alphabetically. There is a drake VOR in fayetteville arkansas. Due to the small display, I only see one VOR at a time displayed along with a 2 character state abbreviation. Drake, ar, was alphabetically before drake, az. Not thinking closely about the state abbreviations ar seemed like it would be arizona. It's not, it's arkansas. I suffered no consequences as a result of this error, I was flight planning on the ground and caught the error there. My concern is others using any automated flight management system may not catch this error in time. If in flight, during a period of high workload may follow an erroneous heading and at worst conflict with other air traffic or at least violate a clearance and or airspace. I notified the FAA through the 800 number and received a call back from an FAA gentleman in the western region. He agreed this could be a problem, however his job was to call me and explain everything was correct and legal and verify that I understood it was correct and legal. I told him that I understood this, however, a hazard still exists. The drake VOR name should not be used in 2 states with their abbreviated idents so close ar versus az. If the second drake VOR was in texas (tx) or illinois (il) the reason for the long trip leg would have been obvious and probably never have occurred. It concerns me that this may be a potential safety of flight item and the FAA is unwilling to address it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PREFLT PLANNING BRINGS UP COMPUTER INFO WHICH WAS MISREAD BY RPTR.

Narrative: FLT PLANNING A FLT FROM MONTGOMERY FIELD, SAN DIEGO, CA, TO PRESCOTT, AZ, I WAS USING A HAND HELD FLT MGMNT SYS CALLED XYZ, WHICH HAS A DATABASE FROM FAA FACILITIES TAPES AND IS UPDATED EVERY 6 WEEKS. 1 OF THE ENRTE FIXES WAS THE DRAKE VOR IN ARIZONA. AFTER SPECIFYING THE VOR'S FOR THE RTING AND USING A FEATURE OF THE SYS FOR AUTO AIRWAY RTING (SYS PICKS THE AIRWAYS BTWN VOR'S) I NOTICED THAT 1 LEG WAS 2300 NAUTICAL MI. AFTER EXTENSIVE CHKING I FOUND THE PROB. NOT TAKING THE TIME TO LOOK UP THE IDENTS OF THE VOR'S IN THE RTING, I USED A FEATURE OF THE SYS TO ENTER THE FULL TEXT NAMES (DRAKE) OF THE VOR'S. THIS WORKED FINE, EXCEPT THAT IN THE CASE OF DRAKE VOR ARIZONA THE SYS DISPLAYED ALL THE DRAKE VOR'S THAT WERE AVAILABLE ALPHABETICALLY. THERE IS A DRAKE VOR IN FAYETTEVILLE ARKANSAS. DUE TO THE SMALL DISPLAY, I ONLY SEE ONE VOR AT A TIME DISPLAYED ALONG WITH A 2 CHARACTER STATE ABBREVIATION. DRAKE, AR, WAS ALPHABETICALLY BEFORE DRAKE, AZ. NOT THINKING CLOSELY ABOUT THE STATE ABBREVIATIONS AR SEEMED LIKE IT WOULD BE ARIZONA. IT'S NOT, IT'S ARKANSAS. I SUFFERED NO CONSEQUENCES AS A RESULT OF THIS ERROR, I WAS FLT PLANNING ON THE GND AND CAUGHT THE ERROR THERE. MY CONCERN IS OTHERS USING ANY AUTOMATED FLT MGMNT SYS MAY NOT CATCH THIS ERROR IN TIME. IF IN FLT, DURING A PERIOD OF HIGH WORKLOAD MAY FOLLOW AN ERRONEOUS HDG AND AT WORST CONFLICT WITH OTHER AIR TFC OR AT LEAST VIOLATE A CLRNC AND OR AIRSPACE. I NOTIFIED THE FAA THROUGH THE 800 NUMBER AND RECEIVED A CALL BACK FROM AN FAA GENTLEMAN IN THE WESTERN REGION. HE AGREED THIS COULD BE A PROB, HOWEVER HIS JOB WAS TO CALL ME AND EXPLAIN EVERYTHING WAS CORRECT AND LEGAL AND VERIFY THAT I UNDERSTOOD IT WAS CORRECT AND LEGAL. I TOLD HIM THAT I UNDERSTOOD THIS, HOWEVER, A HAZARD STILL EXISTS. THE DRAKE VOR NAME SHOULD NOT BE USED IN 2 STATES WITH THEIR ABBREVIATED IDENTS SO CLOSE AR VERSUS AZ. IF THE SECOND DRAKE VOR WAS IN TEXAS (TX) OR ILLINOIS (IL) THE REASON FOR THE LONG TRIP LEG WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS AND PROBABLY NEVER HAVE OCCURRED. IT CONCERNS ME THAT THIS MAY BE A POTENTIAL SAFETY OF FLT ITEM AND THE FAA IS UNWILLING TO ADDRESS IT.

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.