Similar sounding NDB and airport caused controller confusion as to what pilot was doing.

Attributes
ACN	300182
Time
Date	199503
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : grf
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 12368 flight time type : 722
ASRS Report	300182
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

My student and I were practicing approachs. Our route was from rnt to pwt to tiw to rnt. Prior to our approach at pwt, sea approach asked us for our request at pwt and what would follow. I replied that we requested an NDB hold and NDB at pwt, then an ILS and NDB at tiw. Followed by an NDB at rnt. Prior to the ILS at tiw, approach asked what followed the ILS, and I requested an NDB at tiw and at rnt. On our ILS missed approach, we were asked what we wanted next, and I answered that we wanted to go to graye for the NDB, meaning direct to the graye NDB for the full NDB runway 35 at tiw. We were cleared direct graye, and then cleared to cross the beacon outbound and cleared for the approach. My student read back the clearance. As we turned inbound from the procedure turn, I called approach to get a missed approach instruction and frequency change. The controller responded that it looked like we were flying the NDB at tiw, not gray (army air field)! I told him that was right, that was what we wanted. He said -- no problem and cleared us for the NDB runway 35 at tiw. I can understand what happened. My request 'direct graye for the NDB' was easy to misunderstand (the controller was working 2 frequencys, 1 with military traffic at tcm on UHF). Graye and gray sound the same. Also, we read back the 'cleared for the approach,' which was an unlikely clearance at tiw with its operating tower, but likely at gray with the tower closed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pps at sea stated they do have an occasional misunderstanding about the NDB and the airport but this is GA pilots unfamiliar with the area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIMILAR SOUNDING NDB AND ARPT CAUSED CTLR CONFUSION AS TO WHAT PLT WAS DOING.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I WERE PRACTICING APCHS. OUR RTE WAS FROM RNT TO PWT TO TIW TO RNT. PRIOR TO OUR APCH AT PWT, SEA APCH ASKED US FOR OUR REQUEST AT PWT AND WHAT WOULD FOLLOW. I REPLIED THAT WE REQUESTED AN NDB HOLD AND NDB AT PWT, THEN AN ILS AND NDB AT TIW. FOLLOWED BY AN NDB AT RNT. PRIOR TO THE ILS AT TIW, APCH ASKED WHAT FOLLOWED THE ILS, AND I REQUESTED AN NDB AT TIW AND AT RNT. ON OUR ILS MISSED APCH, WE WERE ASKED WHAT WE WANTED NEXT, AND I ANSWERED THAT WE WANTED TO GO TO GRAYE FOR THE NDB, MEANING DIRECT TO THE GRAYE NDB FOR THE FULL NDB RWY 35 AT TIW. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT GRAYE, AND THEN CLRED TO CROSS THE BEACON OUTBOUND AND CLRED FOR THE APCH. MY STUDENT READ BACK THE CLRNC. AS WE TURNED INBOUND FROM THE PROC TURN, I CALLED APCH TO GET A MISSED APCH INSTRUCTION AND FREQ CHANGE. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE FLYING THE NDB AT TIW, NOT GRAY (ARMY AIR FIELD)! I TOLD HIM THAT WAS RIGHT, THAT WAS WHAT WE WANTED. HE SAID -- NO PROB AND CLRED US FOR THE NDB RWY 35 AT TIW. I CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED. MY REQUEST 'DIRECT GRAYE FOR THE NDB' WAS EASY TO MISUNDERSTAND (THE CTLR WAS WORKING 2 FREQS, 1 WITH MIL TFC AT TCM ON UHF). GRAYE AND GRAY SOUND THE SAME. ALSO, WE READ BACK THE 'CLRED FOR THE APCH,' WHICH WAS AN UNLIKELY CLRNC AT TIW WITH ITS OPERATING TWR, BUT LIKELY AT GRAY WITH THE TWR CLOSED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PPS AT SEA STATED THEY DO HAVE AN OCCASIONAL MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE NDB AND THE ARPT BUT THIS IS GA PLTS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA.

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.