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A corporate flight crew confused 2 navigation identifiers, which were both programmed into the FMS. The flight crew proceeded to track the wrong NAVAID until ARTCC intervened.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 300620 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199503 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : lfk airport : hou |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : hou tower : mlb |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Citation V |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 300620 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Departed hou, given a full route clearance rather than normal scholes 5 departure (we have regular trips out of hou). There were storm cells around hou and along departure route. Climb out was IMC with rain, some lightning to each side. Given vector to north just after takeoff, then eventually given right turn direct lfk. Though no direct sun, there was intense glare in cockpit. We proceeded in right turn, the FMS needle pointing to right, where it made sense that lfk should be. I did look at the console CRT to verify lfk, and recall being able to see 'LF' clearly, but last letter was obscured by glare. Less than 2 mins later, ZHU asked us where we were going, they showed us heading ese. We replied direct lfk, when in fact we were going direct lft. (Lft is part of sholes 5 SID, very common for us). As our original takeoff vector was north, both lfk and lft would be to our right. ATC gave us an immediate left turn to 340 degrees, and amended altitude to FL240 (had been cleared to FL270). There was no conflict with other aircraft, and the TCASII did not show anyone close. The major contributing factor to this error was the glare in the citation cockpit. Additionally, the one letter difference in 2 navaids both located east of hou, and both used in transitions, made for more problems.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A CORPORATE FLC CONFUSED 2 NAV IDENTIFIERS, WHICH WERE BOTH PROGRAMMED INTO THE FMS. THE FLC PROCEEDED TO TRACK THE WRONG NAVAID UNTIL ARTCC INTERVENED.
Narrative: DEPARTED HOU, GIVEN A FULL RTE CLRNC RATHER THAN NORMAL SCHOLES 5 DEP (WE HAVE REGULAR TRIPS OUT OF HOU). THERE WERE STORM CELLS AROUND HOU AND ALONG DEP RTE. CLBOUT WAS IMC WITH RAIN, SOME LIGHTNING TO EACH SIDE. GIVEN VECTOR TO N JUST AFTER TKOF, THEN EVENTUALLY GIVEN R TURN DIRECT LFK. THOUGH NO DIRECT SUN, THERE WAS INTENSE GLARE IN COCKPIT. WE PROCEEDED IN R TURN, THE FMS NEEDLE POINTING TO R, WHERE IT MADE SENSE THAT LFK SHOULD BE. I DID LOOK AT THE CONSOLE CRT TO VERIFY LFK, AND RECALL BEING ABLE TO SEE 'LF' CLRLY, BUT LAST LETTER WAS OBSCURED BY GLARE. LESS THAN 2 MINS LATER, ZHU ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING, THEY SHOWED US HDG ESE. WE REPLIED DIRECT LFK, WHEN IN FACT WE WERE GOING DIRECT LFT. (LFT IS PART OF SHOLES 5 SID, VERY COMMON FOR US). AS OUR ORIGINAL TKOF VECTOR WAS N, BOTH LFK AND LFT WOULD BE TO OUR R. ATC GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO 340 DEGS, AND AMENDED ALT TO FL240 (HAD BEEN CLRED TO FL270). THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT, AND THE TCASII DID NOT SHOW ANYONE CLOSE. THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS ERROR WAS THE GLARE IN THE CITATION COCKPIT. ADDITIONALLY, THE ONE LETTER DIFFERENCE IN 2 NAVAIDS BOTH LOCATED E OF HOU, AND BOTH USED IN TRANSITIONS, MADE FOR MORE PROBS.
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.