Similar sounding intxns.

Attributes
ACN	328051
Time
Date	199602
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : zid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	328051
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 16900 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	327450
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The captain and I had met for the first time this morning and this was our second leg together. Both of us had been on vacation for a few weeks prior to this trip. I was flying and the captain was on radios. I heard the controller give us 'cross jeney at 12000 ft.' I set 12000 ft in the altitude window. I had the FMS set up with the restr of jeney at 12000 ft and 250 KTS. The VNAV descent slope showed high because I was fast (we were not speed restr) and I was using vertical speed for the descent. The green arc showed me well short of jeney for the level off at 12000 ft. The captain said I needed to get down. I was a little miffed because I was looking great for the descent. I made a token increase in descent rate but he wasn't satisfied and commented again. I then hit maximum vertical speed and put out the speed brakes. He then told me, as I was starting to shallow out the descent, that we needed to get down more so we wouldn't get a violation. I said we were given 12000 ft at jeney. He now informed me he had heard the controller give us 12000 ft at 'henly.' rather than argue I made the restr by taking over manually and leveling expeditiously at 12000 ft. The captain thought we might have busted the restr given because we were at 12400 ft as the FMS said we passed over henly. The controller gave us new instructions as we leveled at 12000 ft and never once seemed distressed about our altitude nor did he say we had been violated. I felt the captain may have thought he heard the controller say henly when the controller actually said jeney. The 2 names are very similar sounding and should probably be changed to prevent confusion. Because we were now in the low altitude environment I didn't ask the captain to clarify the previous clearance to find out who was right and who was wrong. It would only explain what the clearance had been and who had heard the clearance correctly. We had taken the most conservative approach to the situation and complied with the most restr clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIMILAR SOUNDING INTXNS.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND I HAD MET FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS MORNING AND THIS WAS OUR SECOND LEG TOGETHER. BOTH OF US HAD BEEN ON VACATION FOR A FEW WKS PRIOR TO THIS TRIP. I WAS FLYING AND THE CAPT WAS ON RADIOS. I HEARD THE CTLR GIVE US 'CROSS JENEY AT 12000 FT.' I SET 12000 FT IN THE ALT WINDOW. I HAD THE FMS SET UP WITH THE RESTR OF JENEY AT 12000 FT AND 250 KTS. THE VNAV DSCNT SLOPE SHOWED HIGH BECAUSE I WAS FAST (WE WERE NOT SPD RESTR) AND I WAS USING VERT SPD FOR THE DSCNT. THE GREEN ARC SHOWED ME WELL SHORT OF JENEY FOR THE LEVEL OFF AT 12000 FT. THE CAPT SAID I NEEDED TO GET DOWN. I WAS A LITTLE MIFFED BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING GREAT FOR THE DSCNT. I MADE A TOKEN INCREASE IN DSCNT RATE BUT HE WASN'T SATISFIED AND COMMENTED AGAIN. I THEN HIT MAX VERT SPD AND PUT OUT THE SPD BRAKES. HE THEN TOLD ME, AS I WAS STARTING TO SHALLOW OUT THE DSCNT, THAT WE NEEDED TO GET DOWN MORE SO WE WOULDN'T GET A VIOLATION. I SAID WE WERE GIVEN 12000 FT AT JENEY. HE NOW INFORMED ME HE HAD HEARD THE CTLR GIVE US 12000 FT AT 'HENLY.' RATHER THAN ARGUE I MADE THE RESTR BY TAKING OVER MANUALLY AND LEVELING EXPEDITIOUSLY AT 12000 FT. THE CAPT THOUGHT WE MIGHT HAVE BUSTED THE RESTR GIVEN BECAUSE WE WERE AT 12400 FT AS THE FMS SAID WE PASSED OVER HENLY. THE CTLR GAVE US NEW INSTRUCTIONS AS WE LEVELED AT 12000 FT AND NEVER ONCE SEEMED DISTRESSED ABOUT OUR ALT NOR DID HE SAY WE HAD BEEN VIOLATED. I FELT THE CAPT MAY HAVE THOUGHT HE HEARD THE CTLR SAY HENLY WHEN THE CTLR ACTUALLY SAID JENEY. THE 2 NAMES ARE VERY SIMILAR SOUNDING AND SHOULD PROBABLY BE CHANGED TO PREVENT CONFUSION. BECAUSE WE WERE NOW IN THE LOW ALT ENVIRONMENT I DIDN'T ASK THE CAPT TO CLARIFY THE PREVIOUS CLRNC TO FIND OUT WHO WAS RIGHT AND WHO WAS WRONG. IT WOULD ONLY EXPLAIN WHAT THE CLRNC HAD BEEN AND WHO HAD HEARD THE CLRNC CORRECTLY. WE HAD TAKEN THE MOST CONSERVATIVE APCH TO THE SIT AND COMPLIED WITH THE MOST RESTR CLRNC.

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.