Narrative:

We departed bowling green VFR to pick up our clearance in the air. After raising the flaps I reduced power to quiet EPR and began a slow climbing turn to stay in the vicinity of the airport until receiving the clearance. We received our clearance to proceed direct shelbyville, direct ind and climb to cruise altitude. The pilot flying captain picked up the chart and put shelbyville, tn, instead of shelbyville, in, in the GPS and gave me a heading of 180 degrees. I was turning through 180 degrees so I rolled out and began to climb to cruise altitude. We told center we were heading 180 degrees, going direct to shelbyville and climbing to cruise altitude. Out of approximately 13000 ft center called and asked our heading. He asked if we were proceeding direct to shelbyville, tn, and we told him yes. He gave us a heading of 360 degrees and told us to proceed direct shelbyville, in, direct ind and maintain cruise altitude. There were several factors which I feel were contributing factors to this error. 1ST, we decided to takeoff VFR and pick up our clearance in the air. 2ND, was not verifying route with center. 3RD, choosing to stay in the area of the airport instead of proceeding direct to ind and calling center on that route. We were both questioning our heading and were rechking the charts when center called and questioned us. This all took place in less than 90 seconds and the pilot flying was trying to set the GPS and do checklists. Had we simply asked center for an initial heading and the 3 letter name for shelbyville, in, the situation would not have occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG CARGO FLT DEPART BWG VFR PICK UP IFR IN THE AIR. CLRNC DIRECT SHB DIRECT IND CLB TO CRUISE ALT. CAPT TUNED IN SYI, TN, IN ERROR. CTLR QUESTIONED 180 DEG HDG AND ADVISED TO TURN TO 360 DEGS AND PROCEED TO SHB, IN.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED BOWLING GREEN VFR TO PICK UP OUR CLRNC IN THE AIR. AFTER RAISING THE FLAPS I REDUCED PWR TO QUIET EPR AND BEGAN A SLOW CLBING TURN TO STAY IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT UNTIL RECEIVING THE CLRNC. WE RECEIVED OUR CLRNC TO PROCEED DIRECT SHELBYVILLE, DIRECT IND AND CLB TO CRUISE ALT. THE PLT FLYING CAPT PICKED UP THE CHART AND PUT SHELBYVILLE, TN, INSTEAD OF SHELBYVILLE, IN, IN THE GPS AND GAVE ME A HDG OF 180 DEGS. I WAS TURNING THROUGH 180 DEGS SO I ROLLED OUT AND BEGAN TO CLB TO CRUISE ALT. WE TOLD CTR WE WERE HDG 180 DEGS, GOING DIRECT TO SHELBYVILLE AND CLBING TO CRUISE ALT. OUT OF APPROX 13000 FT CTR CALLED AND ASKED OUR HEADING. HE ASKED IF WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT TO SHELBYVILLE, TN, AND WE TOLD HIM YES. HE GAVE US A HDG OF 360 DEGS AND TOLD US TO PROCEED DIRECT SHELBYVILLE, IN, DIRECT IND AND MAINTAIN CRUISE ALT. THERE WERE SEVERAL FACTORS WHICH I FEEL WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS ERROR. 1ST, WE DECIDED TO TKOF VFR AND PICK UP OUR CLRNC IN THE AIR. 2ND, WAS NOT VERIFYING RTE WITH CTR. 3RD, CHOOSING TO STAY IN THE AREA OF THE ARPT INSTEAD OF PROCEEDING DIRECT TO IND AND CALLING CTR ON THAT RTE. WE WERE BOTH QUESTIONING OUR HEADING AND WERE RECHKING THE CHARTS WHEN CTR CALLED AND QUESTIONED US. THIS ALL TOOK PLACE IN LESS THAN 90 SECONDS AND THE PLT FLYING WAS TRYING TO SET THE GPS AND DO CHKLISTS. HAD WE SIMPLY ASKED CTR FOR AN INITIAL HEADING AND THE 3 LETTER NAME FOR SHELBYVILLE, IN, THE SIT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED.

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.