Narrative:

Military aircraft KC35 cleared direct halifax to latitude/longitude offshore. I was aware that 2 B1's were skirting southern edge of my airspace just southeast of boston. Military aircraft requests to go to 'saint john' to hold for unspecified reason and offers holding radial/DME of 'saint john zero-six-zero at five zero.' saint john is approximately 40 mi northwest of halifax. Request seemed reasonable as KC35 was setting up timing to refuel B1's. Course correction to saint john about 5- 10 degrees left. KC35 was cleared 'direct saint john, direct halifax.' KC35 then began a 180 degree turn back due west to the ysj VOR (saint jean). KC35 had civil B767 at 6 O'clock and 30 mi. I then realized that KC35 was reversing direction head-on into trailing traffic. KC35 assigned 240 degree vector to effect separation. English pronunciation of saint jean different from canadian pronunciation (john versus gene). United states pilot using french pronunciation of jean (as john) caused me to believe KC35 was requesting a different fix.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR APPROVED A RTE CHANGE FOR AN MLT TO YSJ (SAINT JOHN, NB), HOWEVER, THE MIL PLT WAS USING THE FRENCH PRONUNCIATION AND ACTUALLY WANTED TO GO TO YJN (SAINT JEAN, PQ). THE CTLR NOTICED THE TRACK CHANGE WAS NOT CORRECT AND THAT A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH AN ACR B767 COULD OCCUR. THE CTLR TURNED THE MLT IN TIME TO PREVENT A LOSS OF SEPARATION.

Narrative: MIL ACFT KC35 CLRED DIRECT HALIFAX TO LATITUDE/LONGITUDE OFFSHORE. I WAS AWARE THAT 2 B1'S WERE SKIRTING SOUTHERN EDGE OF MY AIRSPACE JUST SE OF BOSTON. MIL ACFT REQUESTS TO GO TO 'SAINT JOHN' TO HOLD FOR UNSPECIFIED REASON AND OFFERS HOLDING RADIAL/DME OF 'SAINT JOHN ZERO-SIX-ZERO AT FIVE ZERO.' SAINT JOHN IS APPROX 40 MI NW OF HALIFAX. REQUEST SEEMED REASONABLE AS KC35 WAS SETTING UP TIMING TO REFUEL B1'S. COURSE CORRECTION TO SAINT JOHN ABOUT 5- 10 DEGS L. KC35 WAS CLRED 'DIRECT SAINT JOHN, DIRECT HALIFAX.' KC35 THEN BEGAN A 180 DEG TURN BACK DUE W TO THE YSJ VOR (SAINT JEAN). KC35 HAD CIVIL B767 AT 6 O'CLOCK AND 30 MI. I THEN REALIZED THAT KC35 WAS REVERSING DIRECTION HEAD-ON INTO TRAILING TFC. KC35 ASSIGNED 240 DEG VECTOR TO EFFECT SEPARATION. ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION OF SAINT JEAN DIFFERENT FROM CANADIAN PRONUNCIATION (JOHN VERSUS GENE). UNITED STATES PLT USING FRENCH PRONUNCIATION OF JEAN (AS JOHN) CAUSED ME TO BELIEVE KC35 WAS REQUESTING A DIFFERENT FIX.

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.