Narrative:

XX15Z, frequency 133.52, altitude 11000 ft, ATC facility: dfw regional approach. Location: 5 NM southwest of bonham VOR. Captain was flying. Approach control instructed us to turn to heading 260 degrees at cincy. Captain thought he heard sasie and turn 260 degrees at sasie. The radio environment was congested and cluttered. Note similar sounding names, this should be changed. Approach control turned us to a 180 degree heading to rejoin jonez.2 arrival and then turn 260 degrees at cincy. There were no visual or TCASII conflicts, nor did the controller say there was. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter heard the clearance to turn at cincy but the captain mistook it for the name sasie. Reporter was busy on the radio when the captain turned and could not quickly correct the captain. TRACON saw the error and quickly turned the aircraft back for an intercept. Captain was certain the turning point was meant to be sasie. Reporter has discussed this with several of his other pilot friends and they agree they could make the same mistake. Reporter felt fatigue was a factor in a busy environment to help cause the misunderstanding.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN S80, FLYING THE JONEZ 2 ARR INTO DFW, TURNS EARLY AT COMMAND OF ATC. THE PF MISUNDERSTANDS THE NAME OF THE INTXN TO TURN AT, AS THERE IS ANOTHER SIMILAR SOUNDING NAME ON THE ARR.

Narrative: XX15Z, FREQ 133.52, ALT 11000 FT, ATC FACILITY: DFW REGIONAL APCH. LOCATION: 5 NM SW OF BONHAM VOR. CAPT WAS FLYING. APCH CTL INSTRUCTED US TO TURN TO HDG 260 DEGS AT CINCY. CAPT THOUGHT HE HEARD SASIE AND TURN 260 DEGS AT SASIE. THE RADIO ENVIRONMENT WAS CONGESTED AND CLUTTERED. NOTE SIMILAR SOUNDING NAMES, THIS SHOULD BE CHANGED. APCH CTL TURNED US TO A 180 DEG HDG TO REJOIN JONEZ.2 ARR AND THEN TURN 260 DEGS AT CINCY. THERE WERE NO VISUAL OR TCASII CONFLICTS, NOR DID THE CTLR SAY THERE WAS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HEARD THE CLRNC TO TURN AT CINCY BUT THE CAPT MISTOOK IT FOR THE NAME SASIE. RPTR WAS BUSY ON THE RADIO WHEN THE CAPT TURNED AND COULD NOT QUICKLY CORRECT THE CAPT. TRACON SAW THE ERROR AND QUICKLY TURNED THE ACFT BACK FOR AN INTERCEPT. CAPT WAS CERTAIN THE TURNING POINT WAS MEANT TO BE SASIE. RPTR HAS DISCUSSED THIS WITH SEVERAL OF HIS OTHER PLT FRIENDS AND THEY AGREE THEY COULD MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE. RPTR FELT FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR IN A BUSY ENVIRONMENT TO HELP CAUSE THE MISUNDERSTANDING.

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.