Narrative:

Flight (air carrier X) from iah to iad at FL330 via abnormal route over atl for 'flow control.' (iah IAH2 lfk jan vuz J14 crewe J51 fak COATT3 iad.) ('glass' B737-300.) I'd not done this route before, but had flown in the southeast in the military. The first officer had done it once and flown in the southeast in the military. As the route was 10-15 mins longer than the normal route (and made us late), at cruise I started asking ZHU if they could work out a more direct route up toward spa or even fak from around lake charles. The first controller said no, but the second said he'd try. After a short time, the second controller said we were cleared to 'jackson.' as I'd hoped for a direct clearance to somewhere in sc or nc, I was pleased to see that he'd cleared us to jaxsn intersection, on the airway in the carolinas. I line selected jaxsn and the plane LNAV'ed about 10 degrees left toward the carolinas. The first officer looked puzzled and asked if we were cleared to jackson, ms. As I wasn't familiar with the route, I did not realize that the jan waypoint on the CDU was 'jackson.' I had, through wishful thinking, selected 'jaxsn' on the route. We asked ATC to clarify which waypoint we had clearance to. The answer was the jackson VORTAC -- jan. We then changed the route in the CDU and returned to the planned route with only a minor deviation to the north. While my 'assumption,' based on wishful thinking, led me to select jaxsn intersection for our direct clearance, I don't think it's too good an idea to have a route with a NAVAID and an intersection both using the sane 'name.' this also says a lot for open communication in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC REQUEST FOR CHANGE IN ROUTING TO DEST. ZHU ISSUES ROUTING CHANGE DIRECT 'JACKSON,' WHICH THE PIC INTERPS AS AN INTXN JAXSN, VA. THE FO QUESTIONS PIC ASSUMPTION, EXPECTING JAN VORTAC, MS. JAN WAS CORRECT CLRNC.

Narrative: FLT (ACR X) FROM IAH TO IAD AT FL330 VIA ABNORMAL RTE OVER ATL FOR 'FLOW CTL.' (IAH IAH2 LFK JAN VUZ J14 CREWE J51 FAK COATT3 IAD.) ('GLASS' B737-300.) I'D NOT DONE THIS RTE BEFORE, BUT HAD FLOWN IN THE SE IN THE MIL. THE FO HAD DONE IT ONCE AND FLOWN IN THE SE IN THE MIL. AS THE RTE WAS 10-15 MINS LONGER THAN THE NORMAL RTE (AND MADE US LATE), AT CRUISE I STARTED ASKING ZHU IF THEY COULD WORK OUT A MORE DIRECT RTE UP TOWARD SPA OR EVEN FAK FROM AROUND LAKE CHARLES. THE FIRST CTLR SAID NO, BUT THE SECOND SAID HE'D TRY. AFTER A SHORT TIME, THE SECOND CTLR SAID WE WERE CLRED TO 'JACKSON.' AS I'D HOPED FOR A DIRECT CLRNC TO SOMEWHERE IN SC OR NC, I WAS PLEASED TO SEE THAT HE'D CLRED US TO JAXSN INTXN, ON THE AIRWAY IN THE CAROLINAS. I LINE SELECTED JAXSN AND THE PLANE LNAV'ED ABOUT 10 DEGS L TOWARD THE CAROLINAS. THE FO LOOKED PUZZLED AND ASKED IF WE WERE CLRED TO JACKSON, MS. AS I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE RTE, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE JAN WAYPOINT ON THE CDU WAS 'JACKSON.' I HAD, THROUGH WISHFUL THINKING, SELECTED 'JAXSN' ON THE RTE. WE ASKED ATC TO CLARIFY WHICH WAYPOINT WE HAD CLRNC TO. THE ANSWER WAS THE JACKSON VORTAC -- JAN. WE THEN CHANGED THE RTE IN THE CDU AND RETURNED TO THE PLANNED RTE WITH ONLY A MINOR DEV TO THE N. WHILE MY 'ASSUMPTION,' BASED ON WISHFUL THINKING, LED ME TO SELECT JAXSN INTXN FOR OUR DIRECT CLRNC, I DON'T THINK IT'S TOO GOOD AN IDEA TO HAVE A RTE WITH A NAVAID AND AN INTXN BOTH USING THE SANE 'NAME.' THIS ALSO SAYS A LOT FOR OPEN COM IN THE COCKPIT.

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.