Narrative:

We had been cleared direct mmsd, san jose del cabo by center. While en route, houston gave new clearance per monterrey's request. The controller told us to proceed direct to del rio, tx, then pick up the rest of our route. We responded with direct 'del' and his new route. About 5 mins later the controller gave us a hard 70 degree left turn and asked what we were doing? We stated proceeding direct del rio as cleared and asked for him to clarify the navigation identify. He gave us 3 letters that wouldn't tune in our FMS. We again asked for clarification and he told us to standby while he looked it up. He was guessing before. He now clears us to 'dlf,' laughlin, tx, and then assigned route, stating, 'there was no NAVAID at del rio.' we put del into our FMS and information for delicias, mx, came up. We then asked him to clarify our whole route to avoid future mistakes. He did so. This mistake could have been avoided if crew and controller were not lackadaisical. Also, company chart/route planner filed us to 'del' on our flight plan. We assumed what we shouldn't have, that 'del' was del rio, tx.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU CTLR ISSUES LJ60 FLC CLRNC REROUTE. OBSERVING A SIGNIFICANT COURSE CHANGE, ZHU TURNS THE LJ60 AND ADVISES TO FLY HEADING UNTIL NAVAID IS CONFIRMED. ZHU ADVISES HE USED WRONG NAVAID.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT MMSD, SAN JOSE DEL CABO BY CTR. WHILE ENRTE, HOUSTON GAVE NEW CLRNC PER MONTERREY'S REQUEST. THE CTLR TOLD US TO PROCEED DIRECT TO DEL RIO, TX, THEN PICK UP THE REST OF OUR RTE. WE RESPONDED WITH DIRECT 'DEL' AND HIS NEW RTE. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER THE CTLR GAVE US A HARD 70 DEG L TURN AND ASKED WHAT WE WERE DOING? WE STATED PROCEEDING DIRECT DEL RIO AS CLRED AND ASKED FOR HIM TO CLARIFY THE NAV IDENT. HE GAVE US 3 LETTERS THAT WOULDN'T TUNE IN OUR FMS. WE AGAIN ASKED FOR CLARIFICATION AND HE TOLD US TO STANDBY WHILE HE LOOKED IT UP. HE WAS GUESSING BEFORE. HE NOW CLRS US TO 'DLF,' LAUGHLIN, TX, AND THEN ASSIGNED RTE, STATING, 'THERE WAS NO NAVAID AT DEL RIO.' WE PUT DEL INTO OUR FMS AND INFO FOR DELICIAS, MX, CAME UP. WE THEN ASKED HIM TO CLARIFY OUR WHOLE RTE TO AVOID FUTURE MISTAKES. HE DID SO. THIS MISTAKE COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF CREW AND CTLR WERE NOT LACKADAISICAL. ALSO, COMPANY CHART/RTE PLANNER FILED US TO 'DEL' ON OUR FLT PLAN. WE ASSUMED WHAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE, THAT 'DEL' WAS DEL RIO, TX.

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.