Narrative:

Flight was planned from kbwi to kilw. Full route clearance was issued by bwi clearance delivery as 'runway heading radar vectors armel J149 empty direct appleton V5 shirt as filed' readback was 'runway heading radar vectors armel J149 eytee appleton V5 shirt as filed' the confusion is two-fold: a) the distinction between 'empty' and 'eytee' on the radio is very subtle. Both intxns lie along J149 and for our destination both were relevant. B) the actual clearance involving 'empty' was illogical as it would have us flying through our arrival course, turning 180 degree opposite to our destination, reversing course again over ape VOR and rejoining the arrival. Upon seeing that, no one would assume that it was in fact 'empty' vice 'eytee' that was issued. My recommendation is: a) if an airway/jetway has 2 similar intxns, rename one of them. If that's not practical then B) insure that the clearance delivery facility actually spells the fix in question. The discrepancy was noted as we diverged from J149 west of 'eytee.' callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter expressed his concern over how the phonetic similarities of the two fixes caused the misunderstanding. Having two fixes on the same airway with similar sounding names may lead to other mishaps. He did admit, however, had the crew been in an aircraft requiring the insertion of the route into an FMS or other navigation system, the discrepancy would probably have been discovered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 CREW, RECEIVING THEIR CLRNC AT KBWI, MISUNDERSTOOD THE I.D. OF AN ENRTE FIX, RESULTING I A DEVIATION FROM ASSIGNED ROUTING.

Narrative: FLT WAS PLANNED FROM KBWI TO KILW. FULL RTE CLRNC WAS ISSUED BY BWI CLRNC DELIVERY AS 'RWY HEADING RADAR VECTORS ARMEL J149 EMPTY DIRECT APPLETON V5 SHIRT AS FILED' READBACK WAS 'RWY HEADING RADAR VECTORS ARMEL J149 EYTEE APPLETON V5 SHIRT AS FILED' THE CONFUSION IS TWO-FOLD: A) THE DISTINCTION BTWN 'EMPTY' AND 'EYTEE' ON THE RADIO IS VERY SUBTLE. BOTH INTXNS LIE ALONG J149 AND FOR OUR DESTINATION BOTH WERE RELEVANT. B) THE ACTUAL CLRNC INVOLVING 'EMPTY' WAS ILLOGICAL AS IT WOULD HAVE US FLYING THROUGH OUR ARR COURSE, TURNING 180 DEG OPPOSITE TO OUR DESTINATION, REVERSING COURSE AGAIN OVER APE VOR AND REJOINING THE ARR. UPON SEEING THAT, NO ONE WOULD ASSUME THAT IT WAS IN FACT 'EMPTY' VICE 'EYTEE' THAT WAS ISSUED. MY RECOMMENDATION IS: A) IF AN AIRWAY/JETWAY HAS 2 SIMILAR INTXNS, RENAME ONE OF THEM. IF THAT'S NOT PRACTICAL THEN B) INSURE THAT THE CLRNC DELIVERY FACILITY ACTUALLY SPELLS THE FIX IN QUESTION. THE DISCREPANCY WAS NOTED AS WE DIVERGED FROM J149 W OF 'EYTEE.' CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN OVER HOW THE PHONETIC SIMILARITIES OF THE TWO FIXES CAUSED THE MISUNDERSTANDING. HAVING TWO FIXES ON THE SAME AIRWAY WITH SIMILAR SOUNDING NAMES MAY LEAD TO OTHER MISHAPS. HE DID ADMIT, HOWEVER, HAD THE CREW BEEN IN AN ACFT REQUIRING THE INSERTION OF THE RTE INTO AN FMS OR OTHER NAV SYS, THE DISCREPANCY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED.

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.