Narrative:

We had departed bur en route to phl. Our clearance had been the vny 7, pmd transition hec J64. At some point during our climb, we were given numerous vectors for traffic. I believe we had just passed hec, and were on a vector to the north. Center advised that out of FL260 we were cleared direct las vegas, direct hill city, then as filed. Las vegas was not on the original clearance and flight plan I pulled out the en route chart and saw las vegas (lvs) and hill city (hlc) and assumed center had changed our route to a more southerly one for WX. From our present position, lvs was due east. Shortly after turning towards lvs, NM, center asked what our clearance was. I said we were given direct las vegas, direct hill city our of FL260. He said las vegas was north of us, and had us turn to a heading of 350 degrees. He noted we probably had entered las vegas, NM, into the FMS, which we had. I see how the error occurred -- center never clarified which las vegas. When looking at the chart, both could have been assumed, although las vegas, nv, was much closer. The clearance was given as 'direct las vegas, direct hill city.' I didn't catch the 2 possibilities and inputted the wrong one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL60 FLC HAS A HDG TRACK DEV WHEN MISINTERP ZLA CTLR'S AMENDED CLRNC RTE CHANGE 60 NM SSW OF LAS, NV.

Narrative: WE HAD DEPARTED BUR ENRTE TO PHL. OUR CLRNC HAD BEEN THE VNY 7, PMD TRANSITION HEC J64. AT SOME POINT DURING OUR CLB, WE WERE GIVEN NUMEROUS VECTORS FOR TFC. I BELIEVE WE HAD JUST PASSED HEC, AND WERE ON A VECTOR TO THE N. CTR ADVISED THAT OUT OF FL260 WE WERE CLRED DIRECT LAS VEGAS, DIRECT HILL CITY, THEN AS FILED. LAS VEGAS WAS NOT ON THE ORIGINAL CLRNC AND FLT PLAN I PULLED OUT THE ENRTE CHART AND SAW LAS VEGAS (LVS) AND HILL CITY (HLC) AND ASSUMED CTR HAD CHANGED OUR RTE TO A MORE SOUTHERLY ONE FOR WX. FROM OUR PRESENT POS, LVS WAS DUE E. SHORTLY AFTER TURNING TOWARDS LVS, NM, CTR ASKED WHAT OUR CLRNC WAS. I SAID WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT LAS VEGAS, DIRECT HILL CITY OUR OF FL260. HE SAID LAS VEGAS WAS N OF US, AND HAD US TURN TO A HDG OF 350 DEGS. HE NOTED WE PROBABLY HAD ENTERED LAS VEGAS, NM, INTO THE FMS, WHICH WE HAD. I SEE HOW THE ERROR OCCURRED -- CTR NEVER CLARIFIED WHICH LAS VEGAS. WHEN LOOKING AT THE CHART, BOTH COULD HAVE BEEN ASSUMED, ALTHOUGH LAS VEGAS, NV, WAS MUCH CLOSER. THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN AS 'DIRECT LAS VEGAS, DIRECT HILL CITY.' I DIDN'T CATCH THE 2 POSSIBILITIES AND INPUTTED THE WRONG ONE.

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.