Narrative:

20 mins prior to takeoff, I informed the captain I was getting our clearance for our return leg to dfw from mex. I wrote the clearance on a piece of paper as UJ81 nld as F maintain 350 via toluca A1 squawk XXXX. I then pulled out the departure and commented to the captain 'this is strange, they have us making a right turn after takeoff, we always make a left turn at vasos intersection.' he said 'call them back to verify.' so I called clearance delivery and asked 'verify it is the toluca alpha 1 departure for air carrier X.' they responded 'affirmative.' the captain was flying and upon reaching vasos, he initiated a right turn to intercept the 197 degree radial and departure asked what our heading was. I told them 'we are in the right turn to 197 degrees.' departure advised us 'that was not your clearance, turn left to a heading of 350 degrees.' I had the terrain feature on my side and still thought it was odd they gave us the toluca alpha 1. The terrain was never a problem -- it was in sight visually and through the GPWS. Departure then advised us that we were given the tulas alpha 1 departure. I told them I had called twice to verify the clearance. I now see where the problem lies: the 2 departures sound the same. They can be easily confused. Please change the names of the departures to something obviously different from one another. Supplemental information from acn 545196: after receiving clearance from mex clearance delivery, my first officer told me that our departure was not what was on our flight plan. The flight plan had tulas alpha 1 -- ATC gave us toluca alpha 1. I had the first officer verify 2 times our departure clearance. Both times it was read back to ATC as toluca alpha 1. Upon departure, as we turned right as the toluca alpha 1 departure reads, we were told that we were in error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW, DEPARTING MMMX, WERE QUERIED BY ATC WHEN THEIR TURN, AT THE 5 PT 5 DME FIX WAS A R TURN INSTEAD OF A L TURN.

Narrative: 20 MINS PRIOR TO TKOF, I INFORMED THE CAPT I WAS GETTING OUR CLRNC FOR OUR RETURN LEG TO DFW FROM MEX. I WROTE THE CLRNC ON A PIECE OF PAPER AS UJ81 NLD AS F MAINTAIN 350 VIA TOLUCA A1 SQUAWK XXXX. I THEN PULLED OUT THE DEP AND COMMENTED TO THE CAPT 'THIS IS STRANGE, THEY HAVE US MAKING A R TURN AFTER TKOF, WE ALWAYS MAKE A L TURN AT VASOS INTXN.' HE SAID 'CALL THEM BACK TO VERIFY.' SO I CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY AND ASKED 'VERIFY IT IS THE TOLUCA ALPHA 1 DEP FOR ACR X.' THEY RESPONDED 'AFFIRMATIVE.' THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND UPON REACHING VASOS, HE INITIATED A R TURN TO INTERCEPT THE 197 DEG RADIAL AND DEP ASKED WHAT OUR HDG WAS. I TOLD THEM 'WE ARE IN THE R TURN TO 197 DEGS.' DEP ADVISED US 'THAT WAS NOT YOUR CLRNC, TURN L TO A HDG OF 350 DEGS.' I HAD THE TERRAIN FEATURE ON MY SIDE AND STILL THOUGHT IT WAS ODD THEY GAVE US THE TOLUCA ALPHA 1. THE TERRAIN WAS NEVER A PROB -- IT WAS IN SIGHT VISUALLY AND THROUGH THE GPWS. DEP THEN ADVISED US THAT WE WERE GIVEN THE TULAS ALPHA 1 DEP. I TOLD THEM I HAD CALLED TWICE TO VERIFY THE CLRNC. I NOW SEE WHERE THE PROB LIES: THE 2 DEPS SOUND THE SAME. THEY CAN BE EASILY CONFUSED. PLEASE CHANGE THE NAMES OF THE DEPS TO SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 545196: AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC FROM MEX CLRNC DELIVERY, MY FO TOLD ME THAT OUR DEP WAS NOT WHAT WAS ON OUR FLT PLAN. THE FLT PLAN HAD TULAS ALPHA 1 -- ATC GAVE US TOLUCA ALPHA 1. I HAD THE FO VERIFY 2 TIMES OUR DEP CLRNC. BOTH TIMES IT WAS READ BACK TO ATC AS TOLUCA ALPHA 1. UPON DEP, AS WE TURNED R AS THE TOLUCA ALPHA 1 DEP READS, WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE IN ERROR.

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.