Narrative:

Aircraft X filed hky.2903/08056 evg. A trainee, per my instructions, looked up the identifier evb and noted it as new bedford, ma. The flight plan was relayed to hky tower. When hky called for a release the center issued a left turn off runway 6 'on course.' aircraft X departed hky, made a left 270 degree turn and proceeded 'on course' to some place in florida. 3 letter identifiers don't mean anything if you don't recognize them. Latitude/longitudes don't mean anything to the average controller. Clearing aircraft to 'evb' instead of 'bedford' does not allow for any form of error detection. Clearing an aircraft 'direct to your destination as filed' doesn't provide for any error detection at all. This is a major problem and growing larger with every GPS sold. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was instructing and when the trainee looked up the destination requested on the flight plan, he copied ewb instead of evb. When the aircraft was released through the hky tower an instruction to turn left on course was issued. Although there were no separation problems, the controller was surprised when the aircraft turned to a course different than expected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR ERRED WHEN HE LOOKED UP A DEST IDENTIFIER CAUSING SOME CONFUSION WHEN THE ACFT DEPARTED AND TURNED S INSTEAD OF N.

Narrative: ACFT X FILED HKY.2903/08056 EVG. A TRAINEE, PER MY INSTRUCTIONS, LOOKED UP THE IDENTIFIER EVB AND NOTED IT AS NEW BEDFORD, MA. THE FLT PLAN WAS RELAYED TO HKY TWR. WHEN HKY CALLED FOR A RELEASE THE CTR ISSUED A L TURN OFF RWY 6 'ON COURSE.' ACFT X DEPARTED HKY, MADE A L 270 DEG TURN AND PROCEEDED 'ON COURSE' TO SOME PLACE IN FLORIDA. 3 LETTER IDENTIFIERS DON'T MEAN ANYTHING IF YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE THEM. LAT/LONGITUDES DON'T MEAN ANYTHING TO THE AVERAGE CTLR. CLRING ACFT TO 'EVB' INSTEAD OF 'BEDFORD' DOES NOT ALLOW FOR ANY FORM OF ERROR DETECTION. CLRING AN ACFT 'DIRECT TO YOUR DEST AS FILED' DOESN'T PROVIDE FOR ANY ERROR DETECTION AT ALL. THIS IS A MAJOR PROB AND GROWING LARGER WITH EVERY GPS SOLD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS INSTRUCTING AND WHEN THE TRAINEE LOOKED UP THE DEST REQUESTED ON THE FLT PLAN, HE COPIED EWB INSTEAD OF EVB. WHEN THE ACFT WAS RELEASED THROUGH THE HKY TWR AN INSTRUCTION TO TURN L ON COURSE WAS ISSUED. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO SEPARATION PROBS, THE CTLR WAS SURPRISED WHEN THE ACFT TURNED TO A COURSE DIFFERENT THAN EXPECTED.

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.