Narrative:

We had completed a flight from seattle to santa ana and dropped our passenger. The PIC as off-loading baggage while I prepared the cockpit for our return to home base at van nuys. I called for a tower en route to van nuys (I thought) and was programming the FMS with the tower en route clearance I had received numerous times before. In the midst of my programming, clearance called and read my clearance with altitude, departure and squawk code. I had already written the clearance prior to hearing from clearance delivery, so really focused on altitude restr, departure and squawk information. I repeated it back, and clearance confirmed my readback. We departed sna on the MUSEL6 departure seal beach (sli) transition. While on a 175 degree heading shortly after departure, ATC advised 'turn to 190 degree heading radar vectors john wayne.' the captain advised ATC we were en route to van nuys. ATC confirmed van nuys, and then issued a new radar vector. The rest of the flight was uneventful until we landed at van nuys, the tower advised us after clearing the runway to contact ground for a phone number. We called ground and they gave a number to call and to ask for the area supervisor. I called and was told that I had asked for a tower en route to john wayne, not van nuys. The clearance had been issued accordingly. From this experience I learned: pay full attention when requesting and receiving the clearance. I should have delayed programming the FMS until after I received my clearance, and not during receipt. (I heard what I wanted to hear.) repeat back the clearance limit when reading back the clearance. I usually do this, but in this case I did not. Had I started with 'cleared to van nuys via...' the error would have been detected up front.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GLF3 FO TOLD CLRNC DELIVERY THEY WERE GOING TO ONE ARPT, WHEN IN FACT THEY WERE GOING TO ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: WE HAD COMPLETED A FLT FROM SEATTLE TO SANTA ANA AND DROPPED OUR PAX. THE PIC AS OFF-LOADING BAGGAGE WHILE I PREPARED THE COCKPIT FOR OUR RETURN TO HOME BASE AT VAN NUYS. I CALLED FOR A TWR ENRTE TO VAN NUYS (I THOUGHT) AND WAS PROGRAMMING THE FMS WITH THE TWR ENRTE CLRNC I HAD RECEIVED NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE. IN THE MIDST OF MY PROGRAMMING, CLRNC CALLED AND READ MY CLRNC WITH ALT, DEP AND SQUAWK CODE. I HAD ALREADY WRITTEN THE CLRNC PRIOR TO HEARING FROM CLRNC DELIVERY, SO REALLY FOCUSED ON ALT RESTR, DEP AND SQUAWK INFO. I REPEATED IT BACK, AND CLRNC CONFIRMED MY READBACK. WE DEPARTED SNA ON THE MUSEL6 DEP SEAL BEACH (SLI) TRANSITION. WHILE ON A 175 DEG HDG SHORTLY AFTER DEP, ATC ADVISED 'TURN TO 190 DEG HDG RADAR VECTORS JOHN WAYNE.' THE CAPT ADVISED ATC WE WERE ENRTE TO VAN NUYS. ATC CONFIRMED VAN NUYS, AND THEN ISSUED A NEW RADAR VECTOR. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL WE LANDED AT VAN NUYS, THE TWR ADVISED US AFTER CLRING THE RWY TO CONTACT GND FOR A PHONE NUMBER. WE CALLED GND AND THEY GAVE A NUMBER TO CALL AND TO ASK FOR THE AREA SUPVR. I CALLED AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD ASKED FOR A TWR ENRTE TO JOHN WAYNE, NOT VAN NUYS. THE CLRNC HAD BEEN ISSUED ACCORDINGLY. FROM THIS EXPERIENCE I LEARNED: PAY FULL ATTN WHEN REQUESTING AND RECEIVING THE CLRNC. I SHOULD HAVE DELAYED PROGRAMMING THE FMS UNTIL AFTER I RECEIVED MY CLRNC, AND NOT DURING RECEIPT. (I HEARD WHAT I WANTED TO HEAR.) REPEAT BACK THE CLRNC LIMIT WHEN READING BACK THE CLRNC. I USUALLY DO THIS, BUT IN THIS CASE I DID NOT. HAD I STARTED WITH 'CLRED TO VAN NUYS VIA...' THE ERROR WOULD HAVE BEEN DETECTED UP FRONT.

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.