MD80 initiated early turn on clarr arrival to las because of confusing depiction on charts.

Attributes
ACN	600174
Time
Date	200311
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : l30.tracon
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 1300
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : l30.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : clarr
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	600174
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	600146
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication

Narrative:

Flying to las vegas at night on a non-EFIS airplane, we were cleared the clarr 1 arrival. Due to the way clarr is depicted in large, bold letters just below skebr intersection on the chart, we mistook clarr for skebr and turned to a 345 degree heading at clarr. Vegas approach notified us of our error and gave us a heading to fly. We missed the turn and it was our fault, however, we feel clarr should be moved on the chart closer to the actual intersection and removed from directly below skebr. We were notified that we were the 4TH aircraft that night to make that error. Supplemental information from acn 600146: approach briefed en route, emphasizing turn at skebr. First officer executed turn at clarr rather than at skebr, and I did not catch it until turn was complete. At night, in a dim cockpit, it is easy to miss what should be obvious.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 INITIATED EARLY TURN ON CLARR ARR TO LAS BECAUSE OF CONFUSING DEPICTION ON CHARTS.

Narrative: FLYING TO LAS VEGAS AT NIGHT ON A NON-EFIS AIRPLANE, WE WERE CLRED THE CLARR 1 ARR. DUE TO THE WAY CLARR IS DEPICTED IN LARGE, BOLD LETTERS JUST BELOW SKEBR INTXN ON THE CHART, WE MISTOOK CLARR FOR SKEBR AND TURNED TO A 345 DEG HDG AT CLARR. VEGAS APCH NOTIFIED US OF OUR ERROR AND GAVE US A HDG TO FLY. WE MISSED THE TURN AND IT WAS OUR FAULT, HOWEVER, WE FEEL CLARR SHOULD BE MOVED ON THE CHART CLOSER TO THE ACTUAL INTXN AND REMOVED FROM DIRECTLY BELOW SKEBR. WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT WE WERE THE 4TH ACFT THAT NIGHT TO MAKE THAT ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 600146: APCH BRIEFED ENRTE, EMPHASIZING TURN AT SKEBR. FO EXECUTED TURN AT CLARR RATHER THAN AT SKEBR, AND I DID NOT CATCH IT UNTIL TURN WAS COMPLETE. AT NIGHT, IN A DIM COCKPIT, IT IS EASY TO MISS WHAT SHOULD BE OBVIOUS.

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.