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ZLA clears GLF4 direct las VORTAC on course, but first officer selects lvs VORTAC resulting in a course deviation. Captain questions NAVAID name commonality.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 604237 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200401 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : lvs.vortac |
| State Reference | NM |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Gulfstream IV |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other Other other vortac |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 604237 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Navigational Facility Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : zla.artcc |
Narrative:
Departure point -- smo (santa monica): on climb out, we were given several re-rtes (changes) which put us more direct to destination (gjt). Our final change from ZLA was direct las vegas, nv, direct hve direct destination. The instruction from the controller was given to us using full name of the fix, then the identifier for hve, direct destination. The controller did say las vegas, nv, but when my copilot looked up the identifier for las vegas, nv (in the 'accu' quick NAVAID section), he mistakenly used las vegas, NM, instead. That gave us approximately 35 degrees of divergent course -- which we did not catch. Center asked if we were going direct las vegas. My copilot responded saying, 'we were direct lvs.' at that point the controller corrected our direct to and the rest of the flight was uneventful. We were given a heading (010 degrees) to fly for a brief time and then reclred to las. Shortly afterward, I called ZLA on the flight phone to confirm that there were no issues or problems with our error. We were told that there was no problem and everything was fine. Recommend that in the future, when there are multiple locations with the same name, the identifier be used rather than the full name. The controller used the identifier for the second point, why not the first point which was much easier to mistake?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ZLA CLRS GLF4 DIRECT LAS VORTAC ON COURSE, BUT FO SELECTS LVS VORTAC RESULTING IN A COURSE DEV. CAPT QUESTIONS NAVAID NAME COMMONALITY.
Narrative: DEP POINT -- SMO (SANTA MONICA): ON CLBOUT, WE WERE GIVEN SEVERAL RE-RTES (CHANGES) WHICH PUT US MORE DIRECT TO DEST (GJT). OUR FINAL CHANGE FROM ZLA WAS DIRECT LAS VEGAS, NV, DIRECT HVE DIRECT DEST. THE INSTRUCTION FROM THE CTLR WAS GIVEN TO US USING FULL NAME OF THE FIX, THEN THE IDENTIFIER FOR HVE, DIRECT DEST. THE CTLR DID SAY LAS VEGAS, NV, BUT WHEN MY COPLT LOOKED UP THE IDENTIFIER FOR LAS VEGAS, NV (IN THE 'ACCU' QUICK NAVAID SECTION), HE MISTAKENLY USED LAS VEGAS, NM, INSTEAD. THAT GAVE US APPROX 35 DEGS OF DIVERGENT COURSE -- WHICH WE DID NOT CATCH. CTR ASKED IF WE WERE GOING DIRECT LAS VEGAS. MY COPLT RESPONDED SAYING, 'WE WERE DIRECT LVS.' AT THAT POINT THE CTLR CORRECTED OUR DIRECT TO AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG (010 DEGS) TO FLY FOR A BRIEF TIME AND THEN RECLRED TO LAS. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, I CALLED ZLA ON THE FLT PHONE TO CONFIRM THAT THERE WERE NO ISSUES OR PROBS WITH OUR ERROR. WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO PROB AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. RECOMMEND THAT IN THE FUTURE, WHEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS WITH THE SAME NAME, THE IDENTIFIER BE USED RATHER THAN THE FULL NAME. THE CTLR USED THE IDENTIFIER FOR THE SECOND POINT, WHY NOT THE FIRST POINT WHICH WAS MUCH EASIER TO MISTAKE?
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.