Narrative:

Aircraft X was issued routing via fricc bremn osu. The pilot was given a radar vector to clear other traffic at FL310. When the traffic was laterally separated, aircraft X was cleared direct fricc and issued a descent clearance. The pilot made an unexpected turn to the right resulting in a loss of separation. When questioned, the pilot stated that he typed frick instead of fricc. These 2 intxns with the same phonetic pronunciation are too close together. Supplemental information from acn 614763: I issued aircraft #1 new routing to destination. New routing involved 2 intxns then direct to destination. Aircraft #1 was on a vector, then given clearance to direct to the first intersection. I then changed aircraft #1's frequency to sector underlying my airspace. Turns out, the intersection I said has another intersection of the same sounding (fricc versus frick) phonetically. Next sector descended aircraft #1, not expecting aircraft to make right turn toward wrongly input intersection, and lost separation with aircraft #2. Supplemental information from acn 614764: the FA50 was given direct fricc by previous controller and the track and heading indicated they were on course. The carj was turned 10 degrees right to keep clear so we could descend the FA50 from FL330 to FL280. After the FA50 was given FL280, the aircraft started a turn into the carj. The problem was that the FA50 spelled the intersection 'frick' which is by grr. Should have been 'fricc' by cmh. The intersection name should be changed. Pilot should question a spelling if unsure. Turns were issued to clear up. Supplemental information from acn 614765: I was the roaming radar associate, the FA50 was en route direct to osu airport. I entered direct fricc into the computer. The pilot entered direct frick into the FMS, which was a turn off course and separation was lost with the other aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter acn 615238 revealed the following information: reporter said controller #2 immediately noticed the track deviation and issued a turn instruction but was unable to maintain separation. He said the pilot did not check the fix before entering it into his FMS. The reporter acknowledged the fixes do sound the same and are located near each other. He said the facility has taken steps to change one of the fixes to eliminate the possibility of misident. He also said the incident is still under investigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FA50 CREW MISTAKENLY FLEW DIRECT FRICK INSTEAD OF SIMILAR SOUNDING FRICC.

Narrative: ACFT X WAS ISSUED ROUTING VIA FRICC BREMN OSU. THE PLT WAS GIVEN A RADAR VECTOR TO CLR OTHER TFC AT FL310. WHEN THE TFC WAS LATERALLY SEPARATED, ACFT X WAS CLRED DIRECT FRICC AND ISSUED A DSCNT CLRNC. THE PLT MADE AN UNEXPECTED TURN TO THE R RESULTING IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION. WHEN QUESTIONED, THE PLT STATED THAT HE TYPED FRICK INSTEAD OF FRICC. THESE 2 INTXNS WITH THE SAME PHONETIC PRONUNCIATION ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 614763: I ISSUED ACFT #1 NEW ROUTING TO DEST. NEW ROUTING INVOLVED 2 INTXNS THEN DIRECT TO DEST. ACFT #1 WAS ON A VECTOR, THEN GIVEN CLRNC TO DIRECT TO THE FIRST INTXN. I THEN CHANGED ACFT #1'S FREQ TO SECTOR UNDERLYING MY AIRSPACE. TURNS OUT, THE INTXN I SAID HAS ANOTHER INTXN OF THE SAME SOUNDING (FRICC VERSUS FRICK) PHONETICALLY. NEXT SECTOR DSNDED ACFT #1, NOT EXPECTING ACFT TO MAKE R TURN TOWARD WRONGLY INPUT INTXN, AND LOST SEPARATION WITH ACFT #2. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 614764: THE FA50 WAS GIVEN DIRECT FRICC BY PREVIOUS CTLR AND THE TRACK AND HDG INDICATED THEY WERE ON COURSE. THE CARJ WAS TURNED 10 DEGS R TO KEEP CLR SO WE COULD DSND THE FA50 FROM FL330 TO FL280. AFTER THE FA50 WAS GIVEN FL280, THE ACFT STARTED A TURN INTO THE CARJ. THE PROB WAS THAT THE FA50 SPELLED THE INTXN 'FRICK' WHICH IS BY GRR. SHOULD HAVE BEEN 'FRICC' BY CMH. THE INTXN NAME SHOULD BE CHANGED. PLT SHOULD QUESTION A SPELLING IF UNSURE. TURNS WERE ISSUED TO CLR UP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 614765: I WAS THE ROAMING RADAR ASSOCIATE, THE FA50 WAS ENRTE DIRECT TO OSU ARPT. I ENTERED DIRECT FRICC INTO THE COMPUTER. THE PLT ENTERED DIRECT FRICK INTO THE FMS, WHICH WAS A TURN OFF COURSE AND SEPARATION WAS LOST WITH THE OTHER ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 615238 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID CTLR #2 IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THE TRACK DEV AND ISSUED A TURN INSTRUCTION BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN SEPARATION. HE SAID THE PLT DID NOT CHK THE FIX BEFORE ENTERING IT INTO HIS FMS. THE RPTR ACKNOWLEDGED THE FIXES DO SOUND THE SAME AND ARE LOCATED NEAR EACH OTHER. HE SAID THE FACILITY HAS TAKEN STEPS TO CHANGE ONE OF THE FIXES TO ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF MISIDENT. HE ALSO SAID THE INCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.

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.