Narrative:

I was practicing IFR approachs. I was under the hood, with a safety pilot, in good VFR conditions. After completing an approach, I requested the GPS runway 11L approach and was cleared direct to kecpo intersection. Kecpo is an initial approach fix, but it is in regular type face on the commercial chart. I thought I was cleared to jevsu intersection which is also an initial approach fix. Jevsu is marked on the commercial chart in bold type face and is part of a published holding pattern which is also bold type face. I thought I was going to do the course reversal in the holding pattern. Approach asked my heading and I replied '265 degrees direct jevsu.' approach said I was cleared direct kecpo which was 2 O'clock position and 3 mi. I turned direct kecpo and completed the approach without incident. There was never any conflict or danger. I apologized to approach and commented that 'I liked the old days when intxns had real names that you could pronounce.' approach said 'we were just talking about that down here.' I think that this confusion came from the strange intersection names that sound similar on the radio. This was compounded by jevsu being bold on the chart and kecpo not being bold, even though both are initial approach fixes. Safety would be enhanced if all initial approach fixes were given different sounding names. Here the soft 'east' made them sound alike. The other initial approach fix is johri which is clearly different. Also using 'real' names or identifiable names (such as ftcty -- fat city) for important fixes such as initial approach fixes would help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE36 PLT FLYING UNDER THE HOOD WITH A SAFETY PLT, MISUNDERSTOOD FAT TRACON AND TURNED DIRECT TO THE WRONG INTXN.

Narrative: I WAS PRACTICING IFR APCHS. I WAS UNDER THE HOOD, WITH A SAFETY PLT, IN GOOD VFR CONDITIONS. AFTER COMPLETING AN APCH, I REQUESTED THE GPS RWY 11L APCH AND WAS CLRED DIRECT TO KECPO INTXN. KECPO IS AN INITIAL APCH FIX, BUT IT IS IN REGULAR TYPE FACE ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART. I THOUGHT I WAS CLRED TO JEVSU INTXN WHICH IS ALSO AN INITIAL APCH FIX. JEVSU IS MARKED ON THE COMMERCIAL CHART IN BOLD TYPE FACE AND IS PART OF A PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN WHICH IS ALSO BOLD TYPE FACE. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO DO THE COURSE REVERSAL IN THE HOLDING PATTERN. APCH ASKED MY HDG AND I REPLIED '265 DEGS DIRECT JEVSU.' APCH SAID I WAS CLRED DIRECT KECPO WHICH WAS 2 O'CLOCK POS AND 3 MI. I TURNED DIRECT KECPO AND COMPLETED THE APCH WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONFLICT OR DANGER. I APOLOGIZED TO APCH AND COMMENTED THAT 'I LIKED THE OLD DAYS WHEN INTXNS HAD REAL NAMES THAT YOU COULD PRONOUNCE.' APCH SAID 'WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT DOWN HERE.' I THINK THAT THIS CONFUSION CAME FROM THE STRANGE INTXN NAMES THAT SOUND SIMILAR ON THE RADIO. THIS WAS COMPOUNDED BY JEVSU BEING BOLD ON THE CHART AND KECPO NOT BEING BOLD, EVEN THOUGH BOTH ARE INITIAL APCH FIXES. SAFETY WOULD BE ENHANCED IF ALL INITIAL APCH FIXES WERE GIVEN DIFFERENT SOUNDING NAMES. HERE THE SOFT 'E' MADE THEM SOUND ALIKE. THE OTHER INITIAL APCH FIX IS JOHRI WHICH IS CLRLY DIFFERENT. ALSO USING 'REAL' NAMES OR IDENTIFIABLE NAMES (SUCH AS FTCTY -- FAT CITY) FOR IMPORTANT FIXES SUCH AS INITIAL APCH FIXES WOULD HELP.

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.