Narrative:

Our original flight planned route: ZZZ-J89-kurtz-vhp-okk.OKK1-kord. Approaching iiu (louisville VOR) from the south, indianapolis center rerouted us to: direct rod (rosewood VOR) to fwa.OX13-kord. We turned direct to rosewood, and, acphing 100 NM south of rod, chicago center instructed us to maintain heading and expect direct pnt (pontiac VOR, frequency 109.6)-plano-ord. We read back this second reroute, and, understood the controller to say 'maintain present heading, and, expect direct pnt on that heading.' at this time we were approximately overhead mie VOR. Our present heading was approximately 330 degrees. We both began searching for pnt VOR on our charts, since this was the first fix in our reroute clearance. As we were still trying to locate pnt VOR on our charts, the controller cleared us to pnt VOR. Not being familiar with the ord area, we assumed the controller was referring to pontiac, michigan. After a couple of minutes had passed since we were cleared to pnt, we found pnt (frequency 109.6) on our chart, but didn't realize this was pontiac, illinois. The RDMI needles (we are a /a type aircraft- non FMS equipped) swung to approximately 10 degrees, and, we were still searching for the 'plano' fix on our chart, which was the second point on our reroute clearance. 2 sits to mention that related to this deviation: first, pontiac, mi (psi 111.0) is just outside of detroit, and we thought this was where the RDMI needles were pointing. Secondly, jackson, mi (jxi) is also frequency 109.6, as is pnt VOR, and jxi VOR is approximately 50 NM due west of psi VOR. In actuality, the needles were pointing to jxi VOR. We were preoccupied looking for 'plano' intersection on our chart, when chicago center queried us about why we haven't started our turn for pnt VOR. We immediately initiated a turn to the right where the RDMI needles were pointing, which would have been approximately 50 degrees heading change. As we were turning through a heading of 360 degrees, I queried the controller if a 20 degree heading would put us direct pnt. The controller's response was 'immediately turn left to a 270 degree heading and dscnd to FL240.' we complied with this instruction. After we switched to the next chicago center controller, he cleared us again to pnt VOR. Our RDMI needles were still pointing to jxi VOR. We queried the controller if 20 degrees was the heading for 'pontiac', and he said 'no, 270 degrees.' we then declared our VHF navs unusable, and requested radar vectors to pnt and plano intersection. The controller then stated that this misunderstanding had been a problem before, and told us to call chicago center via telephone, when we arrival in ord, which we did. Looking back on this event, our mistakes were two fold. Had we known that pnt was a 'low' VOR, and our distance from this VOR when accepting this clearance was approximately 130 NM, we would have asked for an initial heading to pnt, until receiving properly. Secondly, we did not identify pnt's morse code. Obviously, if we had tried to identify, we would have heard jxi's VOR identifier, and would not have accepted the clearance without an initial heading for pnt. Actually, when we finally attempted to identify pnt's morse code, we did not receive pnt or jxi's morse code, just static. Our biggest lesson learned from all of this, is to always identify every frequency tuned to make sure it is the correct station cleared to, especially when unfamiliar with the local area (pnt vs jxi VOR). Also, when given a clearance to a 'low' altitude VOR/NAVAID, always request an initial heading for confirmation. Controllers are accustomed to RNAV equipped aircraft, and it has been my experience that they give clearances based on that assumption.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV BY A B737-200 FLC WHEN UNABLE TO RECEIVE THE DESIGNATED VOR AFTER AN AMENDMENT TO THEIR ROUTING WAS RECEIVED FROM CTLRS AT ZAU.

Narrative: OUR ORIGINAL FLT PLANNED RTE: ZZZ-J89-KURTZ-VHP-OKK.OKK1-KORD. APCHING IIU (LOUISVILLE VOR) FROM THE S, INDIANAPOLIS CTR REROUTED US TO: DIRECT ROD (ROSEWOOD VOR) TO FWA.OX13-KORD. WE TURNED DIRECT TO ROSEWOOD, AND, ACPHING 100 NM S OF ROD, CHICAGO CTR INSTRUCTED US TO MAINTAIN HDG AND EXPECT DIRECT PNT (PONTIAC VOR, FREQ 109.6)-PLANO-ORD. WE READ BACK THIS SECOND REROUTE, AND, UNDERSTOOD THE CTLR TO SAY 'MAINTAIN PRESENT HDG, AND, EXPECT DIRECT PNT ON THAT HDG.' AT THIS TIME WE WERE APPROX OVERHEAD MIE VOR. OUR PRESENT HDG WAS APPROX 330 DEGS. WE BOTH BEGAN SEARCHING FOR PNT VOR ON OUR CHARTS, SINCE THIS WAS THE FIRST FIX IN OUR REROUTE CLRNC. AS WE WERE STILL TRYING TO LOCATE PNT VOR ON OUR CHARTS, THE CTLR CLRED US TO PNT VOR. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE ORD AREA, WE ASSUMED THE CTLR WAS REFERRING TO PONTIAC, MICHIGAN. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES HAD PASSED SINCE WE WERE CLRED TO PNT, WE FOUND PNT (FREQ 109.6) ON OUR CHART, BUT DIDN'T REALIZE THIS WAS PONTIAC, ILLINOIS. THE RDMI NEEDLES (WE ARE A /A TYPE ACFT- NON FMS EQUIPPED) SWUNG TO APPROX 10 DEGS, AND, WE WERE STILL SEARCHING FOR THE 'PLANO' FIX ON OUR CHART, WHICH WAS THE SECOND POINT ON OUR REROUTE CLRNC. 2 SITS TO MENTION THAT RELATED TO THIS DEV: FIRST, PONTIAC, MI (PSI 111.0) IS JUST OUTSIDE OF DETROIT, AND WE THOUGHT THIS WAS WHERE THE RDMI NEEDLES WERE POINTING. SECONDLY, JACKSON, MI (JXI) IS ALSO FREQ 109.6, AS IS PNT VOR, AND JXI VOR IS APPROX 50 NM DUE W OF PSI VOR. IN ACTUALITY, THE NEEDLES WERE POINTING TO JXI VOR. WE WERE PREOCCUPIED LOOKING FOR 'PLANO' INTXN ON OUR CHART, WHEN CHICAGO CTR QUERIED US ABOUT WHY WE HAVEN'T STARTED OUR TURN FOR PNT VOR. WE IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A TURN TO THE R WHERE THE RDMI NEEDLES WERE POINTING, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROX 50 DEGS HDG CHANGE. AS WE WERE TURNING THROUGH A HDG OF 360 DEGS, I QUERIED THE CTLR IF A 20 DEG HDG WOULD PUT US DIRECT PNT. THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS 'IMMEDIATELY TURN L TO A 270 DEG HDG AND DSCND TO FL240.' WE COMPLIED WITH THIS INSTRUCTION. AFTER WE SWITCHED TO THE NEXT CHICAGO CTR CTLR, HE CLRED US AGAIN TO PNT VOR. OUR RDMI NEEDLES WERE STILL POINTING TO JXI VOR. WE QUERIED THE CTLR IF 20 DEGS WAS THE HDG FOR 'PONTIAC', AND HE SAID 'NO, 270 DEGS.' WE THEN DECLARED OUR VHF NAVS UNUSABLE, AND REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO PNT AND PLANO INTXN. THE CTLR THEN STATED THAT THIS MISUNDERSTANDING HAD BEEN A PROB BEFORE, AND TOLD US TO CALL CHICAGO CTR VIA TELEPHONE, WHEN WE ARR IN ORD, WHICH WE DID. LOOKING BACK ON THIS EVENT, OUR MISTAKES WERE TWO FOLD. HAD WE KNOWN THAT PNT WAS A 'LOW' VOR, AND OUR DISTANCE FROM THIS VOR WHEN ACCEPTING THIS CLRNC WAS APPROX 130 NM, WE WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR AN INITIAL HDG TO PNT, UNTIL RECEIVING PROPERLY. SECONDLY, WE DID NOT IDENTIFY PNT'S MORSE CODE. OBVIOUSLY, IF WE HAD TRIED TO IDENTIFY, WE WOULD HAVE HEARD JXI'S VOR IDENTIFIER, AND WOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED THE CLRNC WITHOUT AN INITIAL HDG FOR PNT. ACTUALLY, WHEN WE FINALLY ATTEMPTED TO IDENTIFY PNT'S MORSE CODE, WE DID NOT RECEIVE PNT OR JXI'S MORSE CODE, JUST STATIC. OUR BIGGEST LESSON LEARNED FROM ALL OF THIS, IS TO ALWAYS IDENTIFY EVERY FREQ TUNED TO MAKE SURE IT IS THE CORRECT STATION CLRED TO, ESPECIALLY WHEN UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LOCAL AREA (PNT VS JXI VOR). ALSO, WHEN GIVEN A CLRNC TO A 'LOW' ALT VOR/NAVAID, ALWAYS REQUEST AN INITIAL HDG FOR CONFIRMATION. CTLRS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO RNAV EQUIPPED ACFT, AND IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE THAT THEY GIVE CLEARANCES BASED ON THAT ASSUMPTION.

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.