Narrative:

Departing zspd; we were flying the HSN22D departure procedure. As we turned toward the south; ATC gave us an easterly vector (085) and inquired as to whether we were following the EMSAN22D departure procedure; which would have taken us on a northeasterly track. It was clear that the EMSAN22D was the procedure they had expected us to follow. We clarified the routing and continued on our way. In copying our clearance on the ground we both heard HSN22D and read back; 'hotel sierra november 22 delta;' and were given a 'roger.' there were common points on this departure with our route of flight so all seemed fine. What probably occurred; in my mind; is we were given the EMSAN22D in the clearance; which sounded like hsn pronounced non-phonetically; and keyed in on the 22D. The delivery controller then failed to catch the error in the read back of 'hotel sierra november' also probably keying in on the 22D portion and assumed we had understood the correct SID. Supplemental information from acn 674082: operated flight from zspd to rksi; on the hsn 22D SID. In the turn from hsn VOR; departure asked us what heading we were on. It soon became evident that we were flying a different SID than departure thought we were assigned. Departure assigned us a heading; then direct to aldap; emsan. Departure questioned if we had aldap and asked if it was the first time we had flown the departure. We told the controller that we were not assigned aldap; emsan; and that was not on our route of flight. We were given a frequency change without further incident. Later; when we pieced together what had happened; we found when we talked to clearance delivery that we read back the clearance as the hsn 22D (SID) when delivery had given us the emsan 22D (SID). Neither party caught the discrepancy. Contributing factors are: 1) the language/accent problems associated; hsn read back hsn sounds like emsan. Phonetic hotel sierra november may have prevented the mixup. 2) having both sids with the same 22D suffix number provides no chance to differentiate the two sids. 3) the emsan 22D does not link up with our assigned route (bongi G327); where bongi is on the route from the hsn departure. I discussed this occurrence with other crews; and two other crews had the same exact problem! A solution would be to renumber the departures; but in the future; I plan to phonetically spell the SID.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BECAUSE OF LANGUAGE DIFFICULTIES; A B767 DEPARTING ZSPD BEGAN FLYING AN INCORRECT DEP WITH A SIMILAR SOUNDING NAME.

Narrative: DEPARTING ZSPD; WE WERE FLYING THE HSN22D DEP PROC. AS WE TURNED TOWARD THE S; ATC GAVE US AN EASTERLY VECTOR (085) AND INQUIRED AS TO WHETHER WE WERE FOLLOWING THE EMSAN22D DEP PROC; WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN US ON A NORTHEASTERLY TRACK. IT WAS CLR THAT THE EMSAN22D WAS THE PROC THEY HAD EXPECTED US TO FOLLOW. WE CLARIFIED THE ROUTING AND CONTINUED ON OUR WAY. IN COPYING OUR CLRNC ON THE GND WE BOTH HEARD HSN22D AND READ BACK; 'HOTEL SIERRA NOVEMBER 22 DELTA;' AND WERE GIVEN A 'ROGER.' THERE WERE COMMON POINTS ON THIS DEP WITH OUR RTE OF FLT SO ALL SEEMED FINE. WHAT PROBABLY OCCURRED; IN MY MIND; IS WE WERE GIVEN THE EMSAN22D IN THE CLRNC; WHICH SOUNDED LIKE HSN PRONOUNCED NON-PHONETICALLY; AND KEYED IN ON THE 22D. THE DELIVERY CTLR THEN FAILED TO CATCH THE ERROR IN THE READ BACK OF 'HOTEL SIERRA NOVEMBER' ALSO PROBABLY KEYING IN ON THE 22D PORTION AND ASSUMED WE HAD UNDERSTOOD THE CORRECT SID. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 674082: OPERATED FLT FROM ZSPD TO RKSI; ON THE HSN 22D SID. IN THE TURN FROM HSN VOR; DEP ASKED US WHAT HDG WE WERE ON. IT SOON BECAME EVIDENT THAT WE WERE FLYING A DIFFERENT SID THAN DEP THOUGHT WE WERE ASSIGNED. DEP ASSIGNED US A HDG; THEN DIRECT TO ALDAP; EMSAN. DEP QUESTIONED IF WE HAD ALDAP AND ASKED IF IT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE HAD FLOWN THE DEP. WE TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE WERE NOT ASSIGNED ALDAP; EMSAN; AND THAT WAS NOT ON OUR RTE OF FLT. WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. LATER; WHEN WE PIECED TOGETHER WHAT HAD HAPPENED; WE FOUND WHEN WE TALKED TO CLRNC DELIVERY THAT WE READ BACK THE CLRNC AS THE HSN 22D (SID) WHEN DELIVERY HAD GIVEN US THE EMSAN 22D (SID). NEITHER PARTY CAUGHT THE DISCREPANCY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE: 1) THE LANGUAGE/ACCENT PROBS ASSOCIATED; HSN READ BACK HSN SOUNDS LIKE EMSAN. PHONETIC HOTEL SIERRA NOVEMBER MAY HAVE PREVENTED THE MIXUP. 2) HAVING BOTH SIDS WITH THE SAME 22D SUFFIX NUMBER PROVIDES NO CHANCE TO DIFFERENTIATE THE TWO SIDS. 3) THE EMSAN 22D DOES NOT LINK UP WITH OUR ASSIGNED RTE (BONGI G327); WHERE BONGI IS ON THE RTE FROM THE HSN DEP. I DISCUSSED THIS OCCURRENCE WITH OTHER CREWS; AND TWO OTHER CREWS HAD THE SAME EXACT PROB! A SOLUTION WOULD BE TO RENUMBER THE DEPS; BUT IN THE FUTURE; I PLAN TO PHONETICALLY SPELL THE SID.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.