Narrative:

We were departing jfk. I was the PF. We also had a third pilot in the jumpseat who would later act as international relief pilot. Original SID was merit 3; put transition allex as filed. During taxi; the departure route to merit was closed due to WX. We were sent to clearance delivery to get a new routing. The new routing was given as 'runway heading for radar vectors; bette; nantucket; allex as filed. Maintain 5000 ft on the bette 3.' I typed in the fixes as received on the FMS. I did not start by selecting the bette 3 because I entered the fixes as the controller read them to us. After takeoff we were given several vectors and then told 'direct bette.' the pilot monitoring selected the fix in the FMS and LNAV as the mode. This gave us a turn to the north; consistent with our original route. During the turn; the pilot monitoring noticed that he could not display bette on his map. I then noticed that the heading did not make sense with where I was familiar with the location of bette; 110 degrees at 39 NM from jfk. I started an immediate turn back to the southeast. The controller then called us and reaffirmed our clearance to bette. I noticed at this point the distance to bette was 6789 NM on the FMS. We re-entered bette and went direct to the correct waypoint. I believe that I entered betty instead of bette. When this is done; 2 separate fixes come up that are apparently on the other side of the globe. Although we used new procedures for confirming runway; waypoint and SID before takeoff; we did not confirm the fix against any logic check. I should have noticed the incorrect spelling of 'betty.' also; we did not confirm the name of the SID in the FMS. However; this does not always work at jfk; because minor modification of the SID (removal of jfk and intercepting the inbound radial to a fix) will drop the SID from the FMS. Had the controller used the phraseology; 'cleared the bette 3 bette 3 departure; ack transition; direct allex;' I would likely have selected the SID first in the FMS and prevented my mistake. The new york controller wanted to know how we ended up off course as he was informed by center that this is a common occurrence on this departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPTAIN OF B767 MISSPELLS WAYPOINT BETTE ON RE-CLEARANCE DUE TO WX OUT OF JFK. SUBSEQUENT DIRECT CLRNC RESULTS IN HEADING TOWARD BETTY; ENGLAND VICE BETTE AS PLANNED.

Narrative: WE WERE DEPARTING JFK. I WAS THE PF. WE ALSO HAD A THIRD PLT IN THE JUMPSEAT WHO WOULD LATER ACT AS INTL RELIEF PLT. ORIGINAL SID WAS MERIT 3; PUT TRANSITION ALLEX AS FILED. DURING TAXI; THE DEP RTE TO MERIT WAS CLOSED DUE TO WX. WE WERE SENT TO CLRNC DELIVERY TO GET A NEW ROUTING. THE NEW ROUTING WAS GIVEN AS 'RWY HDG FOR RADAR VECTORS; BETTE; NANTUCKET; ALLEX AS FILED. MAINTAIN 5000 FT ON THE BETTE 3.' I TYPED IN THE FIXES AS RECEIVED ON THE FMS. I DID NOT START BY SELECTING THE BETTE 3 BECAUSE I ENTERED THE FIXES AS THE CTLR READ THEM TO US. AFTER TKOF WE WERE GIVEN SEVERAL VECTORS AND THEN TOLD 'DIRECT BETTE.' THE PLT MONITORING SELECTED THE FIX IN THE FMS AND LNAV AS THE MODE. THIS GAVE US A TURN TO THE N; CONSISTENT WITH OUR ORIGINAL RTE. DURING THE TURN; THE PLT MONITORING NOTICED THAT HE COULD NOT DISPLAY BETTE ON HIS MAP. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE HDG DID NOT MAKE SENSE WITH WHERE I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION OF BETTE; 110 DEGS AT 39 NM FROM JFK. I STARTED AN IMMEDIATE TURN BACK TO THE SE. THE CTLR THEN CALLED US AND REAFFIRMED OUR CLRNC TO BETTE. I NOTICED AT THIS POINT THE DISTANCE TO BETTE WAS 6789 NM ON THE FMS. WE RE-ENTERED BETTE AND WENT DIRECT TO THE CORRECT WAYPOINT. I BELIEVE THAT I ENTERED BETTY INSTEAD OF BETTE. WHEN THIS IS DONE; 2 SEPARATE FIXES COME UP THAT ARE APPARENTLY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE GLOBE. ALTHOUGH WE USED NEW PROCS FOR CONFIRMING RWY; WAYPOINT AND SID BEFORE TKOF; WE DID NOT CONFIRM THE FIX AGAINST ANY LOGIC CHK. I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THE INCORRECT SPELLING OF 'BETTY.' ALSO; WE DID NOT CONFIRM THE NAME OF THE SID IN THE FMS. HOWEVER; THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK AT JFK; BECAUSE MINOR MODIFICATION OF THE SID (REMOVAL OF JFK AND INTERCEPTING THE INBOUND RADIAL TO A FIX) WILL DROP THE SID FROM THE FMS. HAD THE CTLR USED THE PHRASEOLOGY; 'CLRED THE BETTE 3 BETTE 3 DEP; ACK TRANSITION; DIRECT ALLEX;' I WOULD LIKELY HAVE SELECTED THE SID FIRST IN THE FMS AND PREVENTED MY MISTAKE. THE NEW YORK CTLR WANTED TO KNOW HOW WE ENDED UP OFF COURSE AS HE WAS INFORMED BY CTR THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE ON THIS DEP.

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.