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A B737 ng flight crew entered regge instead of reggy and a track deviation resulted. The two fixes are closely located.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 746637 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200707 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | intersection : regge |
| State Reference | MI |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 211 flight time type : 211 |
| ASRS Report | 746637 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance FAA |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
We received a full route clearance due to weather enroute. The readback was acknowledged to be correct. The fix entered into the FMC was regge but the fix intended by ATC was reggy (regge is 40 NM north of reggy). Cleveland center queried where the aircraft was going when they noticed us flying north of our expected course. We resolved the confusion between the two fixes and informed them that the two fixes were 40 NM apart. Center then instructed us to proceed directly to ape (the next fix on our route of flight). Mdw clearance did not spell the fix name for me. I should have queried them on the spelling and verified the fix on the high chart. I did find reggy after the fact but not regge. I could not find regge on either the high or the low enroute chart. The spacing on these two fixes is too close for fixes with similar names.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737 NG FLT CREW ENTERED REGGE INSTEAD OF REGGY AND A TRACK DEV RESULTED. THE TWO FIXES ARE CLOSELY LOCATED.
Narrative: WE RECEIVED A FULL ROUTE CLEARANCE DUE TO WEATHER ENROUTE. THE READBACK WAS ACKNOWLEDGED TO BE CORRECT. THE FIX ENTERED INTO THE FMC WAS REGGE BUT THE FIX INTENDED BY ATC WAS REGGY (REGGE IS 40 NM NORTH OF REGGY). CLEVELAND CENTER QUERIED WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING WHEN THEY NOTICED US FLYING NORTH OF OUR EXPECTED COURSE. WE RESOLVED THE CONFUSION BETWEEN THE TWO FIXES AND INFORMED THEM THAT THE TWO FIXES WERE 40 NM APART. CENTER THEN INSTRUCTED US TO PROCEED DIRECTLY TO APE (THE NEXT FIX ON OUR ROUTE OF FLIGHT). MDW CLEARANCE DID NOT SPELL THE FIX NAME FOR ME. I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THEM ON THE SPELLING AND VERIFIED THE FIX ON THE HIGH CHART. I DID FIND REGGY AFTER THE FACT BUT NOT REGGE. I COULD NOT FIND REGGE ON EITHER THE HIGH OR THE LOW ENROUTE CHART. THE SPACING ON THESE TWO FIXES IS TOO CLOSE FOR FIXES WITH SIMILAR NAMES.
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.