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A320 flight crew reports confusion over similar sounding fix names; kepec and hetax during arrival for las 1L ILS.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 757547 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200710 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : las.airport |
| State Reference | NV |
| Altitude | msl single value : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : kepec1 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 757547 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
Similar sounding fixes. Flying kepec one arrival to las at FL240. Over misen received clearance direct to hetax; intercept localizer to runway 1L and descend to 8000 ft. We heard and read back cleared direct to kepec; intercept localizer to runway 1L and descend to 8000 ft. We entered direct to kepec and the aircraft started a left turn and began descent. I questioned the altitude as there was high terrain between us and kepec and the MEA was 10500 ft along that route. Also direct kepec did not allow for an intercept of the final to runway 1L. We queried approach and determined that we had misheard the fix and corrected our course. Hetax was also not displayed on our mcdu as it is an approach via fix for the 14 DME arc from the east. The name of one of these fixes should be changed to eliminate the similarity of the names over the radio or ATC should be advised not to use hetax as a clearance.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FLT CREW REPORTS CONFUSION OVER SIMILAR SOUNDING FIX NAMES; KEPEC AND HETAX DURING ARRIVAL FOR LAS 1L ILS.
Narrative: SIMILAR SOUNDING FIXES. FLYING KEPEC ONE ARR TO LAS AT FL240. OVER MISEN RECEIVED CLRNC DIRECT TO HETAX; INTERCEPT LOC TO RWY 1L AND DSND TO 8000 FT. WE HEARD AND READ BACK CLRED DIRECT TO KEPEC; INTERCEPT LOC TO RWY 1L AND DSND TO 8000 FT. WE ENTERED DIRECT TO KEPEC AND THE ACFT STARTED A L TURN AND BEGAN DSCNT. I QUESTIONED THE ALT AS THERE WAS HIGH TERRAIN BTWN US AND KEPEC AND THE MEA WAS 10500 FT ALONG THAT RTE. ALSO DIRECT KEPEC DID NOT ALLOW FOR AN INTERCEPT OF THE FINAL TO RWY 1L. WE QUERIED APCH AND DETERMINED THAT WE HAD MISHEARD THE FIX AND CORRECTED OUR COURSE. HETAX WAS ALSO NOT DISPLAYED ON OUR MCDU AS IT IS AN APCH VIA FIX FOR THE 14 DME ARC FROM THE E. THE NAME OF ONE OF THESE FIXES SHOULD BE CHANGED TO ELIMINATE THE SIMILARITY OF THE NAMES OVER THE RADIO OR ATC SHOULD BE ADVISED NOT TO USE HETAX AS A CLRNC.
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.