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A319 flight crew inadvertently entered incorrect fix into FMC. Similar sounding fix was entered and flown; and ATC flight crew of deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 769621 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200801 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | intersection : dezrt |
| State Reference | UT |
| Altitude | msl single value : 26700 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A319 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | climbout : initial |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 19400 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 769621 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2200 |
| ASRS Report | 769617 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
Narrative:
This morning my first officer loaded FMC and I checked his work. All seemed correct. During climb we were cleared by slc center via direct dezrt and flight plan route. After passing over dezrt we made a turn to the southwest. Slc center asks us the spelling of 'graam' and then cleared us to bam to get us on course. Unfortunately my first officer typed gramm and not graam! Center indicated this was a growing problem and the graam intersection is fairly new. There is a letter of agreement (LOA) in slc ATC requiring the phonetic spelling of graam over the radio. It was not done this morning with slc cpt or slc tower. I sent an ACARS and the dispatcher forwarded this hazard to dispatch support for NOTAM entry. As an added note.. Gramm is on the arrival into lax and I believe is what we are conditioned to see after hundreds of lax arrs. The subtlety of the spelling is lost during a high workload environment. The name needs to be changed to something else.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A319 FLT CREW INADVERTENTLY ENTERED INCORRECT FIX INTO FMC. SIMILAR SOUNDING FIX WAS ENTERED AND FLOWN; AND ATC FLT CREW OF DEVIATION.
Narrative: THIS MORNING MY FO LOADED FMC AND I CHECKED HIS WORK. ALL SEEMED CORRECT. DURING CLB WE WERE CLRED BY SLC CENTER VIA DIRECT DEZRT AND FLT PLAN ROUTE. AFTER PASSING OVER DEZRT WE MADE A TURN TO THE SW. SLC CENTER ASKS US THE SPELLING OF 'GRAAM' AND THEN CLRED US TO BAM TO GET US ON COURSE. UNFORTUNATELY MY FO TYPED GRAMM AND NOT GRAAM! CENTER INDICATED THIS WAS A GROWING PROBLEM AND THE GRAAM INTXN IS FAIRLY NEW. THERE IS A LETTER OF AGREEMENT (LOA) IN SLC ATC REQUIRING THE PHONETIC SPELLING OF GRAAM OVER THE RADIO. IT WAS NOT DONE THIS MORNING WITH SLC CPT OR SLC TWR. I SENT AN ACARS AND THE DISPATCHER FORWARDED THIS HAZARD TO DISPATCH SUPPORT FOR NOTAM ENTRY. AS AN ADDED NOTE.. GRAMM IS ON THE ARR INTO LAX AND I BELIEVE IS WHAT WE ARE CONDITIONED TO SEE AFTER HUNDREDS OF LAX ARRS. THE SUBTLETY OF THE SPELLING IS LOST DURING A HIGH WORKLOAD ENVIRONMENT. THE NAME NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO SOMETHING ELSE.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.