Narrative:

We departed en route to spi. We departed VFR and received an IFR clearance once airborne. Chicago departure acknowledged our aircraft and proceeded with a squawk code and a clearance. Readback was acito; adell; 'lewke' and so on. There was a misunderstanding when the clearance was read back and accepted. We were unaware of another fix with the exact same pronunciation but spelled 'lukey.' unfortunately we entered in the wrong fix which gave us wrong navigation information. Because our clearance was completely different from what we filed and with the new chicago fixes being added it caused confusion on the flight deck. Because chicago has new fixes such as acito and adell; our GPS does not recognize these fixes yet and we manually have to add latitude and longitude coordinates which added much workload in a critical phase of flight such as climb out. As soon as we input all the information from the clearance we were immediately cleared direct 'lukey.' (which we input into the GPS as 'lewke.') perhaps had we flown to the first 2 initial fixes as previously cleared we may have found the error. Unfortunately we input all the information just to be cleared to the 3RD fix on the route. We did question center about the large turn but it was too late and ATC had us descend and make an immediate turn towards the east. We explained the misunderstanding to chicago center and the controller commented on a similar occurrence that just happened recently with the same two fixes. Perhaps if the controller had spelled the fix or pronounced it differently the problem may never had occurred. Due to miscom between crew; ATC; and clearance we made a wrong turn and had a pilot deviation take place. Chicago center was very understanding of the situation and once reviewed; decided to drop the violation all together. After further review; we were informed that no further action would be taken against us. We completely understand the miscom between pilot and ATC; but in the future it would be wise to not name two similar fixes within the same controlling airspace. Chicago center pronounced 'lewke' and 'lukey' the exact same way and it led to confusion and misunderstanding within the clearance. I feel that this error could happen again in the future if the fix name is not changed or a memo put out.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicated that the coordinates for 'acito' and 'adell' were provided by the company prior to departure. Acito is now depicted on the charted departures for mdw; and both fixes are included more frequently when chicago issues a clearance. The company is in the process of updating the aircraft databases to include these fixes. In the interim; inserting the coordinates for these fixes is time consuming; and takes one pilot out of the loop while programming the FMS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CE550 FLT CREW INADVERTENTLY ENTERED INCORRECT FIX LEWKEY VERSUS LUKEY INTO THE FMC. SIMILAR FIX WAS ENTERED AND WHEN TURNING TOWARD THE FIX; ATC NOTIFIED THE FLT CREW OF THE DEV.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ENRTE TO SPI. WE DEPARTED VFR AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC ONCE AIRBORNE. CHICAGO DEP ACKNOWLEDGED OUR ACFT AND PROCEEDED WITH A SQUAWK CODE AND A CLRNC. READBACK WAS ACITO; ADELL; 'LEWKE' AND SO ON. THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING WHEN THE CLRNC WAS READ BACK AND ACCEPTED. WE WERE UNAWARE OF ANOTHER FIX WITH THE EXACT SAME PRONUNCIATION BUT SPELLED 'LUKEY.' UNFORTUNATELY WE ENTERED IN THE WRONG FIX WHICH GAVE US WRONG NAV INFO. BECAUSE OUR CLRNC WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE FILED AND WITH THE NEW CHICAGO FIXES BEING ADDED IT CAUSED CONFUSION ON THE FLT DECK. BECAUSE CHICAGO HAS NEW FIXES SUCH AS ACITO AND ADELL; OUR GPS DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THESE FIXES YET AND WE MANUALLY HAVE TO ADD LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES WHICH ADDED MUCH WORKLOAD IN A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT SUCH AS CLBOUT. AS SOON AS WE INPUT ALL THE INFO FROM THE CLRNC WE WERE IMMEDIATELY CLEARED DIRECT 'LUKEY.' (WHICH WE INPUT INTO THE GPS AS 'LEWKE.') PERHAPS HAD WE FLOWN TO THE FIRST 2 INITIAL FIXES AS PREVIOUSLY CLEARED WE MAY HAVE FOUND THE ERROR. UNFORTUNATELY WE INPUT ALL THE INFORMATION JUST TO BE CLEARED TO THE 3RD FIX ON THE RTE. WE DID QUESTION CENTER ABOUT THE LARGE TURN BUT IT WAS TOO LATE AND ATC HAD US DSND AND MAKE AN IMMEDIATE TURN TOWARDS THE EAST. WE EXPLAINED THE MISUNDERSTANDING TO CHICAGO CENTER AND THE CTLR COMMENTED ON A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE THAT JUST HAPPENED RECENTLY WITH THE SAME TWO FIXES. PERHAPS IF THE CTLR HAD SPELLED THE FIX OR PRONOUNCED IT DIFFERENTLY THE PROBLEM MAY NEVER HAD OCCURRED. DUE TO MISCOM BETWEEN CREW; ATC; AND CLRNC WE MADE A WRONG TURN AND HAD A PLT DEV TAKE PLACE. CHICAGO CENTER WAS VERY UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION AND ONCE REVIEWED; DECIDED TO DROP THE VIOLATION ALL TOGETHER. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW; WE WERE INFORMED THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN AGAINST US. WE COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE MISCOM BETWEEN PLT AND ATC; BUT IN THE FUTURE IT WOULD BE WISE TO NOT NAME TWO SIMILAR FIXES WITHIN THE SAME CONTROLLING AIRSPACE. CHICAGO CENTER PRONOUNCED 'LEWKE' AND 'LUKEY' THE EXACT SAME WAY AND IT LED TO CONFUSION AND MISUNDERSTANDING WITHIN THE CLRNC. I FEEL THAT THIS ERROR COULD HAPPEN AGAIN IN THE FUTURE IF THE FIX NAME IS NOT CHANGED OR A MEMO PUT OUT.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THE COORDINATES FOR 'ACITO' AND 'ADELL' WERE PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY PRIOR TO DEP. ACITO IS NOW DEPICTED ON THE CHARTED DEPS FOR MDW; AND BOTH FIXES ARE INCLUDED MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN CHICAGO ISSUES A CLRNC. THE COMPANY IS IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE ACFT DATABASES TO INCLUDE THESE FIXES. IN THE INTERIM; INSERTING THE COORDINATES FOR THESE FIXES IS TIME CONSUMING; AND TAKES ONE PLT OUT OF THE LOOP WHILE PROGRAMMING THE FMS.

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.