Narrative:

The first leg of flight was on victor airway (V)275 to dqn (dayton, ohio) with the outbound leg from cvg (cincinnati, ohio). He prepared for departure by setting up the outbound from cvg and I (first officer) set up the inbound to dqn. This arrangement was used since the departure is radar vectors and this allows an intercept anywhere along the route segment. Somewhere in the departure we were given a heading to intercept course. The captain turned to intercept, but had mistakenly dialed in V-275W instead of V-275. Indianapolis center asked our heading and then gave a vector to a fix past dqn. There was never any mention from center that a turn onto the wrong radial had been attempted. Left to our own devices the mistake would have been corrected immediately. The wrong radial had only been flown about 15 or 20 seconds. There was a potential trap due to several factors. The cvg outbound course is on us(lo) 28 chart. The dqn inbound is on us(lo) 23. Dqn is not on the cvg 10-1 chart. The controller's terminology was poor. We were cleared to intercept course, not to intercept V-275. Being cleared to V-275 would have alerted the captain. Having airways with the same number is obviously confusing. Adding to the confusion is the fact that like numbered airways are very uncommon. In this case if the inbound V-275, which I had selected in my CDI, is extended past its 22 DME length it crosses V-275W north of cvg. A turn up V-275W appears as an intercept heading to V-275. After the captain turned to intercept I cross checked DME, the course I had selected, and then the cvg radial. Consecutively, the center gave us another vector. Although only a few seconds had elapsed we recognized the potential. Another direct cause was the unnecessary use of victor airways with turbojet aircraft. The cincinnati one departure depicts no routes, only fixes including dqn. Flight should have been dispatched via one of several jet routes or short time span is cumbersome at best. After the potential problem had been discovered the captain asked if there were two V-275's. I answered yes. Captain is an outstanding captain. He is the absolute model of professionalism. His navigation technique is exemplory. That this could happen to him shows it could happen to anyone. The trap should be eliminated from this departure. I encourage a change in map nomenclature, map orientation around major hub airports such as cincinnati, and procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT CLRD VIA DQN VORTAC V-275 PROCEEDED VIA V-275W BEFORE BEING CORRECTED BY ARTCC.

Narrative: THE FIRST LEG OF FLIGHT WAS ON VICTOR AIRWAY (V)275 TO DQN (DAYTON, OHIO) WITH THE OUTBOUND LEG FROM CVG (CINCINNATI, OHIO). HE PREPARED FOR DEP BY SETTING UP THE OUTBOUND FROM CVG AND I (F/O) SET UP THE INBOUND TO DQN. THIS ARRANGEMENT WAS USED SINCE THE DEPARTURE IS RADAR VECTORS AND THIS ALLOWS AN INTERCEPT ANYWHERE ALONG THE ROUTE SEGMENT. SOMEWHERE IN THE DEP WE WERE GIVEN A HEADING TO INTERCEPT COURSE. THE CAPT TURNED TO INTERCEPT, BUT HAD MISTAKENLY DIALED IN V-275W INSTEAD OF V-275. INDIANAPOLIS CENTER ASKED OUR HEADING AND THEN GAVE A VECTOR TO A FIX PAST DQN. THERE WAS NEVER ANY MENTION FROM CENTER THAT A TURN ONTO THE WRONG RADIAL HAD BEEN ATTEMPTED. LEFT TO OUR OWN DEVICES THE MISTAKE WOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY. THE WRONG RADIAL HAD ONLY BEEN FLOWN ABOUT 15 OR 20 SECONDS. THERE WAS A POTENTIAL TRAP DUE TO SEVERAL FACTORS. THE CVG OUTBOUND COURSE IS ON US(LO) 28 CHART. THE DQN INBOUND IS ON US(LO) 23. DQN IS NOT ON THE CVG 10-1 CHART. THE CTLR'S TERMINOLOGY WAS POOR. WE WERE CLRED TO INTERCEPT COURSE, NOT TO INTERCEPT V-275. BEING CLRED TO V-275 WOULD HAVE ALERTED THE CAPT. HAVING AIRWAYS WITH THE SAME NUMBER IS OBVIOUSLY CONFUSING. ADDING TO THE CONFUSION IS THE FACT THAT LIKE NUMBERED AIRWAYS ARE VERY UNCOMMON. IN THIS CASE IF THE INBOUND V-275, WHICH I HAD SELECTED IN MY CDI, IS EXTENDED PAST ITS 22 DME LENGTH IT CROSSES V-275W NORTH OF CVG. A TURN UP V-275W APPEARS AS AN INTERCEPT HEADING TO V-275. AFTER THE CAPT TURNED TO INTERCEPT I CROSS CHECKED DME, THE COURSE I HAD SELECTED, AND THEN THE CVG RADIAL. CONSECUTIVELY, THE CENTER GAVE US ANOTHER VECTOR. ALTHOUGH ONLY A FEW SECONDS HAD ELAPSED WE RECOGNIZED THE POTENTIAL. ANOTHER DIRECT CAUSE WAS THE UNNECESSARY USE OF VICTOR AIRWAYS WITH TURBOJET ACFT. THE CINCINNATI ONE DEP DEPICTS NO ROUTES, ONLY FIXES INCLUDING DQN. FLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED VIA ONE OF SEVERAL JET ROUTES OR SHORT TIME SPAN IS CUMBERSOME AT BEST. AFTER THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM HAD BEEN DISCOVERED THE CAPT ASKED IF THERE WERE TWO V-275'S. I ANSWERED YES. CAPT IS AN OUTSTANDING CAPT. HE IS THE ABSOLUTE MODEL OF PROFESSIONALISM. HIS NAVIGATION TECHNIQUE IS EXEMPLORY. THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN TO HIM SHOWS IT COULD HAPPEN TO ANYONE. THE TRAP SHOULD BE ELIMINATED FROM THIS DEP. I ENCOURAGE A CHANGE IN MAP NOMENCLATURE, MAP ORIENTATION AROUND MAJOR HUB ARPTS SUCH AS CINCINNATI, AND PROCEDURES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.