M03 controller described a developing conflict invoving IFR departures assigned RNAV sids. The repor...

Attributes
ACN	1003032
Time
Date	201204
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	MEM.Airport
State Reference	TN
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Regional Jet 200 ER/LR (CRJ200)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Climb
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Approach Departure
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Person 2
Function	Local
Qualification	Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Narrative:

A CRJ2 departed runway 36C on the CRSON1 RNAV departure; which should be approximately a 010 heading for about 12 miles then a northeast turn. I observed the aircraft make a turn to the northwest approximately 1 mile off the departure end. I made sure tower didn't have any conflicting departures and then coordinated with west departure. I asked the aircraft which fix he was heading to. The pilot responded 'RNAV to casln' which is a northwest departure only used on the midnight shift. I told the CRJ2 that their flight plan was for crson and spelled it for him. The pilot stated that crson was not in their data base. I then gave the pilot a radial to join off of the memphis VOR and coordinated with ZME. I believe that this would be easily avoidable by re-naming one of the two RNAV departures. They are very similar sounding and in spelling.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: M03 Controller described a developing conflict invoving IFR departures assigned RNAV SIDS. The reporters indicated that both similar sounding fix names CRSON and CASLN as well as Controller awareness issues were causal factors.

Narrative: A CRJ2 departed Runway 36C on the CRSON1 RNAV departure; which should be approximately a 010 heading for about 12 miles then a northeast turn. I observed the aircraft make a turn to the northwest approximately 1 mile off the departure end. I made sure Tower didn't have any conflicting departures and then coordinated with West Departure. I asked the aircraft which fix he was heading to. The pilot responded 'RNAV to CASLN' which is a northwest departure only used on the midnight shift. I told the CRJ2 that their flight plan was for CRSON and spelled it for him. The pilot stated that CRSON was not in their data base. I then gave the pilot a radial to join off of the Memphis VOR and coordinated with ZME. I believe that this would be easily avoidable by re-naming one of the two RNAV departures. They are very similar sounding and in spelling.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.

M03 controller described a developing conflict invoving IFR departures assigned RNAV sids. The reporters indicated that both similar sounding fix names crson and casln as well as controller awareness issues were causal factors.