Narrative:

I was the captain on a routine flight on the large transport between bos-lga. This was the first time I had flown this particular route, so both the copilot and I made ourselves very familiar with the routing prior to departure. We both fell into the same trap. The routing was (after takeoff) baf VOR, V292 wigan intersection, V157 haarp intersection, V123 lga. We were using the northeast corridor area 1 and 2 chart. If you follow V123-157 south out of wigan intersection, you come to harre intersection. Both the copilot and I were trapped by this and mistook harre intersection for haarp intersection (notice the similarity!). Prior to wigan intersection (around bowan intersection) we were vectored direct to ign, then flight planned route. We both read our original clearance as V123 out of harre instead of haarp and started to turn on V123 out of ign instead of V157 as we should have. The error was discovered and we turned back to intercept V157 on the 203 degree right south of ign. As you can see, the commonality of these 2 intersection names can be a potential pitfall. Both the copilot and I misread these intxns. Both harre and haarp are on the same arwy (V157) and in a high density traffic area. I feel intxns this close together should not be so commonly named as to cause this kind of confusion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ROUTE. CONFUSED HARRE WITH HAARP.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON A ROUTINE FLT ON THE LGT BTWN BOS-LGA. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD FLOWN THIS PARTICULAR ROUTE, SO BOTH THE COPLT AND I MADE OURSELVES VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ROUTING PRIOR TO DEP. WE BOTH FELL INTO THE SAME TRAP. THE ROUTING WAS (AFTER TKOF) BAF VOR, V292 WIGAN INTXN, V157 HAARP INTXN, V123 LGA. WE WERE USING THE NE CORRIDOR AREA 1 AND 2 CHART. IF YOU FOLLOW V123-157 S OUT OF WIGAN INTXN, YOU COME TO HARRE INTXN. BOTH THE COPLT AND I WERE TRAPPED BY THIS AND MISTOOK HARRE INTXN FOR HAARP INTXN (NOTICE THE SIMILARITY!). PRIOR TO WIGAN INTXN (AROUND BOWAN INTXN) WE WERE VECTORED DIRECT TO IGN, THEN FLT PLANNED ROUTE. WE BOTH READ OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC AS V123 OUT OF HARRE INSTEAD OF HAARP AND STARTED TO TURN ON V123 OUT OF IGN INSTEAD OF V157 AS WE SHOULD HAVE. THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED AND WE TURNED BACK TO INTERCEPT V157 ON THE 203 DEG R S OF IGN. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE COMMONALITY OF THESE 2 INTXN NAMES CAN BE A POTENTIAL PITFALL. BOTH THE COPLT AND I MISREAD THESE INTXNS. BOTH HARRE AND HAARP ARE ON THE SAME ARWY (V157) AND IN A HIGH DENSITY TFC AREA. I FEEL INTXNS THIS CLOSE TOGETHER SHOULD NOT BE SO COMMONLY NAMED AS TO CAUSE THIS KIND OF CONFUSION.

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.