Air carrier large transport deviated from clearance route.

Attributes
ACN	122401
Time
Date	198909
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lit
State Reference	AR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 206 flight time total : 14169 flight time type : 647
ASRS Report	122401
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Scheduled flight from jfk-dfw. Approaching bowling green rerouted out bwg 257 degree right until receiving mlc VOR, then direct. 112.0 selected on copilot's VOR, later on captain's VOR. Idents checked, but only first letter (M) confirmed believing mlc VOR was being received, aircraft turned toward station. Next controller, different frequency, asked our heading. Answered that it was 219 degrees. Controller said 260 degrees would be better. Checked idents again and confirmed 112.0 as mkl. Some time later signal from mkl was lost and signal from mlc confirmed and used for navigation. Contributing factors: reroute into unfamiliar area, both VOR's using same frequency with similar idents, not fully identing VOR while in radar environment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ROUTE.

Narrative: SCHEDULED FLT FROM JFK-DFW. APCHING BOWLING GREEN REROUTED OUT BWG 257 DEG R UNTIL RECEIVING MLC VOR, THEN DIRECT. 112.0 SELECTED ON COPLT'S VOR, LATER ON CAPT'S VOR. IDENTS CHKED, BUT ONLY FIRST LETTER (M) CONFIRMED BELIEVING MLC VOR WAS BEING RECEIVED, ACFT TURNED TOWARD STATION. NEXT CTLR, DIFFERENT FREQ, ASKED OUR HDG. ANSWERED THAT IT WAS 219 DEGS. CTLR SAID 260 DEGS WOULD BE BETTER. CHKED IDENTS AGAIN AND CONFIRMED 112.0 AS MKL. SOME TIME LATER SIGNAL FROM MKL WAS LOST AND SIGNAL FROM MLC CONFIRMED AND USED FOR NAV. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: REROUTE INTO UNFAMILIAR AREA, BOTH VOR'S USING SAME FREQ WITH SIMILAR IDENTS, NOT FULLY IDENTING VOR WHILE IN RADAR ENVIRONMENT.

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.