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Air carrier captain reported similar sounding fix names aaile/flail caused confusion and a route deviation during arrival to den airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1742236 |
| Time | |
| Date | 202005 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601-1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | DEN.Airport |
| State Reference | CO |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Descent |
| Route In Use | STAR AALLE ONE |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Captain Pilot Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 86 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Track / Heading All Types |
Narrative:
We were filed to den on the AALLE1 arrival. At some point we were given delay vectors and received a clearance direct aaile; aaile one arrival. I was unaware that ATC pronounces aalle as aaile. The only arrival that ends in ail is the quail 1. A quick look at fixes into den also shows a waypoint flail on the aalle arrival. I expected aalle to be pronounced like alley. In any event there are too many waypoints that sound similar flying into den.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Air Carrier Captain reported similar sounding fix names AAILE/FLAIL caused confusion and a route deviation during arrival to DEN airport.
Narrative: We were filed to DEN on the AALLE1 Arrival. At some point we were given delay vectors and received a clearance direct AAILE; AAILE ONE arrival. I was unaware that ATC pronounces AALLE as AAILE. The only arrival that ends in AIL is the QUAIL 1. A quick look at fixes into DEN also shows a waypoint FLAIL on the AALLE arrival. I expected AALLE to be pronounced like ALLEY. In any event there are too many waypoints that sound similar flying into DEN.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.