Narrative:

We were IFR from syracuse en route to laguardia, ny. (All references to location are found on the use (lo) 25 chart). We were cleared rockdale (rka) V433 tresa. We asked for direct delancey west of rockdale and were cleared as requested. This fix was not part of our route but neither we nor ATC realized this at the time. Once we arrived at delancey, we headed outbound on the similar sounding V483 instead of our planned route of V433 which parallels about 10 mi to the north. We were headed in the correct direction but on the wrong airway. About halfway down the airway, ATC discovered the error and cleared us direct kingston to get us back on our flight plan. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Reason for the occurrence? I think crew fatigue and airways which share similar designations (V433 vs. V483) caused us not to notice that we were on the wrong airway. A mistake of which probably would not have happened to a well rested and more alert crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DEV FROM FLT PLAN FILED.

Narrative: WE WERE IFR FROM SYRACUSE ENRTE TO LAGUARDIA, NY. (ALL REFS TO LOCATION ARE FOUND ON THE USE (LO) 25 CHART). WE WERE CLRED ROCKDALE (RKA) V433 TRESA. WE ASKED FOR DIRECT DELANCEY W OF ROCKDALE AND WERE CLRED AS REQUESTED. THIS FIX WAS NOT PART OF OUR RTE BUT NEITHER WE NOR ATC REALIZED THIS AT THE TIME. ONCE WE ARRIVED AT DELANCEY, WE HEADED OUTBOUND ON THE SIMILAR SOUNDING V483 INSTEAD OF OUR PLANNED RTE OF V433 WHICH PARALLELS ABOUT 10 MI TO THE N. WE WERE HEADED IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION BUT ON THE WRONG AIRWAY. ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN THE AIRWAY, ATC DISCOVERED THE ERROR AND CLRED US DIRECT KINGSTON TO GET US BACK ON OUR FLT PLAN. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. REASON FOR THE OCCURRENCE? I THINK CREW FATIGUE AND AIRWAYS WHICH SHARE SIMILAR DESIGNATIONS (V433 VS. V483) CAUSED US NOT TO NOTICE THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG AIRWAY. A MISTAKE OF WHICH PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO A WELL RESTED AND MORE ALERT CREW.

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