Flight crew interprets VOR identifier incorrectly. Flies wrong route.

Attributes
ACN	245593
Time
Date	199307
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vxv
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j43
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 5700
ASRS Report	245598
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The pre-departure clearance read: routing atl notwo J43 vxv./.cle. I quickly read vxv to be waterville (west of cleveland, oh) and didn't double-check, at the time, my route. Waterville is wxw, I believe. I assumed we were flying J-43 to waterville because of thunderstorms in the cleveland area. As I crossed over knoxville (vxv) and started out J-43, looking at the map I couldn't see where J-43 went to waterville. Then I looked at the complete route, realized I was to be on J-91 (35 degrees to the right). At that time I started a turn to the right to correct and ATC asked where we were going and to turn to the right. Since we were at 37000 ft I limited my bank to 10 degrees. ATC asked for a 60 degree intercept to J-91 because of traffic coming down J-43. The problem for me was the identifier for knoxville and waterville were a lot alike, and I didn't check the route close enough till I was on the wrong airway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC INTERPRETS VOR IDENTIFIER INCORRECTLY. FLIES WRONG RTE.

Narrative: THE PRE-DEP CLRNC READ: ROUTING ATL NOTWO J43 VXV./.CLE. I QUICKLY READ VXV TO BE WATERVILLE (W OF CLEVELAND, OH) AND DIDN'T DOUBLE-CHK, AT THE TIME, MY RTE. WATERVILLE IS WXW, I BELIEVE. I ASSUMED WE WERE FLYING J-43 TO WATERVILLE BECAUSE OF TSTMS IN THE CLEVELAND AREA. AS I CROSSED OVER KNOXVILLE (VXV) AND STARTED OUT J-43, LOOKING AT THE MAP I COULDN'T SEE WHERE J-43 WENT TO WATERVILLE. THEN I LOOKED AT THE COMPLETE RTE, REALIZED I WAS TO BE ON J-91 (35 DEGS TO THE R). AT THAT TIME I STARTED A TURN TO THE R TO CORRECT AND ATC ASKED WHERE WE WERE GOING AND TO TURN TO THE R. SINCE WE WERE AT 37000 FT I LIMITED MY BANK TO 10 DEGS. ATC ASKED FOR A 60 DEG INTERCEPT TO J-91 BECAUSE OF TFC COMING DOWN J-43. THE PROB FOR ME WAS THE IDENTIFIER FOR KNOXVILLE AND WATERVILLE WERE A LOT ALIKE, AND I DIDN'T CHK THE RTE CLOSE ENOUGH TILL I WAS ON THE WRONG AIRWAY.

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.