Narrative:

I filed the flight plan for the leg from buf direct ith direct dny and the valre #2 STAR into hpn, programmed the route into the FMS on our 400A beechjet, while taxiing out and briefed the PNF (co-captain) in the right seat as to our 'as filed' route. We were only allowed to climb to either FL290 or FL330 (I don't recall exactly) and then were started back down shortly after reaching the assigned altitude due to traffic and a strong tailwind. At some point during the descent we overheard ZBW clear a learjet to cross the dny VOR at FL180 for the nobbi #2 STAR and then shortly thereafter we were cleared to cross dny at FL180 and this is the point at which the confusion began. During the descent in IMC and light occasionally moderate turbulence while I was busy keeping up with the plane, my partner noticed that I had only programmed dny and ign and he decided to program peter, cyper and tresa intxns for the nobbi #2 STAR and I didn't notice what he had programmed. I made the improper assumption that he was just entering the valre and harrp intxns (I had only programmed the route up to ign) and didn't question him. About 2 mins after crossing dny, ZBW called to ask what STAR we were flying and when my partner replied 'the nobbi #2' I immediately knew there was a mix-up. Center issued a heading to re-join the arrival and had a phone number waiting for us at the hpn tower when we landed. When I talked to the supervisor I explained that I believed that the lions share of the confusion came from the fact that both STAR's sound somewhat alike in a noisy, busy cockpit, both are numbered #2 stars and both show the dny and ign vors on the procedure. He replied that he'd make a recommendation to at least get one of them numbered differently as soon as possible. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he talked to center control who was very receptive to his comments regarding the similarity of the 2 names of the 2 stars. He has also written to pro pilot magazine to the aviation hazard column to let others know of the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG DEV DUE TO FOLLOWING WRONG ARR.

Narrative: I FILED THE FLT PLAN FOR THE LEG FROM BUF DIRECT ITH DIRECT DNY AND THE VALRE #2 STAR INTO HPN, PROGRAMMED THE RTE INTO THE FMS ON OUR 400A BEECHJET, WHILE TAXIING OUT AND BRIEFED THE PNF (CO-CAPT) IN THE R SEAT AS TO OUR 'AS FILED' RTE. WE WERE ONLY ALLOWED TO CLB TO EITHER FL290 OR FL330 (I DON'T RECALL EXACTLY) AND THEN WERE STARTED BACK DOWN SHORTLY AFTER REACHING THE ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO TFC AND A STRONG TAILWIND. AT SOME POINT DURING THE DSCNT WE OVERHEARD ZBW CLR A LEARJET TO CROSS THE DNY VOR AT FL180 FOR THE NOBBI #2 STAR AND THEN SHORTLY THEREAFTER WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS DNY AT FL180 AND THIS IS THE POINT AT WHICH THE CONFUSION BEGAN. DURING THE DSCNT IN IMC AND LIGHT OCCASIONALLY MODERATE TURB WHILE I WAS BUSY KEEPING UP WITH THE PLANE, MY PARTNER NOTICED THAT I HAD ONLY PROGRAMMED DNY AND IGN AND HE DECIDED TO PROGRAM PETER, CYPER AND TRESA INTXNS FOR THE NOBBI #2 STAR AND I DIDN'T NOTICE WHAT HE HAD PROGRAMMED. I MADE THE IMPROPER ASSUMPTION THAT HE WAS JUST ENTERING THE VALRE AND HARRP INTXNS (I HAD ONLY PROGRAMMED THE RTE UP TO IGN) AND DIDN'T QUESTION HIM. ABOUT 2 MINS AFTER XING DNY, ZBW CALLED TO ASK WHAT STAR WE WERE FLYING AND WHEN MY PARTNER REPLIED 'THE NOBBI #2' I IMMEDIATELY KNEW THERE WAS A MIX-UP. CTR ISSUED A HDG TO RE-JOIN THE ARR AND HAD A PHONE NUMBER WAITING FOR US AT THE HPN TWR WHEN WE LANDED. WHEN I TALKED TO THE SUPVR I EXPLAINED THAT I BELIEVED THAT THE LIONS SHARE OF THE CONFUSION CAME FROM THE FACT THAT BOTH STAR'S SOUND SOMEWHAT ALIKE IN A NOISY, BUSY COCKPIT, BOTH ARE NUMBERED #2 STARS AND BOTH SHOW THE DNY AND IGN VORS ON THE PROC. HE REPLIED THAT HE'D MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO AT LEAST GET ONE OF THEM NUMBERED DIFFERENTLY ASAP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE TALKED TO CTR CTL WHO WAS VERY RECEPTIVE TO HIS COMMENTS REGARDING THE SIMILARITY OF THE 2 NAMES OF THE 2 STARS. HE HAS ALSO WRITTEN TO PRO PLT MAGAZINE TO THE AVIATION HAZARD COLUMN TO LET OTHERS KNOW OF THE PROB.

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.