A BE02 commuter flight crew confused the clearance to turn at 'conom' thinking that they heard 'canen.' the approach controller intervened, and the reporter (captain) noted that the aircraft that was following them had the same problem.

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Attributes
ACN	346786
Time
Date	199609
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fgt airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : msp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute : on vectors enroute airway : msp
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 2900 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	346786
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

We were arriving msp via meinz 7 arrival. Controller told us to turn to 290 degree heading at conom, an intersection north of the fgt VOR on the arrival. We misunderstood this as to turn at canen intersection (which is also on the arrival). Controller saw this on radar and the situation was alleviated. Obvious problem on this arrival is that the two fix names sound the same over the radio. The name(south) need to be changed immediately. Other aircraft before and after us also seemed to be having the same problem. Imagine a british accent or local pronunciation technique on canen, and you can see how it could be mistaken for conom.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE02 COMMUTER FLC CONFUSED THE CLRNC TO TURN AT 'CONOM' THINKING THAT THEY HEARD 'CANEN.' THE APCH CTLR INTERVENED, AND THE RPTR (CAPT) NOTED THAT THE ACFT THAT WAS FOLLOWING THEM HAD THE SAME PROB.

Narrative: WE WERE ARRIVING MSP VIA MEINZ 7 ARR. CTLR TOLD US TO TURN TO 290 DEG HDG AT CONOM, AN INTXN N OF THE FGT VOR ON THE ARR. WE MISUNDERSTOOD THIS AS TO TURN AT CANEN INTXN (WHICH IS ALSO ON THE ARR). CTLR SAW THIS ON RADAR AND THE SIT WAS ALLEVIATED. OBVIOUS PROB ON THIS ARR IS THAT THE TWO FIX NAMES SOUND THE SAME OVER THE RADIO. THE NAME(S) NEED TO BE CHANGED IMMEDIATELY. OTHER ACFT BEFORE AND AFTER US ALSO SEEMED TO BE HAVING THE SAME PROB. IMAGINE A BRITISH ACCENT OR LCL PRONUNCIATION TECHNIQUE ON CANEN, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IT COULD BE MISTAKEN FOR CONOM.

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.