Narrative:

Departing dtw on heading of 220 degrees, we were cleared direct annts intersection. The copilot and I had already preprogrammed the GPS for our route of flight. Upon receiving clearance direct to annts intersection, I pushed the direct button and got a bearing of 137 degrees and turned to the new heading. Something just did not seem right about the situation. As soon as I got to heading 137 degrees, I looked at the mileage to annts intersection and it said 300 NM. I then knew that I was heading to the wrong fix and we asked dtw departure for a vector to annts intersection right away. They gave us a heading of 250 degrees and we were on our way. It turned out that we had spelled annts intersection 'aants.' this situation could have been prevented had we doublechked our spelling and latitudes/longitudes when we programmed our GPS. I look at our spelling and route much closer now. There was no traffic conflict. In addition, I believe it would be a good idea if controllers would automatically give a vector for a fix and when able, direct if time permits. That might help reduce errors of this kind. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that there were several different models of GPS in use in his atx aircraft and that the first officer was new. The WX was bad and that was an added concern. The first officer programmed the entire route of flight and the PIC admitted that he did not check the route as carefully as he should have. The route fix identify did indicate an 'aants' intersection so he did not check any further as to the exact location of 'aants.' he failed to pick up the spelling error of 'aants' versus 'annts.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC IN LR24G MISPROGRAMS THEIR GPS AND EXPERIENCE A HDG TRACK POS DEV. NAV ERROR.

Narrative: DEPARTING DTW ON HDG OF 220 DEGS, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT ANNTS INTXN. THE COPLT AND I HAD ALREADY PREPROGRAMMED THE GPS FOR OUR RTE OF FLT. UPON RECEIVING CLRNC DIRECT TO ANNTS INTXN, I PUSHED THE DIRECT BUTTON AND GOT A BEARING OF 137 DEGS AND TURNED TO THE NEW HDG. SOMETHING JUST DID NOT SEEM RIGHT ABOUT THE SIT. AS SOON AS I GOT TO HDG 137 DEGS, I LOOKED AT THE MILEAGE TO ANNTS INTXN AND IT SAID 300 NM. I THEN KNEW THAT I WAS HDG TO THE WRONG FIX AND WE ASKED DTW DEP FOR A VECTOR TO ANNTS INTXN RIGHT AWAY. THEY GAVE US A HDG OF 250 DEGS AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. IT TURNED OUT THAT WE HAD SPELLED ANNTS INTXN 'AANTS.' THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD WE DOUBLECHKED OUR SPELLING AND LATITUDES/LONGITUDES WHEN WE PROGRAMMED OUR GPS. I LOOK AT OUR SPELLING AND RTE MUCH CLOSER NOW. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT. IN ADDITION, I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA IF CTLRS WOULD AUTOMATICALLY GIVE A VECTOR FOR A FIX AND WHEN ABLE, DIRECT IF TIME PERMITS. THAT MIGHT HELP REDUCE ERRORS OF THIS KIND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL DIFFERENT MODELS OF GPS IN USE IN HIS ATX ACFT AND THAT THE FO WAS NEW. THE WX WAS BAD AND THAT WAS AN ADDED CONCERN. THE FO PROGRAMMED THE ENTIRE RTE OF FLT AND THE PIC ADMITTED THAT HE DID NOT CHK THE RTE AS CAREFULLY AS HE SHOULD HAVE. THE RTE FIX IDENT DID INDICATE AN 'AANTS' INTXN SO HE DID NOT CHK ANY FURTHER AS TO THE EXACT LOCATION OF 'AANTS.' HE FAILED TO PICK UP THE SPELLING ERROR OF 'AANTS' VERSUS 'ANNTS.'

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.