Narrative:

I copied the clearance for our trip back to dfw. The clearance was changed. Instead of flying the UKW6 arrival into dfw, we were given 'fly 170 degree heading, intercept the 130 degree radial off of irw, then intercept (what I believe I understood and read back) the 010 degree radial off of ukw and then the UKW6 arrival.' we were cleared for takeoff and after we were airborne, a new tower controller came on the radio and said that air carrier X was cleared for takeoff -- not very comforting. We stated we had already been cleared for takeoff and that we were airborne. The controller said 'ok' and to contact departure. Departure took us off the 130 degree radial because of another aircraft, so obviously there was some confusion there. In any event, after we were reclred to intercept the 130 degree radial, I (as PF) turned to intercept the ukw 010 degree radial inbound to bowie, as expected and planned. ZFW then asked if we had joined the 130 degree radial. That is when the mistake was realized. Apparently we were cleared (or they had intended us to be cleared) to fly the 130 degree radial to intercept the 010 degree radial off of byp for the BYP3 arrival, which makes more sense. Obviously, we did not understand the change of arrs with clearance delivery, and we either read back the wrong clearance or read back what was given to us. It seems pretty clear in hindsight, but at the time -- with all the proper planning and effort -- we managed to goof it up. It seems to be that I read back the intercept to ukw, and I wrote it on the flight plan that way, but given the similar sounding arrs (bowie and bonham) and the fact that it wasn't made clear there was a change, we made a mistake. It is my understanding that this type of mistake has been made a number of times over the past few yrs and we have suggested that a change be made to one of the names which might alleviate the potential mistake. I am not sure what we could have done to prevent this because both pilots and a jump seater heard the clearance and none of us caught it. Supplemental information from acn 513340: I was riding the jump seat in the role as an FAA inspector for a new captain. The first officer was a check airman. The crew was instructed to intercept and track outbound on the okc VOR 130 degree radial, then to intercept the bonham (byp 114.6) 010 degree radial and track inbound. The first officer was flying and tracking outbound on the okc VOR radial using raw data, while the captain had the inbound radial displayed with raw data on his side. Once the captain's navigation display showed us intercepting the radial, the first officer tuned his raw data navigation display to duplicate the captain's, and we stated a turn to the south. ZFW informed us we had intercepted the wrong radial. The captain had tuned the bowie (ukw 112.4) by mistake. Our early turn caused ZFW to have to hold an inbound airplane up at a higher altitude than desired. We all (or at least one of us) should have seen that the vors were tuned to a station that was not on our arrival clearance. I should have looked at the clearance more closely. I saw the captain tune 112.4 in his VOR and did not check the identify or realize it was the frequency for ukw vice byp. I think the fact that the first officer was a check airman helped to make me more complacent than I would normally be. In the future, I will either carry proper plates or ask to view plates the crew has in the cockpit. Also, I think mistakes like this would be less likely if 1 of the 2 northern corner posts into dfw were renamed with something other than a word that starts with the letter 'B.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN FK100 FLC FOLLOWS THE 010 DEG RADIAL OF UKW, BOWIE VORTAC, VERSUS THE ATC DESIRED BYP, BONHAM VORTAC, CREATING A TFC PROB FOR ZFW, TX.

Narrative: I COPIED THE CLRNC FOR OUR TRIP BACK TO DFW. THE CLRNC WAS CHANGED. INSTEAD OF FLYING THE UKW6 ARR INTO DFW, WE WERE GIVEN 'FLY 170 DEG HDG, INTERCEPT THE 130 DEG RADIAL OFF OF IRW, THEN INTERCEPT (WHAT I BELIEVE I UNDERSTOOD AND READ BACK) THE 010 DEG RADIAL OFF OF UKW AND THEN THE UKW6 ARR.' WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND AFTER WE WERE AIRBORNE, A NEW TWR CTLR CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID THAT ACR X WAS CLRED FOR TKOF -- NOT VERY COMFORTING. WE STATED WE HAD ALREADY BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF AND THAT WE WERE AIRBORNE. THE CTLR SAID 'OK' AND TO CONTACT DEP. DEP TOOK US OFF THE 130 DEG RADIAL BECAUSE OF ANOTHER ACFT, SO OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION THERE. IN ANY EVENT, AFTER WE WERE RECLRED TO INTERCEPT THE 130 DEG RADIAL, I (AS PF) TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE UKW 010 DEG RADIAL INBOUND TO BOWIE, AS EXPECTED AND PLANNED. ZFW THEN ASKED IF WE HAD JOINED THE 130 DEG RADIAL. THAT IS WHEN THE MISTAKE WAS REALIZED. APPARENTLY WE WERE CLRED (OR THEY HAD INTENDED US TO BE CLRED) TO FLY THE 130 DEG RADIAL TO INTERCEPT THE 010 DEG RADIAL OFF OF BYP FOR THE BYP3 ARR, WHICH MAKES MORE SENSE. OBVIOUSLY, WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE CHANGE OF ARRS WITH CLRNC DELIVERY, AND WE EITHER READ BACK THE WRONG CLRNC OR READ BACK WHAT WAS GIVEN TO US. IT SEEMS PRETTY CLR IN HINDSIGHT, BUT AT THE TIME -- WITH ALL THE PROPER PLANNING AND EFFORT -- WE MANAGED TO GOOF IT UP. IT SEEMS TO BE THAT I READ BACK THE INTERCEPT TO UKW, AND I WROTE IT ON THE FLT PLAN THAT WAY, BUT GIVEN THE SIMILAR SOUNDING ARRS (BOWIE AND BONHAM) AND THE FACT THAT IT WASN'T MADE CLR THERE WAS A CHANGE, WE MADE A MISTAKE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS TYPE OF MISTAKE HAS BEEN MADE A NUMBER OF TIMES OVER THE PAST FEW YRS AND WE HAVE SUGGESTED THAT A CHANGE BE MADE TO ONE OF THE NAMES WHICH MIGHT ALLEVIATE THE POTENTIAL MISTAKE. I AM NOT SURE WHAT WE COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS BECAUSE BOTH PLTS AND A JUMP SEATER HEARD THE CLRNC AND NONE OF US CAUGHT IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 513340: I WAS RIDING THE JUMP SEAT IN THE ROLE AS AN FAA INSPECTOR FOR A NEW CAPT. THE FO WAS A CHK AIRMAN. THE CREW WAS INSTRUCTED TO INTERCEPT AND TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE OKC VOR 130 DEG RADIAL, THEN TO INTERCEPT THE BONHAM (BYP 114.6) 010 DEG RADIAL AND TRACK INBOUND. THE FO WAS FLYING AND TRACKING OUTBOUND ON THE OKC VOR RADIAL USING RAW DATA, WHILE THE CAPT HAD THE INBOUND RADIAL DISPLAYED WITH RAW DATA ON HIS SIDE. ONCE THE CAPT'S NAV DISPLAY SHOWED US INTERCEPTING THE RADIAL, THE FO TUNED HIS RAW DATA NAV DISPLAY TO DUPLICATE THE CAPT'S, AND WE STATED A TURN TO THE S. ZFW INFORMED US WE HAD INTERCEPTED THE WRONG RADIAL. THE CAPT HAD TUNED THE BOWIE (UKW 112.4) BY MISTAKE. OUR EARLY TURN CAUSED ZFW TO HAVE TO HOLD AN INBOUND AIRPLANE UP AT A HIGHER ALT THAN DESIRED. WE ALL (OR AT LEAST ONE OF US) SHOULD HAVE SEEN THAT THE VORS WERE TUNED TO A STATION THAT WAS NOT ON OUR ARR CLRNC. I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT THE CLRNC MORE CLOSELY. I SAW THE CAPT TUNE 112.4 IN HIS VOR AND DID NOT CHK THE IDENT OR REALIZE IT WAS THE FREQ FOR UKW VICE BYP. I THINK THE FACT THAT THE FO WAS A CHK AIRMAN HELPED TO MAKE ME MORE COMPLACENT THAN I WOULD NORMALLY BE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL EITHER CARRY PROPER PLATES OR ASK TO VIEW PLATES THE CREW HAS IN THE COCKPIT. ALSO, I THINK MISTAKES LIKE THIS WOULD BE LESS LIKELY IF 1 OF THE 2 NORTHERN CORNER POSTS INTO DFW WERE RENAMED WITH SOMETHING OTHER THAN A WORD THAT STARTS WITH THE LETTER 'B.'

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.