C525 crew began to fly toward lvs (las vegas, NM) rather than las (las vegas, nv).

Attributes
ACN	541845
Time
Date	200203
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : dag.vortac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 25000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Citationjet, C525/C526
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	other other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : loop 2
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 9450 flight time type : 1950
ASRS Report	541845
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication FAA Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed lax via loop 2 departure procedure dag transition. After dag routing was direct pgs direct publication. Just after passing dag, ZLA cleared us 'direct las vegas, nv, direct.' the sic acknowledged the clearance to ZLA, found las vegas on the high en route chart and entered the identify 'lvs' into the GPS. The kln 90B idented 'lvs' as 'las vegas' and the new course was a slight turn to the right. All looked reasonable as we began tracking to 'las vegas.' a few mins later, ZLA asked our heading then told us 'las vegas, nv, is las, turn left heading 030 des, when able proceed direct.' we complied then asked center if we had caused any trouble. He replied 'not at all.' we proceeded uneventfully. Commercial charts and high altitude en route charts show lvs and las named 'las vegas' without identing which state. Also, the king kln 90B GPS shows both VOR's named 'las vegas' without identing the state. Everything looked reasonable to us en route to lvs as the course was only a slight heading change and it is not uncommon to navigation direct to fixes several hundred mi away. Also, since we had just passed dag and our next fix was pgs, we expected to find this new routing beyond pgs rather than closer than pgs. Familiarity with this area would have helped us greatly. I'm sure we are not the first to make this mistake. Adding the state name to these 2 VOR's on the charts and in the GPS database could prevent this confusion in the future to other pilots. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter confirmed that they were flight planned via dag direct pgs direct publication and further to the east. Reporter also confirmed that the controller did in fact clear them direct las, nv, then direct publication and fpr. Reporter stated that they just made a mistake because their GPS readout indicated lvs, which seemed reasonable to them. He also stressed the point that both pilots were not familiar with that part of the country, since it had been months when they were last out there.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C525 CREW BEGAN TO FLY TOWARD LVS (LAS VEGAS, NM) RATHER THAN LAS (LAS VEGAS, NV).

Narrative: DEPARTED LAX VIA LOOP 2 DEP PROC DAG TRANSITION. AFTER DAG ROUTING WAS DIRECT PGS DIRECT PUB. JUST AFTER PASSING DAG, ZLA CLRED US 'DIRECT LAS VEGAS, NV, DIRECT.' THE SIC ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC TO ZLA, FOUND LAS VEGAS ON THE HIGH ENRTE CHART AND ENTERED THE IDENT 'LVS' INTO THE GPS. THE KLN 90B IDENTED 'LVS' AS 'LAS VEGAS' AND THE NEW COURSE WAS A SLIGHT TURN TO THE R. ALL LOOKED REASONABLE AS WE BEGAN TRACKING TO 'LAS VEGAS.' A FEW MINS LATER, ZLA ASKED OUR HDG THEN TOLD US 'LAS VEGAS, NV, IS LAS, TURN L HDG 030 DES, WHEN ABLE PROCEED DIRECT.' WE COMPLIED THEN ASKED CTR IF WE HAD CAUSED ANY TROUBLE. HE REPLIED 'NOT AT ALL.' WE PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY. COMMERCIAL CHARTS AND HIGH ALT ENRTE CHARTS SHOW LVS AND LAS NAMED 'LAS VEGAS' WITHOUT IDENTING WHICH STATE. ALSO, THE KING KLN 90B GPS SHOWS BOTH VOR'S NAMED 'LAS VEGAS' WITHOUT IDENTING THE STATE. EVERYTHING LOOKED REASONABLE TO US ENRTE TO LVS AS THE COURSE WAS ONLY A SLIGHT HDG CHANGE AND IT IS NOT UNCOMMON TO NAV DIRECT TO FIXES SEVERAL HUNDRED MI AWAY. ALSO, SINCE WE HAD JUST PASSED DAG AND OUR NEXT FIX WAS PGS, WE EXPECTED TO FIND THIS NEW ROUTING BEYOND PGS RATHER THAN CLOSER THAN PGS. FAMILIARITY WITH THIS AREA WOULD HAVE HELPED US GREATLY. I'M SURE WE ARE NOT THE FIRST TO MAKE THIS MISTAKE. ADDING THE STATE NAME TO THESE 2 VOR'S ON THE CHARTS AND IN THE GPS DATABASE COULD PREVENT THIS CONFUSION IN THE FUTURE TO OTHER PLTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CONFIRMED THAT THEY WERE FLT PLANNED VIA DAG DIRECT PGS DIRECT PUB AND FURTHER TO THE E. RPTR ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE CTLR DID IN FACT CLR THEM DIRECT LAS, NV, THEN DIRECT PUB AND FPR. RPTR STATED THAT THEY JUST MADE A MISTAKE BECAUSE THEIR GPS READOUT INDICATED LVS, WHICH SEEMED REASONABLE TO THEM. HE ALSO STRESSED THE POINT THAT BOTH PLTS WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY, SINCE IT HAD BEEN MONTHS WHEN THEY WERE LAST OUT THERE.

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.