Narrative:

We were departing the republic airport in the nyc area. Turned to 010 degrees and was switched to ATC. At some point in the climb; we were cleared to the gayel intersection. As we were climbing out; we realized the intersection distance seemed too far away. About the same time; the controller called and asked us to check the spelling on our waypoint. It turns out we entered gayle which is on a similar heading; but at a much farther distance. We corrected the situation; made a course correction and continued on after thanking the controller for noticing the slightly different heading. I vaguely remembered the controller indicating that this happened from time to time with this intersection name. Looking at a map of nyc; I think it would be easy to drift into protected airspace if we had been given a turn from 010 degrees earlier than we were or had we continued on the incorrect for much longer. Even though the heading changes are minimal; nyc airspace is not a good place to be off course. Lucky for us that the controller immediately recognized our error. While entering the flight plan; we should have rechked the spelling; waypoint distances; and airway connections using various FMS data and graphic tools. I will most certainly be more careful to check entry of flight plans in the future. On the other hand; this intersection is phonetically similar as well as near identical spelling. I think the system lends us to error. I recommend one of the intxns be renamed to ensure this does not continue to happen. If I understood the controller correctly; it has apparently happened more than once.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C550 CREW ENTERS WRONG SPELLING OF INTXN NAME AND GOES OFF COURSE.

Narrative: WE WERE DEPARTING THE REPUBLIC ARPT IN THE NYC AREA. TURNED TO 010 DEGS AND WAS SWITCHED TO ATC. AT SOME POINT IN THE CLB; WE WERE CLRED TO THE GAYEL INTXN. AS WE WERE CLBING OUT; WE REALIZED THE INTXN DISTANCE SEEMED TOO FAR AWAY. ABOUT THE SAME TIME; THE CTLR CALLED AND ASKED US TO CHK THE SPELLING ON OUR WAYPOINT. IT TURNS OUT WE ENTERED GAYLE WHICH IS ON A SIMILAR HDG; BUT AT A MUCH FARTHER DISTANCE. WE CORRECTED THE SITUATION; MADE A COURSE CORRECTION AND CONTINUED ON AFTER THANKING THE CTLR FOR NOTICING THE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT HDG. I VAGUELY REMEMBERED THE CTLR INDICATING THAT THIS HAPPENED FROM TIME TO TIME WITH THIS INTXN NAME. LOOKING AT A MAP OF NYC; I THINK IT WOULD BE EASY TO DRIFT INTO PROTECTED AIRSPACE IF WE HAD BEEN GIVEN A TURN FROM 010 DEGS EARLIER THAN WE WERE OR HAD WE CONTINUED ON THE INCORRECT FOR MUCH LONGER. EVEN THOUGH THE HDG CHANGES ARE MINIMAL; NYC AIRSPACE IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE OFF COURSE. LUCKY FOR US THAT THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED OUR ERROR. WHILE ENTERING THE FLT PLAN; WE SHOULD HAVE RECHKED THE SPELLING; WAYPOINT DISTANCES; AND AIRWAY CONNECTIONS USING VARIOUS FMS DATA AND GRAPHIC TOOLS. I WILL MOST CERTAINLY BE MORE CAREFUL TO CHK ENTRY OF FLT PLANS IN THE FUTURE. ON THE OTHER HAND; THIS INTXN IS PHONETICALLY SIMILAR AS WELL AS NEAR IDENTICAL SPELLING. I THINK THE SYS LENDS US TO ERROR. I RECOMMEND ONE OF THE INTXNS BE RENAMED TO ENSURE THIS DOES NOT CONTINUE TO HAPPEN. IF I UNDERSTOOD THE CTLR CORRECTLY; IT HAS APPARENTLY HAPPENED MORE THAN ONCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.