Narrative:

There was a wall of WX east of the field in a line to the south. We were given a 160 degree heading from tower; towards the WX. Prior to handoff tower stated that our 'flight plan had timed out.' we were furiously working the radar looking for a hole in the WX; and still had the slats extended in case we needed a tight turn to avoid the WX. Departure cleared us to 17000 ft and cleared us on an easterly heading. He then cleared us direct saldo and spelled it with letters. I was not clear on the fix so I queried the captain and the captain on the jump-seat listening in. The captain on the jump-seat spelled 'saldo' which I entered. The heading looked reasonable on the map page since it paralleled the WX to our east; but I couldn't see the fix in the map mode since it was behind to our left. I asked the captain and since the heading kept us out of the WX I believe he said it looked good. Once we were pointed away from the WX and the point wasn't showing up on the long scale; I queried the controller if he realized we were going to phl. I then asked him to verify the spelling of saldo and discovered it was actually soldo. We immediately turned to the east towards soldo as the controller verified we were in the turn and called out traffic which we had in sight. We never received a TCAS alert. Lessons learned: I never verified the distance to saldo on the legs page. I had the TRISS2 departure page on the yoke for the first few points; but it was folded in half and soldo was on the back of it. Verify fixes with the controller; and don't listen to the jump-seater even if he is a captain on your type of aircraft. It is your license on the line not his. He conveniently flew the rest of the leg without wearing his headset. It is critical for fixes to be spelled phonetically; even if rushed and pointed at a thunderstorm. Prior to takeoff we are always fixated on staying on the line and complying with altitudes and airspds. A review of possible alternate fixes on the departure page will now enter my pre-takeoff review; especially with WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 PILOT REPORTS AN FMC ENTRY OF SALDO INTXN INSTEAD OF SOLDO INTXN DURING A POST DFW DEPARTURE RTE CHANGE WHILE AVOIDING WX.

Narrative: THERE WAS A WALL OF WX E OF THE FIELD IN A LINE TO THE S. WE WERE GIVEN A 160 DEG HDG FROM TWR; TOWARDS THE WX. PRIOR TO HDOF TWR STATED THAT OUR 'FLT PLAN HAD TIMED OUT.' WE WERE FURIOUSLY WORKING THE RADAR LOOKING FOR A HOLE IN THE WX; AND STILL HAD THE SLATS EXTENDED IN CASE WE NEEDED A TIGHT TURN TO AVOID THE WX. DEP CLRED US TO 17000 FT AND CLRED US ON AN EASTERLY HDG. HE THEN CLRED US DIRECT SALDO AND SPELLED IT WITH LETTERS. I WAS NOT CLR ON THE FIX SO I QUERIED THE CAPT AND THE CAPT ON THE JUMP-SEAT LISTENING IN. THE CAPT ON THE JUMP-SEAT SPELLED 'SALDO' WHICH I ENTERED. THE HDG LOOKED REASONABLE ON THE MAP PAGE SINCE IT PARALLELED THE WX TO OUR E; BUT I COULDN'T SEE THE FIX IN THE MAP MODE SINCE IT WAS BEHIND TO OUR L. I ASKED THE CAPT AND SINCE THE HDG KEPT US OUT OF THE WX I BELIEVE HE SAID IT LOOKED GOOD. ONCE WE WERE POINTED AWAY FROM THE WX AND THE POINT WASN'T SHOWING UP ON THE LONG SCALE; I QUERIED THE CTLR IF HE REALIZED WE WERE GOING TO PHL. I THEN ASKED HIM TO VERIFY THE SPELLING OF SALDO AND DISCOVERED IT WAS ACTUALLY SOLDO. WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO THE E TOWARDS SOLDO AS THE CTLR VERIFIED WE WERE IN THE TURN AND CALLED OUT TFC WHICH WE HAD IN SIGHT. WE NEVER RECEIVED A TCAS ALERT. LESSONS LEARNED: I NEVER VERIFIED THE DISTANCE TO SALDO ON THE LEGS PAGE. I HAD THE TRISS2 DEP PAGE ON THE YOKE FOR THE FIRST FEW POINTS; BUT IT WAS FOLDED IN HALF AND SOLDO WAS ON THE BACK OF IT. VERIFY FIXES WITH THE CTLR; AND DON'T LISTEN TO THE JUMP-SEATER EVEN IF HE IS A CAPT ON YOUR TYPE OF ACFT. IT IS YOUR LICENSE ON THE LINE NOT HIS. HE CONVENIENTLY FLEW THE REST OF THE LEG WITHOUT WEARING HIS HEADSET. IT IS CRITICAL FOR FIXES TO BE SPELLED PHONETICALLY; EVEN IF RUSHED AND POINTED AT A TSTM. PRIOR TO TKOF WE ARE ALWAYS FIXATED ON STAYING ON THE LINE AND COMPLYING WITH ALTS AND AIRSPDS. A REVIEW OF POSSIBLE ALTERNATE FIXES ON THE DEP PAGE WILL NOW ENTER MY PRE-TKOF REVIEW; ESPECIALLY WITH WX.

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.