2023-04 · NASA ASRS report 1995185
Air carrier flight crew reported programming the wrong fix into the FMC from an oceanic clearance as the fixes sounded similar to one another (OLGON/OGLUN).
We received an oceanic clearance from Gander Oceanic. The route was as planned with the exception of an exit point change. Accepted the clearance and programmed the FMC with the two waypoints of NEBIN and OLGON. I observed the FO (First Officer) enter the correct fix and verified the exit. At this point the FO stated the last point was on the flight plan and closed the discontinuity. Similar sounding fixes caused an issue since the flight plan fix downline was very slightly different. That fix was OGLUN. After agreeing it was the fix; incorrectly; the discontinuity was closed. Since we had independently verified the oceanic clearance; it appeared we had a good route. Dispatch was notified of the exit point change. Route change procedures accomplished on the Emergency Checklist. When asked to confirm route upon entering Oceanic; we received message; route indicated incorrect fix. We were cleared to OLGON via... and NOT OGLUN. We corrected the exit fix with OLGON and left discontinuity in the FMC. No route deviation occurred. This fix was still 3 hours ahead of us down the route.
Received oceanic clearance with a reroute on the coast in. Performed items in the revised clearance guide and ORCA (Oceanic Route Clearance Authorization) procedures as required. Subsequent CPDLC report for confirming assigned route identified a routing error with an incorrect second/last exit point. The crew repaired the programming error and it was corrected prior to any deviation. Confusion occurred because of the similarity of the original routing fix OGLUN and reroute fix OLGON; and closing the discontinuity.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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