ALERT TFC CTLR CUED RPTR OF ALT ASSIGNMENT MISUNDERSTANDING IN TIME FOR THE RPTR TO RECOVER; THE RPTR ASSUMED THE VOR WAS CO-LOCATED WITH THE ARPT.

Narrative

DURING DSCNT TO LNDG AT SMF; CTLR INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO DSND FROM FL220 TO CROSS 30 NM S OF SACRAMENTO AT 11000 FT. A PLANNED RATE OF DSCNT OF 2500 FPM WAS ANTICIPATED WHICH WOULD NECESSITATE A BEGIN DSCNT POINT OF 61 NM FROM SACRAMENTO. AT ABOUT 63 NM DISTANCE FROM SACRAMENTO THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE OUR XING RESTR; SUGGESTING WE WERE ONLY 1 MIN; 30 SECONDS FROM XING POINT. WE IMMEDIATELY COMMENCED A VERY HIGH RATE OF DSCNT AND MADE A R TURN AS DIRECTED BY THE CTLR. WE MADE THE XING RESTR AS ORIGINALLY CLRED. HOWEVER; THE HIGH RATE OF DSCNT I AM SURE WAS OF CONCERN TO MY PAX. THE PROB WAS ONE OF MIXING THE VOR AND ARPT NAMES BOTH ARE NAMED SACRAMENTO. HOWEVER; THE VOR IS ABOUT 13 MI S OF THE ARPT. WE WERE REFING THE DISTANCE FROM THE ARPT AS INDICATED ON OUR FLT MGMNT SYS LONG RANGE NAV. THE CTLR WANTED US TO CROSS 30 S OF THE VOR; NOT THE ARPT AS WE THOUGHT. IN THE FUTURE WHERE VORS AND ARPTS ARE CO-NAMED AND NOT CO-LOCATED; WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE CTLR AND OURSELVES ARE REFING THE SAME POINT.