CL60 CREW BEGAN TO FLY TOWARD LVS (LAS VEGAS; NM) RATHER THAN LAS (LAS VEGAS; NV) AS CLRED BY ZLA.
Synopsis
CL60 CREW BEGAN TO FLY TOWARD LVS (LAS VEGAS; NM) RATHER THAN LAS (LAS VEGAS; NV) AS CLRED BY ZLA.
Narrative
I WAS CAPT ON A CHALLENGER 601 FROM VNY TO LUK. OUR ROUTING WAS THE NEWHALL SIX DEP; DAG DIRECT JOT AND THE TARNE TWO ARR INTO LUK. TALKING TO ZLA; THE CTLR GAVE US A CHANGE TO OUR ROUTING TO BE 'AFTER DAGGETT; DIRECT LAS VEGAS; NV; DIRECT JOLIET; REST OF RTE UNCHANGED.' THE PNF READ BACK THE CLRNC CORRECTLY. THINKING THAT I KNEW THE IDENTIFIER FOR LAS VEGAS; NV; I ENTERED IN LVS INTO THE FLT PLAN ON THE FMS. WITHIN A FEW MINS; WE WERE GIVEN 'DIRECT TO LAS VEGAS; NV.' WHEN ENTERING DIRECT TO 'LVS' INTO THE FMS; THE HEADING DIDN'T CHANGE MUCH; SO I DIDN'T GIVE TOO MUCH THOUGHT INTO WHETHER IT WAS CORRECT OR NOT. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR; AND WITHIN A FEW MINS; SHE TOLD US TO RETURN TO OUR PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED FREQ. THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN TO ABOUT A 360 DEG HDG AND ASKED US WHAT IDENTIFIER WE HAD LISTED ON OUR FMS. REALIZING THAT A MISTAKE HAD BEEN MADE; THE PNF CORRECTLY TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE HAD 'LVS' (LAS VEGAS; NM) IN THE FMS; BUT WE BELIEVE WE SHOULD HAVE HAD 'LAS' (LAS VEGAS; NV) IN THE FMS. THE CTLR SAID 'I TOLD YOU TWICE TO PROCEED TO LAS VEGAS; NV;' OF WHICH WE COULD NOT DISPUTE. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY GIVEN DIRECT TO LAS; AND WERE AGAIN HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR AGAIN. AT THE TIME WE WERE TOLD TO TURN TO THE 360 DEG HDG; WE WERE APPROX 70 MI SW OF LAS. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID TO US BY THE CTLRS TO INDICATE THAT ANY SERIOUS SIT HAD OCCURRED DUE TO OUR ERROR. OBVIOUSLY; THIS WAS AN ERROR ON MY PART IN THE INCORRECT IDENTIFIER BEING ENTERED INTO THE FMS. HAD I LOOKED AT THE MILEAGE TO 'LVS;' WHICH WAS AT LEAST 500 MI AWAY; I WOULD HAVE EASILY CAUGHT THE ERROR. I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED THE IDENTIFIER WITH THE PNF AS WELL BEFORE ENTERING IT INTO OUR FLT PLAN. WHAT WOULD HAVE ALSO BEEN HELPFUL; ESPECIALLY TO THOSE PLTS WHO MAY NOT FREQUENTLY NAV IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY; WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR THE CTLR TO SPECIFY THE IDENTIFIER CODE IN THE CLRNC (IE; 'CLRED DIRECT TO LAS VEGAS; NV; (LIMA-ALPHA-SIERRA).'
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.