CRJ flight crew mistakes NAVYS intersection for TNV (Navasota - VOR) resulting in a course deviation.

Date: 2009-04 · Aircraft: Regional Jet 700 ER/LR (CRJ700) · Phase: initial_climb

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance

Synopsis

CRJ flight crew mistakes NAVYS intersection for TNV (Navasota - VOR) resulting in a course deviation.

Narrative

The First Officer obtained a clearance from Austin Clearance Delivery while I listened. I heard that we were cleared via the Centex 3 Departure; NAVIS transition; direct Lufkin; then 'As Filed.' When I read the departure procedure; I saw the NAVYS transition and input that transition into the FMS. The First Officer also heard something that he thought sounded like NAVIS; and when we reviewed our FMS routing; we agreed that we had the correct route in the FMS. However; after takeoff; we were cleared direct HOOKK Intersection. HOOKK was not a fix on our departure procedure; and I told ATC that. The Controller instructed us to fly a heading. Controller then told us that HOOKK Intersection was 17 miles off the 088 degree radial from Centex. Controller gave us a heading to intersect the departure. When I realized HOOKK was on a different transition than the one we had in the FMS; I asked which transition we were supposed to be on. Controller said the Navasota transition. I changed the departure procedure to the Navasota transition; and no further events occurred. The reason for the confusion was a miscommunication between Clearance Delivery and the Flight Crew. We both thought it was feasible for the NAVYS Intersection to be pronounced like NAVIS. Also; there is a box on the commercial chart that has 'NAVYS TRANSITION' in big letters on the middle of the page; but the only way to notice the Navasota transition is to read that TNV is the Navasota VOR. Also; in the FMS; the Navasota transition is listed as TNV; so the only transition that initially looked like NAVIS was the NAVYS. Being unfamiliar with the airport; and hearing the clearance improperly; resulted in us thinking that we had been cleared with the wrong transition. I think that one of the transitions should be renamed to avoid the possibility of people getting the two confused.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.