Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Chart Or Publication; Airspace Structure; Human Factors
Enroute from TEB to ZZZZ we were given direct to an intersection and accidentally flew to a different intersection. Our route was TEB ELVAE COL DIXIE PREPI OWENZ LINND AZEZU L453 PAEPR..... Along airway L453 there are 2 fixes with similar sounding names; LEXAD and LEXIM. Before PREPI we were given direct to LEXAD but we heard and saw LEXIM along our route. We both confirmed LEXIM and read back to ATC direct to LEXIM. Neither ATC nor us caught the error. About 10 minutes later we were asked what we were flying to and I responded LEXIM. He asked when we were given that clearance and I mentioned it was given to us earlier. He asked if LEXIM was even along our route and I confirmed that it was. He mentioned that there should not have been 2 fixes along our route with such close spelling and that it was their fault for the error. It was then that he said we should have been going direct to LEXAD. He said to continue to LEXIM and he would try to work out direct to LEXIM. Before freq handoff I apologized and asked if we had a problem. He said nothing to apologize for and thanks for bringing the situation to his attention.
A Fractional Captain reporting being cleared direct to LEXAD intersection. The pilot read back LEXIM another fix on their route. ATC did not notice the read back and the pilot proceeded to the wrong fix.