Medium Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 45; Flight Crew Total 4956; Flight Crew Type 1181
Situational Awareness; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Environment - Non Weather Related; ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Chart Or Publication
We arrived at CGF via the 'KEATN SIX' arrival (keatn.keatn6). The following day our departure clearance included: direct FAILS direct KEATING (ETG) J146 ... etc. The clearance; when spoken; included 'KEATING'; however; we had arrived the previous day via the 'KEATN 6' arrival. The similarity in the spoken pronunciation of 'KEATING / KEATN' potentially could have been the source of incorrect navigation. The situation was clarified with Ground Control after several transmissions back and forth as we could not pick up J146 at 'KEATN' Intersection. Then the Ground Controller finally gave us the VOR identifier 'ETG' and the correct fixes were entered into our FMS. The flight was flown without any problems. Recommend changing the name of one of the intersection 'KEATN' to avoid confusion with the VOR (ETG) KEATING.
A pilot departing a CLE area airport eastbound received a verbal route clearance which included KEATING (ETG) along J146 and confused it with the similar sounding; nearby KEATN Intersection.