B737-800
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150
Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Procedure; Manuals; Human Factors; Company Policy; Chart Or Publication
We were cleared to NRRLI and cleared to descend via the SERFR 3. I selected NARWL in the FMC and then Captain verified the fix but we both missed the error. I then selected 6;000 feet in the altitude selector. After three or four minutes; Center called and said '(Call sign)?' We replied and then he said we were off course and sent us to WWAVS intersection and told us to descend to 20;000 feet and contact another Center. We did have the new Controller pass on our error.
The Controller cleared us direct NRRLI with an altitude assignment and the SERFR3 Arrival. We programmed the FMC and thought we had done it correctly. A few minutes later; he cleared us to WWAVS and gave an altitude and a new frequency. He said it would have been easier if we had just gone to NRRLI. After investigation; we saw that we were going direct NARWL instead of NRRLI.Need to change one of those names on the SERFR Arrival. Until then; controllers and pilots both need to overemphasize the correct fix to reduce confusion (similar to what we do when similar call signs are on the frequency).
B737-800 flight crew reported similar named fixes NARWL and NRRLI on the same RNAV arrival caused confusion and led to course deviation.