Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100; Flight Crew Total 10000; Flight Crew Type 600
Confusion; Situational Awareness
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure; Chart Or Publication
I was flying to MFR. I was initially cleared SAC V23 TALEM MFR. I loaded up the G1000 using the airway feature and inputted V23 TALUM as TALEM was the first exit waypoint to show up on the flight plan screen. I did not verify my way points on the enroute chart unfortunately. As I passed the RBL VOR the Center controller advised me that I was 4 miles east of V23. I went back through the waypoints and then realized I had entered TALUM and not TALEM. Both intersections are waypoints on V23. This is very confusing as only one letter is different and they are on the same airway. Clearly I made a mistake and I should have verified the route I entered into the GPS with the chart itself. That was my mistake and I will do a better job in the future of not making that error again. But without question having two almost identical waypoints on the same airway is a recipe for this type of error.
A pilot discovered after a track deviation that he entered the incorrect waypoint; TALUM instead of TALEM. Both waypoints are located on V23.