Light Transport
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 50; Flight Crew Total 5700; Flight Crew Type 2000
Time Pressure; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Workload
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Airspace Structure; Chart Or Publication; Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
Initial approach to ORD; [we were] inbound on BENKY 1. Receiving vectors from 'NEWRK' (ORD landing East) Runways 4R/10/9R in use. Received direct to DEVON and proceeded. Geometry looked wrong; so ATC queried. [We were] vectored to intercept Runway 4R localizer. Landing [was] uneventful. Post flight mission analysis (including ATC radio review via 'Live ATC' website) revealed Controller gave instruction to 'Direct to DEGAN.' Due to volume of radio traffic; crew heard/understood/read back 'DEVON.' 'DEGAN' is a fix on ILS Runway 4R. 'DEVON is a fix on ILS Runway 9R. [They are] too similar.
Radio was very busy with multiple 'blockages' plus a Controller in training.
While on a vector to ORD Runway 4R; a flight was cleared to DEGAN Intersection; but the crew heard DEVON which is on the ORD 9R ILS. In a busy atmosphere; confusion resulted.