Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Air Traffic Control Non Radar 41; Air Traffic Control Radar 40; Flight Crew Last 90 Days 55; Flight Crew Total 6800; Flight Crew Type 800
Situational Awareness; Troubleshooting; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
While being vectored at 6;000 ft was instructed direct PMPKN; climb to 11;000. I entered in the GPS data base PUMKN and turned and climbed. Within minutes controller said 'Where are you going?' I said; 'PUMKN.' He said; 'Turn to 360 and descend immediately to 6;000'.The PUMKN point is an actual fix; though different than PMPKN. I feel Chicago Controllers need to be careful assigning this fix if anyone else has done this. It was however totally my error.
Beech 90 pilot reported of similar sounding fixes. The pilot entered PUMKN; located to the west in Iowa; rather than PMPKN; north of PWK; which made Chicago TRACON question where they were going.