Narrative:

We were scheduled to depart smf at XA30 on an IFR flight plan for sna. We filed with sac FSS via the frogo 5-FRA-derbb-fim-tandy-2-sna. We were cleared via the frogo 6, as filed, by smf ground control. We taxied at XA12 to runway 34L. We departed at XA21 and flew the frogo 5, which reads: maintain runway heading to 3000', then turn right 050 degrees to intercept the myv 125 degree right. The frogo 6 reads: maintain runway heading to 1500', turn right heading 140 degrees to intercept the myv 154 degree right. This makes for a much closer downwind departure. As we were climbing through 5500' heading 050 degrees, departure control (127.40) called and asked what heading we were flying, then who assigned it. When we began to read it from the SID, and he disagreed, quoting by # the frogo 6, we then became aware of using the wrong, outdated chart. What caused the problem, we believe, are several factors. To begin with, we hurried. Our destination was changed form sac to smf the day of the flight, and we each had already looked over the sac charts, but not smf. The PIC mentioned that he would update our commercial chart q-svc on this day, because the 8-UPDATES-cycle was complete and we now had a brand new set of charts. I pulled the existing charts earlier that day, west/O checking for updates, thinking he would find any when he installed the entire new contents. He got rid of the old and put in the new while sitting in the aircraft on the ramp at smf. Time was limited as he was running out of daylight. He completed the change, but did not compare the new smf charts to the ones I had already pulled. I filed the flight plan while he was changing charts. When I said frogo 5 to the briefer, he didn't hesitate to copy my routing verbatim. Evidently the FSS computer system automatically updates SID/STAR #south as flight plans are filed, but it would be nice if there was a warning issued to the briefer and passed along to the pilot that his intended departure # had been revised. When departure time drew near, we contacted airport ramp personnel to take us back to the aircraft. 10 mins later they arrived at gate to pick us up in the van. Ramp security is very tight at smf. No pedestrian traffic is allowed. WX was low overcast, 1 1/2 mi in light rain and fog. We got plenty wet waiting for the van at the gate, and once we arrived at the aircraft we hurried to walk around it, and anxiously awaited a gpu. When the gpu arrived, we adjusted lights, monitored ATIS and I got the clearance, reading it back as our passenger arrived. I failed to notice the departure (SID #) discrepancy. The stage had been set. After departure, to the radar controller, it must have been obvious what we were doing. He must have seen this tracking display numerous times before this chart was changed in late 8/90. He seemed more intent to pursue a Q/a guessing game rather than just issue new vectors to an obviously wayward flight crew. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter described the 'Q service' and the method his company uses to insert revisions. In effect, if a revision does not contain a page that is needed, the revision is not inserted. 7 revisions are collected and all the index sheets must be scanned to make sure a revised chart is not included. If none are, then the chart from the last complete or 'eighth' revision is used. The 'eighth' revision replaces every page in the country. When the 'eighth' revision is received, all the old pages and the last 7 revisions are discarded and replaced by the eighth revision. At that time, you have a complete brand new set of charts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX FLEW THE FROGO 5 SID USING AN OBSOLETE CHART, BUT THEY WERE CLEARED FOR THE NEW FROGO 6 SID.

Narrative: WE WERE SCHEDULED TO DEPART SMF AT XA30 ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR SNA. WE FILED WITH SAC FSS VIA THE FROGO 5-FRA-DERBB-FIM-TANDY-2-SNA. WE WERE CLRED VIA THE FROGO 6, AS FILED, BY SMF GND CTL. WE TAXIED AT XA12 TO RWY 34L. WE DEPARTED AT XA21 AND FLEW THE FROGO 5, WHICH READS: MAINTAIN RWY HDG TO 3000', THEN TURN RIGHT 050 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE MYV 125 DEG R. THE FROGO 6 READS: MAINTAIN RWY HDG TO 1500', TURN RIGHT HDG 140 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE MYV 154 DEG R. THIS MAKES FOR A MUCH CLOSER DOWNWIND DEP. AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 5500' HDG 050 DEGS, DEP CTL (127.40) CALLED AND ASKED WHAT HDG WE WERE FLYING, THEN WHO ASSIGNED IT. WHEN WE BEGAN TO READ IT FROM THE SID, AND HE DISAGREED, QUOTING BY # THE FROGO 6, WE THEN BECAME AWARE OF USING THE WRONG, OUTDATED CHART. WHAT CAUSED THE PROB, WE BELIEVE, ARE SEVERAL FACTORS. TO BEGIN WITH, WE HURRIED. OUR DEST WAS CHANGED FORM SAC TO SMF THE DAY OF THE FLT, AND WE EACH HAD ALREADY LOOKED OVER THE SAC CHARTS, BUT NOT SMF. THE PIC MENTIONED THAT HE WOULD UPDATE OUR COMMERCIAL CHART Q-SVC ON THIS DAY, BECAUSE THE 8-UPDATES-CYCLE WAS COMPLETE AND WE NOW HAD A BRAND NEW SET OF CHARTS. I PULLED THE EXISTING CHARTS EARLIER THAT DAY, W/O CHKING FOR UPDATES, THINKING HE WOULD FIND ANY WHEN HE INSTALLED THE ENTIRE NEW CONTENTS. HE GOT RID OF THE OLD AND PUT IN THE NEW WHILE SITTING IN THE ACFT ON THE RAMP AT SMF. TIME WAS LIMITED AS HE WAS RUNNING OUT OF DAYLIGHT. HE COMPLETED THE CHANGE, BUT DID NOT COMPARE THE NEW SMF CHARTS TO THE ONES I HAD ALREADY PULLED. I FILED THE FLT PLAN WHILE HE WAS CHANGING CHARTS. WHEN I SAID FROGO 5 TO THE BRIEFER, HE DIDN'T HESITATE TO COPY MY RTING VERBATIM. EVIDENTLY THE FSS COMPUTER SYS AUTOMATICALLY UPDATES SID/STAR #S AS FLT PLANS ARE FILED, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE IF THERE WAS A WARNING ISSUED TO THE BRIEFER AND PASSED ALONG TO THE PLT THAT HIS INTENDED DEP # HAD BEEN REVISED. WHEN DEP TIME DREW NEAR, WE CONTACTED ARPT RAMP PERSONNEL TO TAKE US BACK TO THE ACFT. 10 MINS LATER THEY ARRIVED AT GATE TO PICK US UP IN THE VAN. RAMP SECURITY IS VERY TIGHT AT SMF. NO PEDESTRIAN TFC IS ALLOWED. WX WAS LOW OVCST, 1 1/2 MI IN LIGHT RAIN AND FOG. WE GOT PLENTY WET WAITING FOR THE VAN AT THE GATE, AND ONCE WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT WE HURRIED TO WALK AROUND IT, AND ANXIOUSLY AWAITED A GPU. WHEN THE GPU ARRIVED, WE ADJUSTED LIGHTS, MONITORED ATIS AND I GOT THE CLRNC, READING IT BACK AS OUR PAX ARRIVED. I FAILED TO NOTICE THE DEP (SID #) DISCREPANCY. THE STAGE HAD BEEN SET. AFTER DEP, TO THE RADAR CTLR, IT MUST HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS WHAT WE WERE DOING. HE MUST HAVE SEEN THIS TRACKING DISPLAY NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE THIS CHART WAS CHANGED IN LATE 8/90. HE SEEMED MORE INTENT TO PURSUE A Q/A GUESSING GAME RATHER THAN JUST ISSUE NEW VECTORS TO AN OBVIOUSLY WAYWARD FLT CREW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR DESCRIBED THE 'Q SVC' AND THE METHOD HIS COMPANY USES TO INSERT REVISIONS. IN EFFECT, IF A REVISION DOES NOT CONTAIN A PAGE THAT IS NEEDED, THE REVISION IS NOT INSERTED. 7 REVISIONS ARE COLLECTED AND ALL THE INDEX SHEETS MUST BE SCANNED TO MAKE SURE A REVISED CHART IS NOT INCLUDED. IF NONE ARE, THEN THE CHART FROM THE LAST COMPLETE OR 'EIGHTH' REVISION IS USED. THE 'EIGHTH' REVISION REPLACES EVERY PAGE IN THE COUNTRY. WHEN THE 'EIGHTH' REVISION IS RECEIVED, ALL THE OLD PAGES AND THE LAST 7 REVISIONS ARE DISCARDED AND REPLACED BY THE EIGHTH REVISION. AT THAT TIME, YOU HAVE A COMPLETE BRAND NEW SET OF CHARTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.