Narrative:

Here is some information about the ambiguous ATC clearance that we received through ACARS (commercial data link system). I would appreciate a copy of what your system showed for our routing and some feedback on possible solutions. Departure clearance: flight air carrier X sea-san. Company identification sea. Transponder SUMMA3 departure. Maintain 9000 ft expect requested altitude 15 NM after takeoff. Do not exceed 250 KTS until advised. Contact departure control on 120.4. SUMMA3 J5 powel lmt - summa J5 powel lmt. Sea J189 ave J1./.san. We happened to have a san diego approach controller in the cockpit jumpseat at the time who is fluent in speaking clrncs. The captain and I as copilot have 48 yrs of flying experience between the 2 of us and among the 3 of us we got 3 different opinions on what we were cleared for, hence my call back to clearance delivery for a full route clearance readback to clarify. The confusion was caused by the duplication of the routing from 'summa J5 powel lmt' and the difference between that and what we filed, 'sea J189 ave J1./.san'. If the clearance were flown point to point we would fly the SUMMA3 departure to summa then J5 to powel, lmt then back to summa to join J5 to powel, lmt and then back to sea, J189, ave, J1, etc. Taken literally, that's what it said on the paper. I would like to recommend the following to whomever can change the system. 1) the departure clearance message should print out only what we are cleared to fly, not what was previously filed but changed, and not preferred rtings for future reference. Had the departure clearance printed 'SUMMA3.summa J5 powel lmt J189 ave J1 lax CARDI2.san' it would have been very clear what we were cleared for.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FO'S COMPLAINT ABOUT WHAT HE CONSIDERS AN AMBIGUOUS CLRNC RECEIVED VIA ACARS BEFORE DEP FROM SEA.

Narrative: HERE IS SOME INFO ABOUT THE AMBIGUOUS ATC CLRNC THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGH ACARS (COMMERCIAL DATA LINK SYS). I WOULD APPRECIATE A COPY OF WHAT YOUR SYS SHOWED FOR OUR RTING AND SOME FEEDBACK ON POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS. DEP CLRNC: FLT ACR X SEA-SAN. COMPANY ID SEA. TRANSPONDER SUMMA3 DEP. MAINTAIN 9000 FT EXPECT REQUESTED ALT 15 NM AFTER TKOF. DO NOT EXCEED 250 KTS UNTIL ADVISED. CONTACT DEP CTL ON 120.4. SUMMA3 J5 POWEL LMT - SUMMA J5 POWEL LMT. SEA J189 AVE J1./.SAN. WE HAPPENED TO HAVE A SAN DIEGO APCH CTLR IN THE COCKPIT JUMPSEAT AT THE TIME WHO IS FLUENT IN SPEAKING CLRNCS. THE CAPT AND I AS COPLT HAVE 48 YRS OF FLYING EXPERIENCE BTWN THE 2 OF US AND AMONG THE 3 OF US WE GOT 3 DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON WHAT WE WERE CLRED FOR, HENCE MY CALL BACK TO CLRNC DELIVERY FOR A FULL RTE CLRNC READBACK TO CLARIFY. THE CONFUSION WAS CAUSED BY THE DUPLICATION OF THE RTING FROM 'SUMMA J5 POWEL LMT' AND THE DIFFERENCE BTWN THAT AND WHAT WE FILED, 'SEA J189 AVE J1./.SAN'. IF THE CLRNC WERE FLOWN POINT TO POINT WE WOULD FLY THE SUMMA3 DEP TO SUMMA THEN J5 TO POWEL, LMT THEN BACK TO SUMMA TO JOIN J5 TO POWEL, LMT AND THEN BACK TO SEA, J189, AVE, J1, ETC. TAKEN LITERALLY, THAT'S WHAT IT SAID ON THE PAPER. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING TO WHOMEVER CAN CHANGE THE SYS. 1) THE DEP CLRNC MESSAGE SHOULD PRINT OUT ONLY WHAT WE ARE CLRED TO FLY, NOT WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY FILED BUT CHANGED, AND NOT PREFERRED RTINGS FOR FUTURE REF. HAD THE DEP CLRNC PRINTED 'SUMMA3.SUMMA J5 POWEL LMT J189 AVE J1 LAX CARDI2.SAN' IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY CLR WHAT WE WERE CLRED FOR.

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.