Narrative:

Flight klax to kpit. ACARS delivered clearance read: '-loop 9 dag- lax laxxi dag J146 - iow J60 jot J146 J34 djb aco pit.' both captain and first officer read ACARS screen, looking for and finding 'lax laxxi dab...', which was the filed routing as reported to flight crew by dispatch via computer printout. Neither captain nor first officer noticed the somewhat hidden amendment '-loop 9 dag-' on the cockpit ACARS screen. After takeoff, lax departure control told me to stand by for a left turn back to lax VOR for the loop 9 departure. I asked for first officer to question departure control's interpretation as to how we were rted, thinking we were headed for sli VOR, dag transition. Obviously, I was wrong. We were under radar vectoring at all times, and there were no deviations. A) my airline makes no apparent effort to mate flcs with a min number of aircraft changes during the work day, which may be as long as 14 hours with 4 legs, and 3 different aircraft. Each aircraft must be preflted completely, the cockpit cleaned, set up, and checklists run, and always under strictly limited time constraints. If we had to preflight fewer airplanes during the day, more care could be taken in dotting the 'I's.' airplane scheduling should more closely follow the flight crew's schedule of flts. B) an amendment to a previously printed, and delivered to the flight crew clearance should clearly be indicated as such, i.e., use of the term 'amendment' and not delivered to the aircraft still including the part of the clearance that has been changed, deleted, amended, etc. C) give me strength.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC MISREADS CLRNC. CONFUSED.

Narrative: FLT KLAX TO KPIT. ACARS DELIVERED CLRNC READ: '-LOOP 9 DAG- LAX LAXXI DAG J146 - IOW J60 JOT J146 J34 DJB ACO PIT.' BOTH CAPT AND FO READ ACARS SCREEN, LOOKING FOR AND FINDING 'LAX LAXXI DAB...', WHICH WAS THE FILED RTING AS RPTED TO FLC BY DISPATCH VIA COMPUTER PRINTOUT. NEITHER CAPT NOR FO NOTICED THE SOMEWHAT HIDDEN AMENDMENT '-LOOP 9 DAG-' ON THE COCKPIT ACARS SCREEN. AFTER TKOF, LAX DEP CTL TOLD ME TO STAND BY FOR A L TURN BACK TO LAX VOR FOR THE LOOP 9 DEP. I ASKED FOR FO TO QUESTION DEP CTL'S INTERP AS TO HOW WE WERE RTED, THINKING WE WERE HEADED FOR SLI VOR, DAG TRANSITION. OBVIOUSLY, I WAS WRONG. WE WERE UNDER RADAR VECTORING AT ALL TIMES, AND THERE WERE NO DEVS. A) MY AIRLINE MAKES NO APPARENT EFFORT TO MATE FLCS WITH A MIN NUMBER OF ACFT CHANGES DURING THE WORK DAY, WHICH MAY BE AS LONG AS 14 HRS WITH 4 LEGS, AND 3 DIFFERENT ACFT. EACH ACFT MUST BE PREFLTED COMPLETELY, THE COCKPIT CLEANED, SET UP, AND CHKLISTS RUN, AND ALWAYS UNDER STRICTLY LIMITED TIME CONSTRAINTS. IF WE HAD TO PREFLT FEWER AIRPLANES DURING THE DAY, MORE CARE COULD BE TAKEN IN DOTTING THE 'I'S.' AIRPLANE SCHEDULING SHOULD MORE CLOSELY FOLLOW THE FLC'S SCHEDULE OF FLTS. B) AN AMENDMENT TO A PREVIOUSLY PRINTED, AND DELIVERED TO THE FLC CLRNC SHOULD CLRLY BE INDICATED AS SUCH, I.E., USE OF THE TERM 'AMENDMENT' AND NOT DELIVERED TO THE ACFT STILL INCLUDING THE PART OF THE CLRNC THAT HAS BEEN CHANGED, DELETED, AMENDED, ETC. C) GIVE ME STRENGTH.

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.