Narrative:

We received ATC clearance via ACARS printer 20 mins prior to an AM30 local scheduled departure from phl. I read it off to captain as 'phl 5 to pottstown climb to 5000 ft' which was acknowledged. Pushback to takeoff was just 9 mins, there being no field traffic. Time from beginning of taxi to beginning of takeoff roll was probably less than 4 mins. After start, load receipt and verification and before takeoff checklists were accomplished. Captain was making the departure and briefed 'runway heading to pottstown' climbing to 5000 ft. He stated later that he said he was turning to pottstown at 2000 ft which I did not hear. This was off an old 'pottstown departure' which was clipped to his side window clipboard (departure dated 1972 and no longer in use). After takeoff he called for cleanup at approximately 1000 ft AGL. For the first officer, this is all cross cockpit activity -- 'fl change, set speed, flaps 5, climb power.' tower switched us to departure at approximately 1500 ft at about captain's call for flaps 1. He (captain) also asked for direct pottstown in the FMC and began a slow turn to the left which I did not observe being in the 'heads down' mode on the FMC and IMC outside. At flaps up (approximately 3000-4000 ft) I contacted departure which immediately queried 'what's your heading.' upon looking at my expanded HSI display I saw us going through a 045 degree heading and assumed I missed a turn clearance to ptw and said 'turning to pottstown.' ATC advised of traffic in the turn at 4000 and that no such clearance had been issued. At this time we were leveling at 5000 ft. We were told to maintain 035 degree heading until clear of traffic. No traffic was observed on TCASII. This deviation occurred due to a chain of events starting with the short taxi. Besides running all checklists, handling ATC and company communication, the first officer must also verify load closeout with the release and the init data on fuel on the init page and the takeoff page as well as listen to the captain's briefing. As this was a 'no brainer' departure, runway heading to 5000, I obviously wasn't concentrating hard enough on the captain's briefing. Add an out of date departure procedure which I was not privy to and a deviation is almost guaranteed to occur. The workload after takeoff is very high when the aircraft is being hand flown. The PF verbally controls the AFDS through the PNF, taking him out of the monitor loop. From now on when I receive and read off the ATC clearance, I am going to physically hold out the departure procedure so the captain can see what I think we are going to do. Supplemental information from acn 203792: I had failed to remove the obsolete SID from my manual. I failed to check the title of the SID. Although I had briefed the turn at 2000 ft MSL, the first officer failed to catch my error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV ON DEP PROC.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED ATC CLRNC VIA ACARS PRINTER 20 MINS PRIOR TO AN AM30 LCL SCHEDULED DEP FROM PHL. I READ IT OFF TO CAPT AS 'PHL 5 TO POTTSTOWN CLB TO 5000 FT' WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED. PUSHBACK TO TKOF WAS JUST 9 MINS, THERE BEING NO FIELD TFC. TIME FROM BEGINNING OF TAXI TO BEGINNING OF TKOF ROLL WAS PROBABLY LESS THAN 4 MINS. AFTER START, LOAD RECEIPT AND VERIFICATION AND BEFORE TKOF CHKLISTS WERE ACCOMPLISHED. CAPT WAS MAKING THE DEP AND BRIEFED 'RWY HDG TO POTTSTOWN' CLBING TO 5000 FT. HE STATED LATER THAT HE SAID HE WAS TURNING TO POTTSTOWN AT 2000 FT WHICH I DID NOT HEAR. THIS WAS OFF AN OLD 'POTTSTOWN DEP' WHICH WAS CLIPPED TO HIS SIDE WINDOW CLIPBOARD (DEP DATED 1972 AND NO LONGER IN USE). AFTER TKOF HE CALLED FOR CLEANUP AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL. FOR THE FO, THIS IS ALL CROSS COCKPIT ACTIVITY -- 'FL CHANGE, SET SPD, FLAPS 5, CLB PWR.' TWR SWITCHED US TO DEP AT APPROX 1500 FT AT ABOUT CAPT'S CALL FOR FLAPS 1. HE (CAPT) ALSO ASKED FOR DIRECT POTTSTOWN IN THE FMC AND BEGAN A SLOW TURN TO THE L WHICH I DID NOT OBSERVE BEING IN THE 'HEADS DOWN' MODE ON THE FMC AND IMC OUTSIDE. AT FLAPS UP (APPROX 3000-4000 FT) I CONTACTED DEP WHICH IMMEDIATELY QUERIED 'WHAT'S YOUR HDG.' UPON LOOKING AT MY EXPANDED HSI DISPLAY I SAW US GOING THROUGH A 045 DEG HDG AND ASSUMED I MISSED A TURN CLRNC TO PTW AND SAID 'TURNING TO POTTSTOWN.' ATC ADVISED OF TFC IN THE TURN AT 4000 AND THAT NO SUCH CLRNC HAD BEEN ISSUED. AT THIS TIME WE WERE LEVELING AT 5000 FT. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 035 DEG HDG UNTIL CLR OF TFC. NO TFC WAS OBSERVED ON TCASII. THIS DEV OCCURRED DUE TO A CHAIN OF EVENTS STARTING WITH THE SHORT TAXI. BESIDES RUNNING ALL CHKLISTS, HANDLING ATC AND COMPANY COM, THE FO MUST ALSO VERIFY LOAD CLOSEOUT WITH THE RELEASE AND THE INIT DATA ON FUEL ON THE INIT PAGE AND THE TKOF PAGE AS WELL AS LISTEN TO THE CAPT'S BRIEFING. AS THIS WAS A 'NO BRAINER' DEP, RWY HDG TO 5000, I OBVIOUSLY WASN'T CONCENTRATING HARD ENOUGH ON THE CAPT'S BRIEFING. ADD AN OUT OF DATE DEP PROC WHICH I WAS NOT PRIVY TO AND A DEV IS ALMOST GUARANTEED TO OCCUR. THE WORKLOAD AFTER TKOF IS VERY HIGH WHEN THE ACFT IS BEING HAND FLOWN. THE PF VERBALLY CTLS THE AFDS THROUGH THE PNF, TAKING HIM OUT OF THE MONITOR LOOP. FROM NOW ON WHEN I RECEIVE AND READ OFF THE ATC CLRNC, I AM GOING TO PHYSICALLY HOLD OUT THE DEP PROC SO THE CAPT CAN SEE WHAT I THINK WE ARE GOING TO DO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 203792: I HAD FAILED TO REMOVE THE OBSOLETE SID FROM MY MANUAL. I FAILED TO CHK THE TITLE OF THE SID. ALTHOUGH I HAD BRIEFED THE TURN AT 2000 FT MSL, THE FO FAILED TO CATCH MY ERROR.

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.