Confusing clearance phraseology invites a route deviation.

Attributes
ACN	237111
Time
Date	199303
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mci
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	237111
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

We received the following ambiguous clearance from kmci clearance delivery: cleared to atl, lakes 1 departure, razorback transition to butler (bum), springfield (sgf), walnut ridge (arg), memphis (mem) as filed. According to ground control the intent of this clearance was to send us over the following route: mkc/bum/sgf/arg/mem thus bypassing neosho (eos) and razorback (rzc). The wording of this clearance may be technically correct, but it allows for misinterp. If we had not questioned our routing we would have flown over both eos and rzc. The ground controller admitted that she had received numerous complaints over this and similar phraseology on other kmci sids, but that the wording was ATC directed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSING CLRNC PHRASEOLOGY INVITES A RTE DEV.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING AMBIGUOUS CLRNC FROM KMCI CLRNC DELIVERY: CLRED TO ATL, LAKES 1 DEP, RAZORBACK TRANSITION TO BUTLER (BUM), SPRINGFIELD (SGF), WALNUT RIDGE (ARG), MEMPHIS (MEM) AS FILED. ACCORDING TO GND CTL THE INTENT OF THIS CLRNC WAS TO SEND US OVER THE FOLLOWING RTE: MKC/BUM/SGF/ARG/MEM THUS BYPASSING NEOSHO (EOS) AND RAZORBACK (RZC). THE WORDING OF THIS CLRNC MAY BE TECHNICALLY CORRECT, BUT IT ALLOWS FOR MISINTERP. IF WE HAD NOT QUESTIONED OUR ROUTING WE WOULD HAVE FLOWN OVER BOTH EOS AND RZC. THE GND CTLR ADMITTED THAT SHE HAD RECEIVED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OVER THIS AND SIMILAR PHRASEOLOGY ON OTHER KMCI SIDS, BUT THAT THE WORDING WAS ATC DIRECTED.

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.