Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff by las tower and shortly after liftoff tower said 'you can start your turn to 070 degrees.' this was prior to the DME specified by the mead 8 departure. At 4000 ft MSL, I initiated a turn to bld VOR per the mead 8. Las departure queried us as to why we deviated from 070 degree heading and we responded that we were flying the mead 8. He said that was not our clearance and directed an immediate turn to 020 degrees. Shortly afterwards he cleared us direct bld mead 8. Upon examination of the pre-departure clearance we saw a clearance for 060 degree turn after takeoff at the very bottom of the page. Above, highlighted with an asterisked border was 'cleared as filed -- mead 8 pgs J72 txo turki boids 2 dfw.' the corner drew our attention and the actual clearance was in another area, almost as though an afterthought. This led to our perception that we were cleared as filed with an early turn by las tower. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting first officer states that his company has sent out bulletins telling the crews to pay particular attention to the airways clearance which will be found within an asterisk box. The reporter did this, completely missing the 'expect vectors after takeoff' message at the bottom of the pre-departure clearance. Neither ground control nor tower made any mention of the vector heading prior to takeoff. There was inbound traffic that was becoming a problem to the departure controller until the turn was started. The asterisk box contained the words 'cleared as filed' which meant a SID rather than a vector heading. The reporter has not seen anything from the FAA regarding this incident. Supplemental information from acn 237943: pre-departure clearance stated at the very bottom to turn right 060 degrees for vector to mead 8. The main text of the pre-departure clearance said 'cleared as filed -- las meads 8 pgs.' neither tower nor departure control reinforced the fact that we were on a vector heading. We should have paid more attention to the note at the bottom of the pre-departure clearance and discussed it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG PLT MISREAD HIS PREDEP CLRNC AND FAILED TO NOTE A VECTOR HDG INSTEAD OF A SID.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF BY LAS TWR AND SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF TWR SAID 'YOU CAN START YOUR TURN TO 070 DEGS.' THIS WAS PRIOR TO THE DME SPECIFIED BY THE MEAD 8 DEP. AT 4000 FT MSL, I INITIATED A TURN TO BLD VOR PER THE MEAD 8. LAS DEP QUERIED US AS TO WHY WE DEVIATED FROM 070 DEG HDG AND WE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE FLYING THE MEAD 8. HE SAID THAT WAS NOT OUR CLRNC AND DIRECTED AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 020 DEGS. SHORTLY AFTERWARDS HE CLRED US DIRECT BLD MEAD 8. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE PRE-DEP CLRNC WE SAW A CLRNC FOR 060 DEG TURN AFTER TKOF AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. ABOVE, HIGHLIGHTED WITH AN ASTERISKED BORDER WAS 'CLRED AS FILED -- MEAD 8 PGS J72 TXO TURKI BOIDS 2 DFW.' THE CORNER DREW OUR ATTN AND THE ACTUAL CLRNC WAS IN ANOTHER AREA, ALMOST AS THOUGH AN AFTERTHOUGHT. THIS LED TO OUR PERCEPTION THAT WE WERE CLRED AS FILED WITH AN EARLY TURN BY LAS TWR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FO STATES THAT HIS COMPANY HAS SENT OUT BULLETINS TELLING THE CREWS TO PAY PARTICULAR ATTN TO THE AIRWAYS CLRNC WHICH WILL BE FOUND WITHIN AN ASTERISK BOX. THE RPTR DID THIS, COMPLETELY MISSING THE 'EXPECT VECTORS AFTER TKOF' MESSAGE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PRE-DEP CLRNC. NEITHER GND CTL NOR TWR MADE ANY MENTION OF THE VECTOR HDG PRIOR TO TKOF. THERE WAS INBOUND TFC THAT WAS BECOMING A PROB TO THE DEP CTLR UNTIL THE TURN WAS STARTED. THE ASTERISK BOX CONTAINED THE WORDS 'CLRED AS FILED' WHICH MEANT A SID RATHER THAN A VECTOR HDG. THE RPTR HAS NOT SEEN ANYTHING FROM THE FAA REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 237943: PRE-DEP CLRNC STATED AT THE VERY BOTTOM TO TURN R 060 DEGS FOR VECTOR TO MEAD 8. THE MAIN TEXT OF THE PRE-DEP CLRNC SAID 'CLRED AS FILED -- LAS MEADS 8 PGS.' NEITHER TWR NOR DEP CTL REINFORCED THE FACT THAT WE WERE ON A VECTOR HDG. WE SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO THE NOTE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PRE-DEP CLRNC AND DISCUSSED IT.

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.