Narrative:

It all started with a pre departure clearance on the ramp in mia. The pre departure clearance read on the ACARS exactly as follows: 'equipment medium large transport squawk XXXX altitude 33000 ft - mia orl J-53 crg J-51 sav J-55 chs j- 165 J-109 ./. Phl mia 5 departure - maintain 5000 ft expect requested altitude 10 mins after departure. Departure control frequency 119.45, ground control frequency 121.2 - squawk XXXX pre departure clearance valid until XA15Z end of message.' at the gate in mia, I debated with the first officer 'what does ./. Phl mean on the pre departure clearance after J-109?' we then decided we would verify our routing with ARTCC as we were proceeding north of chs. Well, I've been previously flying a lot from pbi and mco to phl and been using the cedar lake 4 arrival but mia our company had filed the dupont 3 arrival. However, without the pre departure clearance showing nothing but './. Phl' it was easy to be distracted by redundant train of thought and assume chs route was going to orf and the (vcn.VCN4) arrival to phl instead of the (ott.DPNT3). It was 100 NM northeast of J-121 that I said to the first officer to remind him to confirm with ATC the './. Phl' from the pre departure clearance clearance and at that moment I said 'we're on the wrong airway' and as I picked the microphone up to transmit to, I believe atl center and tell them, and also request a correction to the routing, just before I was going to transmit, center asked us the same. Immediately, I concurred and asked for a correction. They began a transmission and just a blurp and stopped. A 5-10 second pause occurred and center reclred us present heading and fly j- 121 sie cedar lake 4 arrival. The way over orf we anticipated by accident. Obviously there was no conflict. No traffic clashes. 100 NM gone unnoticed and routine and amendment to routing cleared us to proceed on J-121 comfortably toward orf. Still don't know what './. Phl' means. Suggest this be corrected on pre departure clearance's or information passed on to flcs if this means something important or was this just a computer error?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLEW WRONG AIRWAY FROM CHS, J121 RATHER THAN J165.

Narrative: IT ALL STARTED WITH A PDC ON THE RAMP IN MIA. THE PDC READ ON THE ACARS EXACTLY AS FOLLOWS: 'EQUIP MLG SQUAWK XXXX ALT 33000 FT - MIA ORL J-53 CRG J-51 SAV J-55 CHS J- 165 J-109 ./. PHL MIA 5 DEP - MAINTAIN 5000 FT EXPECT REQUESTED ALT 10 MINS AFTER DEP. DEP CTL FREQ 119.45, GND CTL FREQ 121.2 - SQUAWK XXXX PDC VALID UNTIL XA15Z END OF MESSAGE.' AT THE GATE IN MIA, I DEBATED WITH THE FO 'WHAT DOES ./. PHL MEAN ON THE PDC AFTER J-109?' WE THEN DECIDED WE WOULD VERIFY OUR ROUTING WITH ARTCC AS WE WERE PROCEEDING N OF CHS. WELL, I'VE BEEN PREVIOUSLY FLYING A LOT FROM PBI AND MCO TO PHL AND BEEN USING THE CEDAR LAKE 4 ARR BUT MIA OUR COMPANY HAD FILED THE DUPONT 3 ARR. HOWEVER, WITHOUT THE PDC SHOWING NOTHING BUT './. PHL' IT WAS EASY TO BE DISTRACTED BY REDUNDANT TRAIN OF THOUGHT AND ASSUME CHS RTE WAS GOING TO ORF AND THE (VCN.VCN4) ARR TO PHL INSTEAD OF THE (OTT.DPNT3). IT WAS 100 NM NE OF J-121 THAT I SAID TO THE FO TO REMIND HIM TO CONFIRM WITH ATC THE './. PHL' FROM THE PDC CLRNC AND AT THAT MOMENT I SAID 'WE'RE ON THE WRONG AIRWAY' AND AS I PICKED THE MIKE UP TO XMIT TO, I BELIEVE ATL CTR AND TELL THEM, AND ALSO REQUEST A CORRECTION TO THE ROUTING, JUST BEFORE I WAS GOING TO XMIT, CTR ASKED US THE SAME. IMMEDIATELY, I CONCURRED AND ASKED FOR A CORRECTION. THEY BEGAN A XMISSION AND JUST A BLURP AND STOPPED. A 5-10 SECOND PAUSE OCCURRED AND CTR RECLRED US PRESENT HDG AND FLY J- 121 SIE CEDAR LAKE 4 ARR. THE WAY OVER ORF WE ANTICIPATED BY ACCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS NO CONFLICT. NO TFC CLASHES. 100 NM GONE UNNOTICED AND ROUTINE AND AMENDMENT TO ROUTING CLRED US TO PROCEED ON J-121 COMFORTABLY TOWARD ORF. STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT './. PHL' MEANS. SUGGEST THIS BE CORRECTED ON PDC'S OR INFO PASSED ON TO FLCS IF THIS MEANS SOMETHING IMPORTANT OR WAS THIS JUST A COMPUTER 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.