Narrative:

Departing from las. Copilot was flying. We were flying the mead 8 SID and had just passed 4000 ft and were turning direct to bld (RNAV) when departure control asked our heading. I told them we were turning to bld. Departure control then informed us (in a nice manner) that we should be flying a heading of 060 degrees as directed in our pre departure clearance. We turned back to a 060 degree heading and I double-checked the pre departure clearance. Sure enough, at the very bottom was 'turn right heading 060 vector mead 8.' I told departure control of the 060 degree heading on the bottom of the pre departure clearance, but that it was confusing and he agreed stating that 'they were having problems with this departure clearance and were trying to solve it.' I asked if there was a conflict and he said, 'no, but during busy times there could be.' since this was the first time that both the copilot and I had been to las in quite some time we both missed the 060 degree heading on the pre departure clearance and even after discussing this clearance we still had questions about it. I suggest that a pre departure clearance clearance like this might read: cleared as filed las mead 8 -- except, heading 060 degrees vectors pgs J-86, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT FAILED TO FOLLOW THEIR PDC DURING DEP RESULTING IN ATC INTERVENTION.

Narrative: DEPARTING FROM LAS. COPLT WAS FLYING. WE WERE FLYING THE MEAD 8 SID AND HAD JUST PASSED 4000 FT AND WERE TURNING DIRECT TO BLD (RNAV) WHEN DEP CTL ASKED OUR HDG. I TOLD THEM WE WERE TURNING TO BLD. DEP CTL THEN INFORMED US (IN A NICE MANNER) THAT WE SHOULD BE FLYING A HDG OF 060 DEGS AS DIRECTED IN OUR PDC. WE TURNED BACK TO A 060 DEG HDG AND I DOUBLE-CHKED THE PDC. SURE ENOUGH, AT THE VERY BOTTOM WAS 'TURN R HDG 060 VECTOR MEAD 8.' I TOLD DEP CTL OF THE 060 DEG HDG ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PDC, BUT THAT IT WAS CONFUSING AND HE AGREED STATING THAT 'THEY WERE HAVING PROBS WITH THIS DEP CLRNC AND WERE TRYING TO SOLVE IT.' I ASKED IF THERE WAS A CONFLICT AND HE SAID, 'NO, BUT DURING BUSY TIMES THERE COULD BE.' SINCE THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT BOTH THE COPLT AND I HAD BEEN TO LAS IN QUITE SOME TIME WE BOTH MISSED THE 060 DEG HDG ON THE PDC AND EVEN AFTER DISCUSSING THIS CLRNC WE STILL HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. I SUGGEST THAT A PDC CLRNC LIKE THIS MIGHT READ: CLRED AS FILED LAS MEAD 8 -- EXCEPT, HDG 060 DEGS VECTORS PGS J-86, ETC.

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.