Narrative:

Departed portland international via river five SID at 0154 on jun/xx/94. Cleared to 13000 ft by portland departure. Passing 10000 ft the first officer, who was flying, accelerated to 300 KTS, our normal climb speed. At 13000 ft he accelerated to 320 KTS in anticipation of further climb clearance. As we were handed off to ZSE, the departure controller said to 'resume normal speed.' upon contacting seattle, we were cleared to climb and also told by him to 'resume normal speed.' neither controller asked us what our speed was. I asked the first officer if we had previously been given a speed restr since we were both puzzled by what we had been told. First officer said no. During climb, I looked at the SID again to see if something had been missed. Sure enough, in the top section of the river five SID under the minimum climb gradient requirements, it says 'do not exceed 250 KIAS until advised.' I have enclosed a copy of the plate as #1 after level off, I looked at other sids. I noticed the mountain 3 out of seattle has an identical 250 KT speed restr, but it is placed in the takeoff restrs for the particular runway in use and not in the climb gradient section. A copy of this plate is #2. Reviewing other sids, it appears some information presentations are standardized and some are not. The word 'maintain' is printed in bold type to draw attention to altitude restrs. The word 'expect' is underlined to draw attention to it. Direction of turns (left/right) are printed in all capital letters. Judging from our experience, I know that, while SID information is highly standardized, the level of standardization is not 100%. We would not have missed the 250 KT speed restr on the river five SID if it had been located in the takeoff section. Since this is where altitude and heading assignments are located, speed assignments should be placed there as well. Also, just as the word 'maintain' is highlighted so it will not be missed, perhaps the words 'do not' when used in conjunction with a restr ('do not exceed...') should also be highlighted in some fashion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FREIGHTER AIRCREW MISSED A SPD RESTR ON A SID.

Narrative: DEPARTED PORTLAND INTL VIA RIVER FIVE SID AT 0154 ON JUN/XX/94. CLRED TO 13000 FT BY PORTLAND DEP. PASSING 10000 FT THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING, ACCELERATED TO 300 KTS, OUR NORMAL CLB SPD. AT 13000 FT HE ACCELERATED TO 320 KTS IN ANTICIPATION OF FURTHER CLB CLRNC. AS WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZSE, THE DEP CTLR SAID TO 'RESUME NORMAL SPD.' UPON CONTACTING SEATTLE, WE WERE CLRED TO CLB AND ALSO TOLD BY HIM TO 'RESUME NORMAL SPD.' NEITHER CTLR ASKED US WHAT OUR SPD WAS. I ASKED THE FO IF WE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN GIVEN A SPD RESTR SINCE WE WERE BOTH PUZZLED BY WHAT WE HAD BEEN TOLD. FO SAID NO. DURING CLB, I LOOKED AT THE SID AGAIN TO SEE IF SOMETHING HAD BEEN MISSED. SURE ENOUGH, IN THE TOP SECTION OF THE RIVER FIVE SID UNDER THE MINIMUM CLB GRADIENT REQUIREMENTS, IT SAYS 'DO NOT EXCEED 250 KIAS UNTIL ADVISED.' I HAVE ENCLOSED A COPY OF THE PLATE AS #1 AFTER LEVEL OFF, I LOOKED AT OTHER SIDS. I NOTICED THE MOUNTAIN 3 OUT OF SEATTLE HAS AN IDENTICAL 250 KT SPD RESTR, BUT IT IS PLACED IN THE TKOF RESTRS FOR THE PARTICULAR RWY IN USE AND NOT IN THE CLB GRADIENT SECTION. A COPY OF THIS PLATE IS #2. REVIEWING OTHER SIDS, IT APPEARS SOME INFO PRESENTATIONS ARE STANDARDIZED AND SOME ARE NOT. THE WORD 'MAINTAIN' IS PRINTED IN BOLD TYPE TO DRAW ATTN TO ALT RESTRS. THE WORD 'EXPECT' IS UNDERLINED TO DRAW ATTN TO IT. DIRECTION OF TURNS (L/R) ARE PRINTED IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. JUDGING FROM OUR EXPERIENCE, I KNOW THAT, WHILE SID INFO IS HIGHLY STANDARDIZED, THE LEVEL OF STANDARDIZATION IS NOT 100%. WE WOULD NOT HAVE MISSED THE 250 KT SPD RESTR ON THE RIVER FIVE SID IF IT HAD BEEN LOCATED IN THE TKOF SECTION. SINCE THIS IS WHERE ALT AND HDG ASSIGNMENTS ARE LOCATED, SPD ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE PLACED THERE AS WELL. ALSO, JUST AS THE WORD 'MAINTAIN' IS HIGHLIGHTED SO IT WILL NOT BE MISSED, PERHAPS THE WORDS 'DO NOT' WHEN USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A RESTR ('DO NOT EXCEED...') SHOULD ALSO BE HIGHLIGHTED IN SOME FASHION.

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.