Narrative:

We were proceeding northerly direct to anpu VOR. Approaching the VOR, taipei cleared us direct to bolod intersection. Captain was working radios and read back '...cleared direct bolod.' I mentioned to the captain 'I thought he said direct bulan.' rather than getting a clarification, captain told me bulan was not on our route of flight. Our carrier policy is if anyone has a question, clear it up with the controller. Things had been going really well, but, now I'm a bit uneasy because this is my first leg with this captain. I began to study my chart for more information. I then said something like: 'bolod is not in taipei's airspace, if they wanted us on B576 I think they would have cleared us to go direct salmi' (edge of taipei's airspace with naha). Captain said nothing. Shortly thereafter, taipei asked if we were on B576. Captain said yes and taipei issued a new clearance. He had in fact cleared us to bulan. We were still under radar contact and apparently separation was not lost. Other circumstances: 1) I was a substitute first officer. The other first officer and I had been swapped for no apparent reason. The previous night the captain had made the comment 'I don't know why crew scheduling is breaking our integrity. We got along fine, but I can't help but wonder if the captain would have given more credence to the regular first officer in the same situation. 2) our company normally flies on A1 over bulan. Today, however, we were flight planned on B576 over bolod to avoid WX. The international flight plan had the flight planned route, proper tail number, departure time, etc. However, it had the wrong call sign. We discovered this after the fact. But now we wonder, where did our clearance come from -- we used our call sign to get it. I wonder if someone 'helped us out' and gave us our normal route on A1. Clearance on departure was 'flight planned route' after the departure fix. Our dispatch department is looking into this. 3) our carrier's philosophy on cockpit resource management is assertiveness with respect -- didn't work in this case. I questioned the readback, then I questioned the validity of the clearance. I guess it takes a 'hammer' with some people. Unfortunately, if not tomorrow then next week or next month you have to work with that captain again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE CAPT DISAGREED WITH THE FO ON ASSIGNED DIRECT CLRNC TO INTXN. RESOLUTION OF THE DISCREPANCY WAS UNILATERALLY ACCOMPLISHED BY THE CAPT, WHO WAS WRONG. THE WHOLE FLT PLAN WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE CREW WAS USING.

Narrative: WE WERE PROCEEDING NORTHERLY DIRECT TO ANPU VOR. APCHING THE VOR, TAIPEI CLRED US DIRECT TO BOLOD INTXN. CAPT WAS WORKING RADIOS AND READ BACK '...CLRED DIRECT BOLOD.' I MENTIONED TO THE CAPT 'I THOUGHT HE SAID DIRECT BULAN.' RATHER THAN GETTING A CLARIFICATION, CAPT TOLD ME BULAN WAS NOT ON OUR RTE OF FLT. OUR CARRIER POLICY IS IF ANYONE HAS A QUESTION, CLR IT UP WITH THE CTLR. THINGS HAD BEEN GOING REALLY WELL, BUT, NOW I'M A BIT UNEASY BECAUSE THIS IS MY FIRST LEG WITH THIS CAPT. I BEGAN TO STUDY MY CHART FOR MORE INFO. I THEN SAID SOMETHING LIKE: 'BOLOD IS NOT IN TAIPEI'S AIRSPACE, IF THEY WANTED US ON B576 I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE CLRED US TO GO DIRECT SALMI' (EDGE OF TAIPEI'S AIRSPACE WITH NAHA). CAPT SAID NOTHING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, TAIPEI ASKED IF WE WERE ON B576. CAPT SAID YES AND TAIPEI ISSUED A NEW CLRNC. HE HAD IN FACT CLRED US TO BULAN. WE WERE STILL UNDER RADAR CONTACT AND APPARENTLY SEPARATION WAS NOT LOST. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES: 1) I WAS A SUBSTITUTE FO. THE OTHER FO AND I HAD BEEN SWAPPED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE PREVIOUS NIGHT THE CAPT HAD MADE THE COMMENT 'I DON'T KNOW WHY CREW SCHEDULING IS BREAKING OUR INTEGRITY. WE GOT ALONG FINE, BUT I CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER IF THE CAPT WOULD HAVE GIVEN MORE CREDENCE TO THE REGULAR FO IN THE SAME SIT. 2) OUR COMPANY NORMALLY FLIES ON A1 OVER BULAN. TODAY, HOWEVER, WE WERE FLT PLANNED ON B576 OVER BOLOD TO AVOID WX. THE INTL FLT PLAN HAD THE FLT PLANNED RTE, PROPER TAIL NUMBER, DEP TIME, ETC. HOWEVER, IT HAD THE WRONG CALL SIGN. WE DISCOVERED THIS AFTER THE FACT. BUT NOW WE WONDER, WHERE DID OUR CLRNC COME FROM -- WE USED OUR CALL SIGN TO GET IT. I WONDER IF SOMEONE 'HELPED US OUT' AND GAVE US OUR NORMAL RTE ON A1. CLRNC ON DEP WAS 'FLT PLANNED RTE' AFTER THE DEP FIX. OUR DISPATCH DEPT IS LOOKING INTO THIS. 3) OUR CARRIER'S PHILOSOPHY ON COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT IS ASSERTIVENESS WITH RESPECT -- DIDN'T WORK IN THIS CASE. I QUESTIONED THE READBACK, THEN I QUESTIONED THE VALIDITY OF THE CLRNC. I GUESS IT TAKES A 'HAMMER' WITH SOME PEOPLE. UNFORTUNATELY, IF NOT TOMORROW THEN NEXT WK OR NEXT MONTH YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH THAT CAPT AGAIN.

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.