Narrative:

At the cologne-bonn airport, clearance is issued upon taxi out. I was having problems with my headset. I wasn't plugged in when clearance came in. I plugged back in and heard '2 departure frequency...and squawk....' I then asked the copilot who had been flying this same route for the last 2 months straight about the clearance. I told him all I got was the word '2,' the departure frequency and the squawk. He told me we had the norvenich 5F departure as previously briefed. I told him I was confused by the number '2' in the clearance. He assured me this was the departure, it was what they always got on this trip, and it was the only departure procedure for this runway. This was my first time on this flight in about 6 months so I dropped it and got ready to go. We started to fly the norvenich 5F runway 4 departure 'runway heading to 5 DME to lv NDB, turn right to norvenich VOR.' our clearance was the dortmund 2F which went runway heading to 3.5 DME turn left to wipper VOR. As we were in the right turn, departure asked us where we were going. We told him we were proceeding to norvenich. He informed us we were cleared to wipper. We got the departure straightened out and proceeded on our way. There was no conflict or problem with airspace usage. This mistake could have been very serious if it had been other than XI00 am. I should have insisted on a re-read of the clearance. I shouldn't have relied solely on his report. I should have checked for other departures from this runway with the #2 in it. The copilot was complacent, he heard what he wanted or expected. Supplemental information from acn 305580: we had a 55 hour layover in cologne. Although I did everything in my power to keep my sleep cycle such that I would be well rested, that didn't happen. I had gotten plenty of sleep. I met the rest of the crew for dinner. I tried to sleep/nap afterward, but it was restless. I have been flying to/from cologne for the past 2 months and the only departures we used were the nor 5 and 2 from runways 14 or 32. The captain was heavily relying on my recent experience. I was absolutely sure we had been given the nor 5F. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the dc-8 freighter for a major united states air freight air carrier. He has heard nothing from the FAA or the germans on this incident. He is very contrite.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV, THE ACR CREW ATTEMPTED TO FLY THE WRONG SID.

Narrative: AT THE COLOGNE-BONN ARPT, CLRNC IS ISSUED UPON TAXI OUT. I WAS HAVING PROBS WITH MY HEADSET. I WASN'T PLUGGED IN WHEN CLRNC CAME IN. I PLUGGED BACK IN AND HEARD '2 DEP FREQ...AND SQUAWK....' I THEN ASKED THE COPLT WHO HAD BEEN FLYING THIS SAME RTE FOR THE LAST 2 MONTHS STRAIGHT ABOUT THE CLRNC. I TOLD HIM ALL I GOT WAS THE WORD '2,' THE DEP FREQ AND THE SQUAWK. HE TOLD ME WE HAD THE NORVENICH 5F DEP AS PREVIOUSLY BRIEFED. I TOLD HIM I WAS CONFUSED BY THE NUMBER '2' IN THE CLRNC. HE ASSURED ME THIS WAS THE DEP, IT WAS WHAT THEY ALWAYS GOT ON THIS TRIP, AND IT WAS THE ONLY DEP PROC FOR THIS RWY. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME ON THIS FLT IN ABOUT 6 MONTHS SO I DROPPED IT AND GOT READY TO GO. WE STARTED TO FLY THE NORVENICH 5F RWY 4 DEP 'RWY HDG TO 5 DME TO LV NDB, TURN R TO NORVENICH VOR.' OUR CLRNC WAS THE DORTMUND 2F WHICH WENT RWY HDG TO 3.5 DME TURN L TO WIPPER VOR. AS WE WERE IN THE R TURN, DEP ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE PROCEEDING TO NORVENICH. HE INFORMED US WE WERE CLRED TO WIPPER. WE GOT THE DEP STRAIGHTENED OUT AND PROCEEDED ON OUR WAY. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT OR PROB WITH AIRSPACE USAGE. THIS MISTAKE COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS IF IT HAD BEEN OTHER THAN XI00 AM. I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED ON A RE-READ OF THE CLRNC. I SHOULDN'T HAVE RELIED SOLELY ON HIS RPT. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED FOR OTHER DEPS FROM THIS RWY WITH THE #2 IN IT. THE COPLT WAS COMPLACENT, HE HEARD WHAT HE WANTED OR EXPECTED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 305580: WE HAD A 55 HR LAYOVER IN COLOGNE. ALTHOUGH I DID EVERYTHING IN MY PWR TO KEEP MY SLEEP CYCLE SUCH THAT I WOULD BE WELL RESTED, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. I HAD GOTTEN PLENTY OF SLEEP. I MET THE REST OF THE CREW FOR DINNER. I TRIED TO SLEEP/NAP AFTERWARD, BUT IT WAS RESTLESS. I HAVE BEEN FLYING TO/FROM COLOGNE FOR THE PAST 2 MONTHS AND THE ONLY DEPS WE USED WERE THE NOR 5 AND 2 FROM RWYS 14 OR 32. THE CAPT WAS HEAVILY RELYING ON MY RECENT EXPERIENCE. I WAS ABSOLUTELY SURE WE HAD BEEN GIVEN THE NOR 5F. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE DC-8 FREIGHTER FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES AIR FREIGHT ACR. HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THE FAA OR THE GERMANS ON THIS INCIDENT. HE IS VERY CONTRITE.

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.