Narrative:

We were flying the off-shore 2 departure at sfo cleared to FL230. We were established on the 200 degree heading climbing through 8000 ft. Departure called crossing traffic at 11000 ft and to level at 10000 ft. When traffic was clear, departure cleared us to FL230 and to resume the porte 9 departure. After a short discussion we were cleared direct to fellows. The problem arose because both the captain and I read the pre departure clearance wrong. The format of the pre departure clearance is entirely wrong. When a rerte occurs only the new routing should appear on the pre departure clearance not the old as well. We both read our original routing on the pre departure clearance and thought it was correct. I have enclosed a copy of the clearance as it appears on the pre departure clearance, as you can see the format should be changed. Fortunately the initial portions of the offshore 2 and porte 9 departures off runway 1L are identical. We were on the 200 degree heading when our discussion with departure showed that had we continued we would have flown the wrong radial off of point reyes, but this did not occur. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: san francisco tower supervisor was called to see why 2 clrncs are given on the same piece of paper. He explained that the clearance with the dash marks or minus signs are the clearance to fly. If a flight crew should not understand that designation to know the proper clearance, it is a company education problem. Supervisor was asked why 2 clrncs are on the same piece of paper and not just one cleared SID, his reply was, he didn't know why. Except the ARTCC is the one who originates the clrncs and they control how clrncs are written. It was not known why they don't just have one cleared SID printed, but it was just the way things were done. The air carrier was called to determine what the understanding is with knowing which clearance is the proper clearance to fly. The flight manager knew exactly how to determine the proper clearance and what the policy was. Therefore, the feeling was that the flight crew happened to be the ones that had not been properly informed on how to determine which is the proper SID.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MISUNDERSTANDS PDC AND BEGINS TO FLY INCORRECT SID FOR THEIR FLT.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING THE OFF-SHORE 2 DEP AT SFO CLRED TO FL230. WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE 200 DEG HDG CLBING THROUGH 8000 FT. DEP CALLED XING TFC AT 11000 FT AND TO LEVEL AT 10000 FT. WHEN TFC WAS CLR, DEP CLRED US TO FL230 AND TO RESUME THE PORTE 9 DEP. AFTER A SHORT DISCUSSION WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO FELLOWS. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE BOTH THE CAPT AND I READ THE PDC WRONG. THE FORMAT OF THE PDC IS ENTIRELY WRONG. WHEN A RERTE OCCURS ONLY THE NEW ROUTING SHOULD APPEAR ON THE PDC NOT THE OLD AS WELL. WE BOTH READ OUR ORIGINAL ROUTING ON THE PDC AND THOUGHT IT WAS CORRECT. I HAVE ENCLOSED A COPY OF THE CLRNC AS IT APPEARS ON THE PDC, AS YOU CAN SEE THE FORMAT SHOULD BE CHANGED. FORTUNATELY THE INITIAL PORTIONS OF THE OFFSHORE 2 AND PORTE 9 DEPS OFF RWY 1L ARE IDENTICAL. WE WERE ON THE 200 DEG HDG WHEN OUR DISCUSSION WITH DEP SHOWED THAT HAD WE CONTINUED WE WOULD HAVE FLOWN THE WRONG RADIAL OFF OF POINT REYES, BUT THIS DID NOT OCCUR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: SAN FRANCISCO TWR SUPVR WAS CALLED TO SEE WHY 2 CLRNCS ARE GIVEN ON THE SAME PIECE OF PAPER. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE CLRNC WITH THE DASH MARKS OR MINUS SIGNS ARE THE CLRNC TO FLY. IF A FLC SHOULD NOT UNDERSTAND THAT DESIGNATION TO KNOW THE PROPER CLRNC, IT IS A COMPANY EDUCATION PROB. SUPVR WAS ASKED WHY 2 CLRNCS ARE ON THE SAME PIECE OF PAPER AND NOT JUST ONE CLRED SID, HIS REPLY WAS, HE DIDN'T KNOW WHY. EXCEPT THE ARTCC IS THE ONE WHO ORIGINATES THE CLRNCS AND THEY CTL HOW CLRNCS ARE WRITTEN. IT WAS NOT KNOWN WHY THEY DON'T JUST HAVE ONE CLRED SID PRINTED, BUT IT WAS JUST THE WAY THINGS WERE DONE. THE ACR WAS CALLED TO DETERMINE WHAT THE UNDERSTANDING IS WITH KNOWING WHICH CLRNC IS THE PROPER CLRNC TO FLY. THE FLT MGR KNEW EXACTLY HOW TO DETERMINE THE PROPER CLRNC AND WHAT THE POLICY WAS. THEREFORE, THE FEELING WAS THAT THE FLC HAPPENED TO BE THE ONES THAT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY INFORMED ON HOW TO DETERMINE WHICH IS THE PROPER SID.

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.