Narrative:

Cleared ft lauderdale 6 departure with an assigned heading of 090 degrees. On takeoff we climbed through 500 ft AGL on a heading of 090 degrees, then turned to intercept the arkes transition as we were cleared. We believed we followed the SID as published but later found that the departure description was misleading (3 individuals misread it simultaneously). We were expected to fly runway heading to 500 ft AGL then turn to 090 degrees for departure. We didn't realize our mistake until departure control asked us what tower had given us for an assigned heading. We reread the SID and discovered the confusing wording. It reads 'takeoff runway 9L/right, fly runway heading or as assigned and climb runway heading to 500 ft before turning. Thence...' this probably should be turned around so it follows a logical sequence, ie, climb runway heading to 500 ft, then turn to assigned heading (maintain runway heading if none assigned). Thence... Fortunately we were VMC until departure revectored us to avoid other departure traffic 1000 ft above us. Other factors: our ATC clearance was filed at hurlbart AFB that morning, but our outbound leg was not in the system. Since we were on a busy schedule we hurriedly refiled and prepared for departure. We also overlooked the remainder of the departure description possibly due to the congestion of the print on our description page. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was flying a C130-H3 with the glass HSI. He was referring to the noas united states government terminal procedures chart for the ft lauderdale, hollywood international airport, ft lauderdale 6 departure (analyst graphic 1 and 2). He stated he flew the assigned 090 degrees to 500 ft before turning about 140 degrees to intercept the arkes transition. He did not realize the 090 degrees was the turn referred to from a runway heading of 094 degrees. More clearly the intent could have been conveyed by saying 'climb runway heading to 500 ft before turning to assigned vector heading.'

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DOES NOT FLY ATC ASSIGNED ROUTING.

Narrative: CLRED FT LAUDERDALE 6 DEP WITH AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 090 DEGS. ON TKOF WE CLBED THROUGH 500 FT AGL ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS, THEN TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE ARKES TRANSITION AS WE WERE CLRED. WE BELIEVED WE FOLLOWED THE SID AS PUBLISHED BUT LATER FOUND THAT THE DEP DESCRIPTION WAS MISLEADING (3 INDIVIDUALS MISREAD IT SIMULTANEOUSLY). WE WERE EXPECTED TO FLY RWY HDG TO 500 FT AGL THEN TURN TO 090 DEGS FOR DEP. WE DIDN'T REALIZE OUR MISTAKE UNTIL DEP CTL ASKED US WHAT TWR HAD GIVEN US FOR AN ASSIGNED HDG. WE REREAD THE SID AND DISCOVERED THE CONFUSING WORDING. IT READS 'TKOF RWY 9L/R, FLY RWY HDG OR AS ASSIGNED AND CLB RWY HDG TO 500 FT BEFORE TURNING. THENCE...' THIS PROBABLY SHOULD BE TURNED AROUND SO IT FOLLOWS A LOGICAL SEQUENCE, IE, CLB RWY HDG TO 500 FT, THEN TURN TO ASSIGNED HDG (MAINTAIN RWY HDG IF NONE ASSIGNED). THENCE... FORTUNATELY WE WERE VMC UNTIL DEP REVECTORED US TO AVOID OTHER DEP TFC 1000 FT ABOVE US. OTHER FACTORS: OUR ATC CLRNC WAS FILED AT HURLBART AFB THAT MORNING, BUT OUR OUTBOUND LEG WAS NOT IN THE SYS. SINCE WE WERE ON A BUSY SCHEDULE WE HURRIEDLY REFILED AND PREPARED FOR DEP. WE ALSO OVERLOOKED THE REMAINDER OF THE DEP DESCRIPTION POSSIBLY DUE TO THE CONGESTION OF THE PRINT ON OUR DESCRIPTION PAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A C130-H3 WITH THE GLASS HSI. HE WAS REFERRING TO THE NOAS UNITED STATES GOV TERMINAL PROCS CHART FOR THE FT LAUDERDALE, HOLLYWOOD INTL ARPT, FT LAUDERDALE 6 DEP (ANALYST GRAPHIC 1 AND 2). HE STATED HE FLEW THE ASSIGNED 090 DEGS TO 500 FT BEFORE TURNING ABOUT 140 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE ARKES TRANSITION. HE DID NOT REALIZE THE 090 DEGS WAS THE TURN REFERRED TO FROM A RWY HDG OF 094 DEGS. MORE CLRLY THE INTENT COULD HAVE BEEN CONVEYED BY SAYING 'CLB RWY HDG TO 500 FT BEFORE TURNING TO ASSIGNED VECTOR HDG.'

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.