Flight crew of an medium large transport turned the wrong way during a SID departure resulting in AT...

Attributes
ACN	323170
Time
Date	199512
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rno
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rno
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 142 flight time total : 6073 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	323170
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our flight rno to oak on dec/xx/95. Clearance was wagge 1 to madwn 3 (arrival) to oak. There was no transition given in the clearance for the wagge 1 or an expected clearance. While looking at the wagge 1 departure and the madwn 3 arrival plates the only connection seemed to be the mustang (fmb) transition. Mustang VOR was on both plates. We assumed (which was a mistake, since we were not familiar with the airport and its departures) the mustang transition was the connection from the wagge 1 departure to the oakland madwn 3 arrival. Whereupon the FMC's were used to join the two in the computer. Neither one of us at that time was aware that to fly the mustang transition from wagge intersection to the mustang VOR was not the appropriate routing. On departure runway 16R flying the localizer to wagge intersection we started a turn towards mustang VOR for the transition (a left turn). The controller then said to intercept the mustang 182 degree radial. Since that was the radial we were in the turn for we thought nothing of it until the controller asked if we were intercepting. We said yes, then he said we were going the wrong way and gave us headings to intercept the radial outbound. We then realized the error. We were flying the radial inbound to mustang VOR as in the published transition and not what they wanted as in the outbound course. This entire problem was a combination of a long day, bad WX, unfamiliar airport and a confusing clearance which consisted of a SID with no given transition or expected route and an arrival (published). We were confused on the expected connection of the SID to the arrival after arriving at wagge intersection. Granted, if we would have had time to study the charts to figure out the probable connection logically we would have turned the right direction and or questioned the controller at that time. It seems that this type of clearance may not be proper, leading a crew into a 'trap.' why couldn't 'the clearance' on the ground give the 'connection' from the departure to the arrival instead of at the very point at which the connection must be flown?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG TURNED THE WRONG WAY DURING A SID DEP RESULTING IN ATC INTERVENTION TO BRING THEM BACK TO INTENDED TRACK.

Narrative: OUR FLT RNO TO OAK ON DEC/XX/95. CLRNC WAS WAGGE 1 TO MADWN 3 (ARR) TO OAK. THERE WAS NO TRANSITION GIVEN IN THE CLRNC FOR THE WAGGE 1 OR AN EXPECTED CLRNC. WHILE LOOKING AT THE WAGGE 1 DEP AND THE MADWN 3 ARR PLATES THE ONLY CONNECTION SEEMED TO BE THE MUSTANG (FMB) TRANSITION. MUSTANG VOR WAS ON BOTH PLATES. WE ASSUMED (WHICH WAS A MISTAKE, SINCE WE WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ARPT AND ITS DEPS) THE MUSTANG TRANSITION WAS THE CONNECTION FROM THE WAGGE 1 DEP TO THE OAKLAND MADWN 3 ARR. WHEREUPON THE FMC'S WERE USED TO JOIN THE TWO IN THE COMPUTER. NEITHER ONE OF US AT THAT TIME WAS AWARE THAT TO FLY THE MUSTANG TRANSITION FROM WAGGE INTXN TO THE MUSTANG VOR WAS NOT THE APPROPRIATE ROUTING. ON DEP RWY 16R FLYING THE LOC TO WAGGE INTXN WE STARTED A TURN TOWARDS MUSTANG VOR FOR THE TRANSITION (A L TURN). THE CTLR THEN SAID TO INTERCEPT THE MUSTANG 182 DEG RADIAL. SINCE THAT WAS THE RADIAL WE WERE IN THE TURN FOR WE THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT UNTIL THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE INTERCEPTING. WE SAID YES, THEN HE SAID WE WERE GOING THE WRONG WAY AND GAVE US HEADINGS TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL OUTBOUND. WE THEN REALIZED THE ERROR. WE WERE FLYING THE RADIAL INBOUND TO MUSTANG VOR AS IN THE PUBLISHED TRANSITION AND NOT WHAT THEY WANTED AS IN THE OUTBOUND COURSE. THIS ENTIRE PROB WAS A COMBINATION OF A LONG DAY, BAD WX, UNFAMILIAR ARPT AND A CONFUSING CLRNC WHICH CONSISTED OF A SID WITH NO GIVEN TRANSITION OR EXPECTED RTE AND AN ARR (PUBLISHED). WE WERE CONFUSED ON THE EXPECTED CONNECTION OF THE SID TO THE ARR AFTER ARRIVING AT WAGGE INTXN. GRANTED, IF WE WOULD HAVE HAD TIME TO STUDY THE CHARTS TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBABLE CONNECTION LOGICALLY WE WOULD HAVE TURNED THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND OR QUESTIONED THE CTLR AT THAT TIME. IT SEEMS THAT THIS TYPE OF CLRNC MAY NOT BE PROPER, LEADING A CREW INTO A 'TRAP.' WHY COULDN'T 'THE CLRNC' ON THE GND GIVE THE 'CONNECTION' FROM THE DEP TO THE ARR INSTEAD OF AT THE VERY POINT AT WHICH THE CONNECTION MUST BE FLOWN?

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.

Flight crew of an medium large transport turned the wrong way during a SID departure resulting in ATC intervention to bring them back to intended track.