Narrative:

As I passed through the gate house approximately 30 mins prior to the flight, I did not see the paperwork (flight plan, WX) in the usual place and thought it might be on board the aircraft. It was not. Knowing that the gate agent would bring the flight plan later, I loaded the route information into the FMS, by calling up the pre departure clearance via the ACARS and using it to obtain the cleared route. I think it read atl, soone, mcn J45, jax. I loaded it with J45 to crg and intended to check the abbreviated portion (jax) with the flight plan when I received it. When the actual flight plan arrived and I verified the route, I inadvertently missed seeing that we were filed for the alma arrival to jax after alma. I guess I saw what I expected to see (a well known aviation mistake that crops up sometimes). Soon after we passed alma on J45, center asked if we had been cleared for the alma arrival. We responded 'negative' and center then cleared us direct O'neil and the alma arrival to jax. We later rechked the flight plan route and realized why he had asked the question. The flight continued to a normal landing and made the normal O'neil crossing restr without any problem. Though there can be no excuse for failing to catch the loading error, it would not have occurred if a few extra words of print had been on the pre departure clearance. On pre departure clearance's we must ensure that we are cleared as filed. Often there is a change, so actually loading the FMS from the 'how cleared' portion of the pre departure clearance should be safer than loading the planed or filed route. It would have been in this case if the entire route had been printed. I would certainly recommend that all pre departure clearance's show the entire 'cleared' route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER INSERTING THE FILED FLT PLAN INTO THE FMS, THE PRINTED PDC ARRIVED AND RPTR CAPT FAILED TO NOTE THE ARR WAS PART OF THE CLRNC. ATC CAUGHT THE PROB WHEN THE ACFT WAS NOT FOLLOWING THE CLRED COURSE AND RECLRED THE FLC FOR THE ARR.

Narrative: AS I PASSED THROUGH THE GATE HOUSE APPROX 30 MINS PRIOR TO THE FLT, I DID NOT SEE THE PAPERWORK (FLT PLAN, WX) IN THE USUAL PLACE AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE ON BOARD THE ACFT. IT WAS NOT. KNOWING THAT THE GATE AGENT WOULD BRING THE FLT PLAN LATER, I LOADED THE RTE INFO INTO THE FMS, BY CALLING UP THE PDC VIA THE ACARS AND USING IT TO OBTAIN THE CLRED RTE. I THINK IT READ ATL, SOONE, MCN J45, JAX. I LOADED IT WITH J45 TO CRG AND INTENDED TO CHK THE ABBREVIATED PORTION (JAX) WITH THE FLT PLAN WHEN I RECEIVED IT. WHEN THE ACTUAL FLT PLAN ARRIVED AND I VERIFIED THE RTE, I INADVERTENTLY MISSED SEEING THAT WE WERE FILED FOR THE ALMA ARR TO JAX AFTER ALMA. I GUESS I SAW WHAT I EXPECTED TO SEE (A WELL KNOWN AVIATION MISTAKE THAT CROPS UP SOMETIMES). SOON AFTER WE PASSED ALMA ON J45, CTR ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE ALMA ARR. WE RESPONDED 'NEGATIVE' AND CTR THEN CLRED US DIRECT O'NEIL AND THE ALMA ARR TO JAX. WE LATER RECHKED THE FLT PLAN RTE AND REALIZED WHY HE HAD ASKED THE QUESTION. THE FLT CONTINUED TO A NORMAL LNDG AND MADE THE NORMAL O'NEIL XING RESTR WITHOUT ANY PROB. THOUGH THERE CAN BE NO EXCUSE FOR FAILING TO CATCH THE LOADING ERROR, IT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF A FEW EXTRA WORDS OF PRINT HAD BEEN ON THE PDC. ON PDC'S WE MUST ENSURE THAT WE ARE CLRED AS FILED. OFTEN THERE IS A CHANGE, SO ACTUALLY LOADING THE FMS FROM THE 'HOW CLRED' PORTION OF THE PDC SHOULD BE SAFER THAN LOADING THE PLANED OR FILED RTE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THIS CASE IF THE ENTIRE RTE HAD BEEN PRINTED. I WOULD CERTAINLY RECOMMEND THAT ALL PDC'S SHOW THE ENTIRE 'CLRED' RTE.

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.