Narrative:

Received pre departure clearance at approximately XX45Z at ontario. As seen on the copy, it was ONTL16 then as filed turn left direct pdz, climb and maintain 7000 ft. Aircraft blocked at XX59Z. After passing pdz going direct to mzb, ATC informed us that we were right of the 130 degree radial. We informed them of our pre departure clearance clearance, and they said that our original clearance was pdz V186 V4 mzb. They gave us a vector to intercept the radial off of pdz. Then received subsequent vectors to san diego. As seen on the pre departure clearance, the V186 V4 mzb was omitted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter first officer says that the first indication they had of not complying with the clearance was when TRACON called them about being off the airway and, as reporter says, they were quite 'stern' about the intervention. Reporter says that there continues to be 'little things' that come up on the pre departure clearance's which are in error or shouldn't be there. And, when they saw ONTL16 as a revision assumed that it was one of those 'little' errors which occur and assumed that their routing was the same as it had been on previous flts on the same route. Generally the clearance is spelled out completely so there is no misunderstanding and on recent flts along the same route they were always cleared direct point to point instead of on an airway. Reporter was counseled about the 'tower en route control,' though the flight crew has no reference to that nor do they carry the reference publication.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PDC HAD ROUTING, BUT ALSO HAD A REVISED ROUTING WHICH WAS ERRONEOUSLY SENT AS A TWR ENRTE CTL ROUTING CODE. THE ONTL16 IS THE RTE IDENT FOR PDZ V186 V66 MZB. FLC HAD NO REF TO THE TWR ENRTE CODE AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANT.

Narrative: RECEIVED PDC AT APPROX XX45Z AT ONTARIO. AS SEEN ON THE COPY, IT WAS ONTL16 THEN AS FILED TURN L DIRECT PDZ, CLB AND MAINTAIN 7000 FT. ACFT BLOCKED AT XX59Z. AFTER PASSING PDZ GOING DIRECT TO MZB, ATC INFORMED US THAT WE WERE RIGHT OF THE 130 DEG RADIAL. WE INFORMED THEM OF OUR PDC CLRNC, AND THEY SAID THAT OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC WAS PDZ V186 V4 MZB. THEY GAVE US A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL OFF OF PDZ. THEN RECEIVED SUBSEQUENT VECTORS TO SAN DIEGO. AS SEEN ON THE PDC, THE V186 V4 MZB WAS OMITTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR FO SAYS THAT THE FIRST INDICATION THEY HAD OF NOT COMPLYING WITH THE CLRNC WAS WHEN TRACON CALLED THEM ABOUT BEING OFF THE AIRWAY AND, AS RPTR SAYS, THEY WERE QUITE 'STERN' ABOUT THE INTERVENTION. RPTR SAYS THAT THERE CONTINUES TO BE 'LITTLE THINGS' THAT COME UP ON THE PDC'S WHICH ARE IN ERROR OR SHOULDN'T BE THERE. AND, WHEN THEY SAW ONTL16 AS A REVISION ASSUMED THAT IT WAS ONE OF THOSE 'LITTLE' ERRORS WHICH OCCUR AND ASSUMED THAT THEIR ROUTING WAS THE SAME AS IT HAD BEEN ON PREVIOUS FLTS ON THE SAME RTE. GENERALLY THE CLRNC IS SPELLED OUT COMPLETELY SO THERE IS NO MISUNDERSTANDING AND ON RECENT FLTS ALONG THE SAME RTE THEY WERE ALWAYS CLRED DIRECT POINT TO POINT INSTEAD OF ON AN AIRWAY. RPTR WAS COUNSELED ABOUT THE 'TWR ENRTE CTL,' THOUGH THE FLC HAS NO REF TO THAT NOR DO THEY CARRY THE REF PUB.

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.