Narrative:

Air carrier departure delayed due to several last min maintenance items requiring attention. During taxi stopped to xbleed start #2 engine. During start ground asked if we had the arthur kill one departure on board. The first officer checked and advised that we did. Ground then advised that we were now cleared via the arthur kill one departure vice the newark 6 departure. After engine start I checked for the new departure and advised the first officer that I did not have the arthur kill one. He advised that it was in the jul 1997 revision cycle and effective as of today's date. He said he inserted the revision just this morning. I asked the first officer to read me the departure and brief it while I continued to taxi. He said it was the same as the newark 6 except for a 250 degree heading vice 220 degrees. As we approached the runway we completed the checklists and then I also reviewed the new SID which the first officer had placed on the center pedestal. I read the departure and agreed with his brief. On departure while maintaining a 250 degree heading as indicated on the SID, new york departure asked if we were turning to intercept the sbj 100 degree radial. I said 'roger, turning right to intercept.' we had been cleared to 11000 ft when the controller said to 'level off and turn right 310 degrees, and then 340 degrees.' I inquired as to the altitude and the controller advised to climb to 11000 ft and turn left 280 degrees direct sbj and gave us a frequency change. Due to the last min change of sids on taxi out and feeling a little rushed both myself and first officer misinterpreted the new SID. The SID is almost identical to the newark 6 except for the heading after 2.3 DME. Under the title 'arthur kill one departure' in large letters is the word 'vector' in parenthesis. This led us to believe the 250 degree heading was for eventual vectors. In the rush to change sids we both misread the 'thence' under departure. We believed this was 250 degree heading until given a vector to intercept. Human factors: 1) early get up for early departure. Air carrier makes pilots cover 3 new york airports. 2) last min SID change during busy cockpit workload. 3) poorly written SID (vector). In title and similarity to other ewr sids gave a false sense of security. Also, why even confuse parke, lanna, and biggy departures with the 250 degree vector. It should be either 250 degrees or at 2.3 DME turn right and intercept sbj 100 degree radial (280 degrees inbound).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-200 FAILS TO INTERCEPT THE SBJ 100 DEG RADIAL ON THE ARTHUR KILL ONE SID. THE SID IS NEW AND THE FORMAT IS CONFUSING AND THE FLC MISUNDERSTOOD IT.

Narrative: ACR DEP DELAYED DUE TO SEVERAL LAST MIN MAINT ITEMS REQUIRING ATTN. DURING TAXI STOPPED TO XBLEED START #2 ENG. DURING START GND ASKED IF WE HAD THE ARTHUR KILL ONE DEP ON BOARD. THE FO CHKED AND ADVISED THAT WE DID. GND THEN ADVISED THAT WE WERE NOW CLRED VIA THE ARTHUR KILL ONE DEP VICE THE NEWARK 6 DEP. AFTER ENG START I CHKED FOR THE NEW DEP AND ADVISED THE FO THAT I DID NOT HAVE THE ARTHUR KILL ONE. HE ADVISED THAT IT WAS IN THE JUL 1997 REVISION CYCLE AND EFFECTIVE AS OF TODAY'S DATE. HE SAID HE INSERTED THE REVISION JUST THIS MORNING. I ASKED THE FO TO READ ME THE DEP AND BRIEF IT WHILE I CONTINUED TO TAXI. HE SAID IT WAS THE SAME AS THE NEWARK 6 EXCEPT FOR A 250 DEG HDG VICE 220 DEGS. AS WE APCHED THE RWY WE COMPLETED THE CHKLISTS AND THEN I ALSO REVIEWED THE NEW SID WHICH THE FO HAD PLACED ON THE CTR PEDESTAL. I READ THE DEP AND AGREED WITH HIS BRIEF. ON DEP WHILE MAINTAINING A 250 DEG HDG AS INDICATED ON THE SID, NEW YORK DEP ASKED IF WE WERE TURNING TO INTERCEPT THE SBJ 100 DEG RADIAL. I SAID 'ROGER, TURNING R TO INTERCEPT.' WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 11000 FT WHEN THE CTLR SAID TO 'LEVEL OFF AND TURN R 310 DEGS, AND THEN 340 DEGS.' I INQUIRED AS TO THE ALT AND THE CTLR ADVISED TO CLB TO 11000 FT AND TURN L 280 DEGS DIRECT SBJ AND GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. DUE TO THE LAST MIN CHANGE OF SIDS ON TAXI OUT AND FEELING A LITTLE RUSHED BOTH MYSELF AND FO MISINTERPRETED THE NEW SID. THE SID IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE NEWARK 6 EXCEPT FOR THE HEADING AFTER 2.3 DME. UNDER THE TITLE 'ARTHUR KILL ONE DEP' IN LARGE LETTERS IS THE WORD 'VECTOR' IN PARENTHESIS. THIS LED US TO BELIEVE THE 250 DEG HDG WAS FOR EVENTUAL VECTORS. IN THE RUSH TO CHANGE SIDS WE BOTH MISREAD THE 'THENCE' UNDER DEP. WE BELIEVED THIS WAS 250 DEG HDG UNTIL GIVEN A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT. HUMAN FACTORS: 1) EARLY GET UP FOR EARLY DEP. ACR MAKES PLTS COVER 3 NEW YORK ARPTS. 2) LAST MIN SID CHANGE DURING BUSY COCKPIT WORKLOAD. 3) POORLY WRITTEN SID (VECTOR). IN TITLE AND SIMILARITY TO OTHER EWR SIDS GAVE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. ALSO, WHY EVEN CONFUSE PARKE, LANNA, AND BIGGY DEPS WITH THE 250 DEG VECTOR. IT SHOULD BE EITHER 250 DEGS OR AT 2.3 DME TURN R AND INTERCEPT SBJ 100 DEG RADIAL (280 DEGS INBOUND).

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.