Narrative:

This event was caused by route ambiguity on the pre departure clearance. The filed route on the flight plan release was ord gij fwa V144 ./.lck. The route on the pre departure clearance showed the same. After center asked we expected you on the gipper 092 degree radial what was your clearance? A rechk confirmed that we were on the cleared route. Center said that he would take it up with ord tower. Normally, this qualifier shows a means to get to the first fix, not a significant deviation in the middle of the filed route. Additionally, the use of ./. 'To represent the filed route of flight' (fom page 4-9) led us to a false sense of security. Since the pre departure clearance program started, I have observed (perhaps incorrectly) that the route of flight was sequential with the occasional addition of a modifier to get to the first part of the route. Crucial items need to be clearly stated in terms that will not be misread...not with the fewest number of characters. The inclusion of any statement such as 'after gij fly 092R 36D dir fwa' on a text line or merely showing ord gij 092036 fwa V144 would have made it difficult for us to miss this crucial information even in our high workload status. (Note that gij 092R 36DME is sewto intersection as show on us(lo) 31.) there were several contributing factors. 1) late arrival at the aircraft. 2) last minute decision to deice/anti-ice aircraft with deteriorating WX. 3) high flight crew workload preventing routine rechecking of route. 4) controller workload preventing acknowledgement of our check in. 5) flying an unfamiliar route. In the future, I will be more diligent looking for ambiguities in our clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR A300 FLC MISUNDERSTANDS A PDC THAT CONTAINED A RTE CHANGE AND THEY GET OFF RTE.

Narrative: THIS EVENT WAS CAUSED BY RTE AMBIGUITY ON THE PDC. THE FILED RTE ON THE FLT PLAN RELEASE WAS ORD GIJ FWA V144 ./.LCK. THE RTE ON THE PDC SHOWED THE SAME. AFTER CTR ASKED WE EXPECTED YOU ON THE GIPPER 092 DEG RADIAL WHAT WAS YOUR CLRNC? A RECHK CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE ON THE CLRED RTE. CTR SAID THAT HE WOULD TAKE IT UP WITH ORD TWR. NORMALLY, THIS QUALIFIER SHOWS A MEANS TO GET TO THE FIRST FIX, NOT A SIGNIFICANT DEV IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FILED RTE. ADDITIONALLY, THE USE OF ./. 'TO REPRESENT THE FILED RTE OF FLT' (FOM PAGE 4-9) LED US TO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY. SINCE THE PDC PROGRAM STARTED, I HAVE OBSERVED (PERHAPS INCORRECTLY) THAT THE RTE OF FLT WAS SEQUENTIAL WITH THE OCCASIONAL ADDITION OF A MODIFIER TO GET TO THE FIRST PART OF THE RTE. CRUCIAL ITEMS NEED TO BE CLEARLY STATED IN TERMS THAT WILL NOT BE MISREAD...NOT WITH THE FEWEST NUMBER OF CHARACTERS. THE INCLUSION OF ANY STATEMENT SUCH AS 'AFTER GIJ FLY 092R 36D DIR FWA' ON A TEXT LINE OR MERELY SHOWING ORD GIJ 092036 FWA V144 WOULD HAVE MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR US TO MISS THIS CRUCIAL INFO EVEN IN OUR HIGH WORKLOAD STATUS. (NOTE THAT GIJ 092R 36DME IS SEWTO INTXN AS SHOW ON US(LO) 31.) THERE WERE SEVERAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. 1) LATE ARRIVAL AT THE ACFT. 2) LAST MINUTE DECISION TO DEICE/ANTI-ICE ACFT WITH DETERIORATING WX. 3) HIGH FLT CREW WORKLOAD PREVENTING ROUTINE RECHECKING OF ROUTE. 4) CTLR WORKLOAD PREVENTING ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUR CHECK IN. 5) FLYING AN UNFAMILIAR ROUTE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MORE DILIGENT LOOKING FOR AMBIGUITIES IN OUR CLRNC.

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.