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An air carrier first officer's report on the misleading qualities of the pre departure clearance flight plan form.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 410390 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199807 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : slc |
| State Reference | UT |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : anc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 100 |
| ASRS Report | 410390 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We normally use canned flight plans from the company and receive pre departure clearance's at the gate. For 4 weeks in a row, I did the same flight and got the same pre departure clearance (enclosed). I have circled the 2 areas which concern me. When first looking at the clearance, you see that the bottom 2 lines match the flight plan route, however, that is not how you are cleared. The top line between the 2 hyphens is your amended clearance. We almost missed this the first week which would have probably resulted in a violation, maybe something worse. It seems like a very poor format for a pre departure clearance. It would be a lot easier to read and safer for pilots if the 'ATC clearance' portion only included your actual clearance, not what you had filed as well. If it says 'as filed,' then you can look at the bottom and see what your clearance is.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FO'S RPT ON THE MISLEADING QUALITIES OF THE PDC FLT PLAN FORM.
Narrative: WE NORMALLY USE CANNED FLT PLANS FROM THE COMPANY AND RECEIVE PDC'S AT THE GATE. FOR 4 WKS IN A ROW, I DID THE SAME FLT AND GOT THE SAME PDC (ENCLOSED). I HAVE CIRCLED THE 2 AREAS WHICH CONCERN ME. WHEN FIRST LOOKING AT THE CLRNC, YOU SEE THAT THE BOTTOM 2 LINES MATCH THE FLT PLAN RTE, HOWEVER, THAT IS NOT HOW YOU ARE CLRED. THE TOP LINE BTWN THE 2 HYPHENS IS YOUR AMENDED CLRNC. WE ALMOST MISSED THIS THE FIRST WK WHICH WOULD HAVE PROBABLY RESULTED IN A VIOLATION, MAYBE SOMETHING WORSE. IT SEEMS LIKE A VERY POOR FORMAT FOR A PDC. IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER TO READ AND SAFER FOR PLTS IF THE 'ATC CLRNC' PORTION ONLY INCLUDED YOUR ACTUAL CLRNC, NOT WHAT YOU HAD FILED AS WELL. IF IT SAYS 'AS FILED,' THEN YOU CAN LOOK AT THE BOTTOM AND SEE WHAT YOUR CLRNC IS.
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.