Narrative:

Clearance delivery was called at ptk. Our clearance read back was the 8 departure - tycob direct eri, 3000 ft, expect FL190 10 mins after departure, frequency 124.9. The tower controller told us 'runway 27L, cleared for takeoff.' we followed the SID which said, runway heading to 1400 ft before turning. At 1400 ft we turned to tycob intersection as the SID said, 'radar vectors to assigned route direct departure fix.' the pontiac tower called and turned us to a 090 degree heading because of conflicting traffic. Detroit approach advised us to call because of a possible deviation. After talking to pontiac, they advised that the clearance delivery controller did not correct our readback which should have been 'radar vectors, runway heading, the pontiac 8 departure,' and after studying the SID, they saw the problem. The 3 supervisors said this has been a problem in the past with other aircraft and the SID needs to be changed. After talking to a pilot who is also a controller at a level 5 facility (pit) he said he encountered the same problem. It seems this is an unsafe situation and no one is doing anything to correct it. Again we followed the SID with the absence of the heading information. What would happen during lost communication? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advised that the other crew member was contacted by FSDO reference this incident. After review of the technical data and tapes, FSDO determined no violation would be filed against the crew. The inspector advised the other crew member that air traffic would be notified that he perceived the SID was insufficiently clear, open to pilot interpretation and action. The reporter advised that both pilots recognized the clearance delivery response was slightly different than they expected, that since their readback had not been corrected, they could turn on course after leaving 1400 ft. The reporter advised, had the tower or one of the other pilots spoke up about the clearance disparity, this incident would not have occurred. The reporter was concerned with the statement by ATC that 'early turns on course' have happened before, yet the SID has not been changed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C501 FLC INTERP PONTIAC 8 SID, TURNING L DIRECT TO THEIR NEXT FILED FIX. PTK TWR AND DTW TRACON AMEND RTE BY ISSUING RADAR VECTORS. UPON CALLING DTW TRACON, PLT LEARNS PTK CLRNC DELIVERY DID NOT CORRECT FLC'S READBACK, AND THAT OTHER PLTS HAVE HAD NAV PROBS WITH THE SID.

Narrative: CLRNC DELIVERY WAS CALLED AT PTK. OUR CLRNC READ BACK WAS THE 8 DEP - TYCOB DIRECT ERI, 3000 FT, EXPECT FL190 10 MINS AFTER DEP, FREQ 124.9. THE TWR CTLR TOLD US 'RWY 27L, CLRED FOR TKOF.' WE FOLLOWED THE SID WHICH SAID, RWY HDG TO 1400 FT BEFORE TURNING. AT 1400 FT WE TURNED TO TYCOB INTXN AS THE SID SAID, 'RADAR VECTORS TO ASSIGNED RTE DIRECT DEP FIX.' THE PONTIAC TWR CALLED AND TURNED US TO A 090 DEG HDG BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TFC. DETROIT APCH ADVISED US TO CALL BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE DEV. AFTER TALKING TO PONTIAC, THEY ADVISED THAT THE CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR DID NOT CORRECT OUR READBACK WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN 'RADAR VECTORS, RWY HDG, THE PONTIAC 8 DEP,' AND AFTER STUDYING THE SID, THEY SAW THE PROB. THE 3 SUPVRS SAID THIS HAS BEEN A PROB IN THE PAST WITH OTHER ACFT AND THE SID NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. AFTER TALKING TO A PLT WHO IS ALSO A CTLR AT A LEVEL 5 FACILITY (PIT) HE SAID HE ENCOUNTERED THE SAME PROB. IT SEEMS THIS IS AN UNSAFE SIT AND NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING TO CORRECT IT. AGAIN WE FOLLOWED THE SID WITH THE ABSENCE OF THE HDG INFO. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN DURING LOST COM? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISED THAT THE OTHER CREW MEMBER WAS CONTACTED BY FSDO REF THIS INCIDENT. AFTER REVIEW OF THE TECHNICAL DATA AND TAPES, FSDO DETERMINED NO VIOLATION WOULD BE FILED AGAINST THE CREW. THE INSPECTOR ADVISED THE OTHER CREW MEMBER THAT AIR TFC WOULD BE NOTIFIED THAT HE PERCEIVED THE SID WAS INSUFFICIENTLY CLR, OPEN TO PLT INTERP AND ACTION. THE RPTR ADVISED THAT BOTH PLTS RECOGNIZED THE CLRNC DELIVERY RESPONSE WAS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN THEY EXPECTED, THAT SINCE THEIR READBACK HAD NOT BEEN CORRECTED, THEY COULD TURN ON COURSE AFTER LEAVING 1400 FT. THE RPTR ADVISED, HAD THE TWR OR ONE OF THE OTHER PLTS SPOKE UP ABOUT THE CLRNC DISPARITY, THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. THE RPTR WAS CONCERNED WITH THE STATEMENT BY ATC THAT 'EARLY TURNS ON COURSE' HAVE HAPPENED BEFORE, YET THE SID HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED.

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.