Narrative:

Flight was being operated as a regularly scheduled far part 121, all cargo, flight on an IFR flight plan from gjt-cos. All 3 crew members were well rested. We briefed the SID that we expected to receive, the grand mesa 1 departure (vector). While in the middle of our pushback and engine start, ground called and informed us that he had our clearance. I called ground back and told him to go ahead with the clearance the initial part of our clearance was 'cleared to cos via the grand junction 2 departure direct blue mesa (JNC2.jnc..hbu...). Taxi and takeoff from runway 11 were normal. Shortly after contacting departure and climbing through approximately 9000 ft, we were direct blue mesa (hbu) which was very close to runway heading. Departure asked us if we were flying the 'instrument departure.' the first officer then realized that we were flying the SID that we had expected and briefed but that we had been issued a different SID. Departure then informed us that the MVA in that sector was 14000 ft and asked us if we were in a VFR climb. I informed him that we were climbing in VFR conditions at which point he told us to maintain VFR until leaving 14000 ft. Our climb continued VFR, well clear of terrain, without further incident. The incident clearly occurred by our failure to fly the SID for which we were cleared. Contributing factors included: 1) failure to obtain ATC clearance prior to pushback/taxi. Workload increases once aircraft movement begins and we normally receive our clrncs prior to blockout which allows us time to review, discuss and brief departure procedures. 2) the 2 sids involved in the incident are indexed on facing pages in our commercial charts and both begin with 'grand' (grand junction and grand mesa). 3) with all ATC services available, I expected -- perhaps out of habit -- the published vector SID to be used. 4) our ATC clearance was 'cleared to cos via the grand junction 2 departure direct blue mesa....' blue mesa (hbu) is shown on the grand mesa SID but not on the grand junction SID further reinforcing our acceptance of the vector SID. 5) my copying of the clearance during pushback and engine start instead of waiting until these tasks were completed. Not only was my attention momentarily diverted from push and start but the first officer was not permitted to give his full attention to the copying of the clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC FLIES WRONG SID.

Narrative: FLT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A REGULARLY SCHEDULED FAR PART 121, ALL CARGO, FLT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM GJT-COS. ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS WERE WELL RESTED. WE BRIEFED THE SID THAT WE EXPECTED TO RECEIVE, THE GRAND MESA 1 DEP (VECTOR). WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR PUSHBACK AND ENG START, GND CALLED AND INFORMED US THAT HE HAD OUR CLRNC. I CALLED GND BACK AND TOLD HIM TO GO AHEAD WITH THE CLRNC THE INITIAL PART OF OUR CLRNC WAS 'CLRED TO COS VIA THE GRAND JUNCTION 2 DEP DIRECT BLUE MESA (JNC2.JNC..HBU...). TAXI AND TKOF FROM RWY 11 WERE NORMAL. SHORTLY AFTER CONTACTING DEP AND CLBING THROUGH APPROX 9000 FT, WE WERE DIRECT BLUE MESA (HBU) WHICH WAS VERY CLOSE TO RWY HDG. DEP ASKED US IF WE WERE FLYING THE 'INST DEP.' THE FO THEN REALIZED THAT WE WERE FLYING THE SID THAT WE HAD EXPECTED AND BRIEFED BUT THAT WE HAD BEEN ISSUED A DIFFERENT SID. DEP THEN INFORMED US THAT THE MVA IN THAT SECTOR WAS 14000 FT AND ASKED US IF WE WERE IN A VFR CLB. I INFORMED HIM THAT WE WERE CLBING IN VFR CONDITIONS AT WHICH POINT HE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN VFR UNTIL LEAVING 14000 FT. OUR CLB CONTINUED VFR, WELL CLR OF TERRAIN, WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT CLRLY OCCURRED BY OUR FAILURE TO FLY THE SID FOR WHICH WE WERE CLRED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDED: 1) FAILURE TO OBTAIN ATC CLRNC PRIOR TO PUSHBACK/TAXI. WORKLOAD INCREASES ONCE ACFT MOVEMENT BEGINS AND WE NORMALLY RECEIVE OUR CLRNCS PRIOR TO BLOCKOUT WHICH ALLOWS US TIME TO REVIEW, DISCUSS AND BRIEF DEP PROCS. 2) THE 2 SIDS INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT ARE INDEXED ON FACING PAGES IN OUR COMMERCIAL CHARTS AND BOTH BEGIN WITH 'GRAND' (GRAND JUNCTION AND GRAND MESA). 3) WITH ALL ATC SVCS AVAILABLE, I EXPECTED -- PERHAPS OUT OF HABIT -- THE PUBLISHED VECTOR SID TO BE USED. 4) OUR ATC CLRNC WAS 'CLRED TO COS VIA THE GRAND JUNCTION 2 DEP DIRECT BLUE MESA....' BLUE MESA (HBU) IS SHOWN ON THE GRAND MESA SID BUT NOT ON THE GRAND JUNCTION SID FURTHER REINFORCING OUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE VECTOR SID. 5) MY COPYING OF THE CLRNC DURING PUSHBACK AND ENG START INSTEAD OF WAITING UNTIL THESE TASKS WERE COMPLETED. NOT ONLY WAS MY ATTN MOMENTARILY DIVERTED FROM PUSH AND START BUT THE FO WAS NOT PERMITTED TO GIVE HIS FULL ATTN TO THE COPYING OF THE 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.