A departure B747-100 freighter crew joins the wrong airway southeast of sea, wa.

Attributes
ACN	439432
Time
Date	199906
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 11500 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	439432
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 10600 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	439530
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Environmental Factor FAA Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On climb out from bfi, ZSE cleared us 'heading 160 degrees to join the airway.' we joined J20. Later, center asked for our heading. We said we were on the airway, heading 100 degrees. Center asked 'which airway?' we said J20. He reminded us we were cleared J5. Crew confusion resulted from: 1) no pre departure clearance on ACARS (normal sequence). 2) clearance delivery computer lost our flight plan. They asked us to tell company to refile. 3) clearance came during engine start-up and pushback. New clearance was different from flight plan and old clearance was still stored in RNAV. Job load and timing of clearance receipt broke our flow. 4) center's instructions were only to 'join the airway.' 5) it was an early morning departure. 6) even with 3 cockpit crew, we all had J20 on our mind.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEP B747-100 FREIGHTER CREW JOINS THE WRONG AIRWAY SE OF SEA, WA.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM BFI, ZSE CLRED US 'HDG 160 DEGS TO JOIN THE AIRWAY.' WE JOINED J20. LATER, CTR ASKED FOR OUR HDG. WE SAID WE WERE ON THE AIRWAY, HDG 100 DEGS. CTR ASKED 'WHICH AIRWAY?' WE SAID J20. HE REMINDED US WE WERE CLRED J5. CREW CONFUSION RESULTED FROM: 1) NO PDC ON ACARS (NORMAL SEQUENCE). 2) CLRNC DELIVERY COMPUTER LOST OUR FLT PLAN. THEY ASKED US TO TELL COMPANY TO REFILE. 3) CLRNC CAME DURING ENG START-UP AND PUSHBACK. NEW CLRNC WAS DIFFERENT FROM FLT PLAN AND OLD CLRNC WAS STILL STORED IN RNAV. JOB LOAD AND TIMING OF CLRNC RECEIPT BROKE OUR FLOW. 4) CTR'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE ONLY TO 'JOIN THE AIRWAY.' 5) IT WAS AN EARLY MORNING DEP. 6) EVEN WITH 3 COCKPIT CREW, WE ALL HAD J20 ON OUR MIND.

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.