Narrative:

On departure from fll, talking to mia departure control, received instructions to turn left to 270 degree heading and 'join the thndr.' our flight papers gave us a routing of fll direct thndr, the pre departure clearance gave the fll 8 departure thndr transition. The captain announced on briefing that fll 8 said climb runway heading to 500 ft. I glanced at the departure page and concurred, assuming we'd get radar vectors to thndr. When controller kept repeating 'join the thndr' I thought it odd, but unfortunately didn't question it or I would have discovered we were supposed to fly a transition sooner. I also assumed the line on the map was the correct transition -- but it was the original route, fll direct thndr, and not the dhp 335 degree radial to thndr the SID shows. Therefore, we went east through the 335 degree radial when controller had us turn back to 270 degrees to join proper departure. I should have checked SID more closely and had it set up. I should have questioned 'join the thndr.' also, fll 8 not in FMC, which helped me in my 'assumption' (another thing I should not have assumed was that it was a radar vector departure).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CREW HAD TRACK DEV ON DEP AT FLL.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM FLL, TALKING TO MIA DEP CTL, RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN L TO 270 DEG HDG AND 'JOIN THE THNDR.' OUR FLT PAPERS GAVE US A ROUTING OF FLL DIRECT THNDR, THE PDC GAVE THE FLL 8 DEP THNDR TRANSITION. THE CAPT ANNOUNCED ON BRIEFING THAT FLL 8 SAID CLB RWY HDG TO 500 FT. I GLANCED AT THE DEP PAGE AND CONCURRED, ASSUMING WE'D GET RADAR VECTORS TO THNDR. WHEN CTLR KEPT REPEATING 'JOIN THE THNDR' I THOUGHT IT ODD, BUT UNFORTUNATELY DIDN'T QUESTION IT OR I WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED WE WERE SUPPOSED TO FLY A TRANSITION SOONER. I ALSO ASSUMED THE LINE ON THE MAP WAS THE CORRECT TRANSITION -- BUT IT WAS THE ORIGINAL RTE, FLL DIRECT THNDR, AND NOT THE DHP 335 DEG RADIAL TO THNDR THE SID SHOWS. THEREFORE, WE WENT E THROUGH THE 335 DEG RADIAL WHEN CTLR HAD US TURN BACK TO 270 DEGS TO JOIN PROPER DEP. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED SID MORE CLOSELY AND HAD IT SET UP. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED 'JOIN THE THNDR.' ALSO, FLL 8 NOT IN FMC, WHICH HELPED ME IN MY 'ASSUMPTION' (ANOTHER THING I SHOULD NOT HAVE ASSUMED WAS THAT IT WAS A RADAR VECTOR DEP).

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.