Narrative:

I was PNF and first officer was PF. After takeoff from sea runway 34R, we followed the FMC generated path for the SUMMA6 departure. (Intercept the 341 degree radial to 8 NM then a right turn to 070 degrees and then another turn to 165 degrees after crossing the pae 139 degree radial.) using the FMC sea 8 fix we made a right turn to 070 degrees and after crossing the pae 139 degree radial, we began the next turn to 165 degrees, upon which departure gave us a heading. The controller asked us why we had turned to a heading of 070 degrees and we answered that it was on our pre departure clearance clearance with no revised segment. We acknowledged that the tower had given us a heading of 340 degrees with our takeoff clearance. He was surprised that the SUMMA6 was still in our cleared routed on the pre departure clearance. The sea VOR was OTS, which we knew. He also said that he was going to turn us when we turned anyway. He added that things had been pretty well messed up this day with this particular clearance. At this point, I realized we turned without clearance. We exchanged some comments before the handoff to the next frequency that led me to believe no administrative action would be taken on his part. I submit this report primarily for database building purposes. Comments: 1. After lengthy review, all the information was present in one form or another to break this pattern matching fault of expectancy. 2. The remarks section of the pre departure clearance contained instructions to expect vector to bke and fly runway heading. But the altitude clearance and loss of communication and departure control frequency was sandwiched in between. The pi on the airbus and I scoured the NOTAM on the way to sea and made the appropriate changes to our plates, but did not remember seeing any changes to the runway 34L/right departure. There was a lengthy NOTAM about the SUMMA6 having a left turn to 165 degrees versus a right turn. 4. We became so concerned with an FMC error that we missed some of the red flags in front of us and we had briefed each other on the need to be extra vigilant because of our lack of week to week flying. I will make it a point to incorporate some strategies to catch these types of pitfalls in future briefings. Note: today the pre departure clearance clearance back to den did not include the SUMMA6 in cleared route and a FMC departure, BLUITT4, was used and given in the revised segment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC UTILIZE INCORRECT DEP CLRNC AND ARE CORRECTED BY S46 CTLR.

Narrative: I WAS PNF AND FO WAS PF. AFTER TKOF FROM SEA RWY 34R, WE FOLLOWED THE FMC GENERATED PATH FOR THE SUMMA6 DEP. (INTERCEPT THE 341 DEG RADIAL TO 8 NM THEN A R TURN TO 070 DEGS AND THEN ANOTHER TURN TO 165 DEGS AFTER XING THE PAE 139 DEG RADIAL.) USING THE FMC SEA 8 FIX WE MADE A R TURN TO 070 DEGS AND AFTER XING THE PAE 139 DEG RADIAL, WE BEGAN THE NEXT TURN TO 165 DEGS, UPON WHICH DEP GAVE US A HDG. THE CTLR ASKED US WHY WE HAD TURNED TO A HDG OF 070 DEGS AND WE ANSWERED THAT IT WAS ON OUR PDC CLRNC WITH NO REVISED SEGMENT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE TWR HAD GIVEN US A HDG OF 340 DEGS WITH OUR TKOF CLRNC. HE WAS SURPRISED THAT THE SUMMA6 WAS STILL IN OUR CLEARED ROUTED ON THE PDC. THE SEA VOR WAS OTS, WHICH WE KNEW. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE WAS GOING TO TURN US WHEN WE TURNED ANYWAY. HE ADDED THAT THINGS HAD BEEN PRETTY WELL MESSED UP THIS DAY WITH THIS PARTICULAR CLRNC. AT THIS POINT, I REALIZED WE TURNED WITHOUT CLRNC. WE EXCHANGED SOME COMMENTS BEFORE THE HDOF TO THE NEXT FREQ THAT LED ME TO BELIEVE NO ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN ON HIS PART. I SUBMIT THIS RPT PRIMARILY FOR DATABASE BUILDING PURPOSES. COMMENTS: 1. AFTER LENGTHY REVIEW, ALL THE INFO WAS PRESENT IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER TO BREAK THIS PATTERN MATCHING FAULT OF EXPECTANCY. 2. THE REMARKS SECTION OF THE PDC CONTAINED INSTRUCTIONS TO EXPECT VECTOR TO BKE AND FLY RWY HDG. BUT THE ALT CLRNC AND LOSS OF COM AND DEP CTL FREQ WAS SANDWICHED IN BTWN. THE PI ON THE AIRBUS AND I SCOURED THE NOTAM ON THE WAY TO SEA AND MADE THE APPROPRIATE CHANGES TO OUR PLATES, BUT DID NOT REMEMBER SEEING ANY CHANGES TO THE RWY 34L/R DEP. THERE WAS A LENGTHY NOTAM ABOUT THE SUMMA6 HAVING A L TURN TO 165 DEGS VERSUS A R TURN. 4. WE BECAME SO CONCERNED WITH AN FMC ERROR THAT WE MISSED SOME OF THE RED FLAGS IN FRONT OF US AND WE HAD BRIEFED EACH OTHER ON THE NEED TO BE EXTRA VIGILANT BECAUSE OF OUR LACK OF WEEK TO WEEK FLYING. I WILL MAKE IT A POINT TO INCORPORATE SOME STRATEGIES TO CATCH THESE TYPES OF PITFALLS IN FUTURE BRIEFINGS. NOTE: TODAY THE PDC CLRNC BACK TO DEN DID NOT INCLUDE THE SUMMA6 IN CLEARED RTE AND A FMC DEP, BLUITT4, WAS USED AND GIVEN IN THE REVISED SEGMENT.

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.