B777-200 crew was given a 'swap' route change on taxi out at den. Routing nomenclature was confusing...

Attributes
ACN	536021
Time
Date	200201
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d01.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time type : 538
ASRS Report	536021
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company FAA Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	FAA

Narrative:

Taxiing out to runway 25, ground control clears 'swap route.1' our papers include coded departure routes. We pick the first in the list, it is labeled '1' on departure control. We are cleared direct to fix, it's not in our route of flight. We question departure control. He has us going over hanki. We show our departure route going over hct. He reclrs to fly present heading, and subsequently we are cleared present position J94 onl dbq jvl. Reviewing the coded departure routes, they are all labeled '1.' to differentiate between coded routes in den, it appears the terminology would be 'cleared swap' or 'coded departure route E1,' or 'N1,' etc. However, coded departure routes received the next day for our ord flight were arranged in order, top to bottom, 1 through 8, and a ninth route labeled '0.' each route had a letter following the route number. This discrepancy in arranging and labeling these routes opens up the opportunity for misunderstanding. This type of reroute is usually given while taxiing. A high workload time as it is, they are not that common. We need to make the identifiers standard and simple.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 CREW WAS GIVEN A 'SWAP' RTE CHANGE ON TAXI OUT AT DEN. ROUTING NOMENCLATURE WAS CONFUSING AND RESULTED IN THE CREW BEGINNING TO FLY THE WRONG RTE.

Narrative: TAXIING OUT TO RWY 25, GND CTL CLRS 'SWAP RTE.1' OUR PAPERS INCLUDE CODED DEP ROUTES. WE PICK THE FIRST IN THE LIST, IT IS LABELED '1' ON DEP CTL. WE ARE CLRED DIRECT TO FIX, IT'S NOT IN OUR RTE OF FLT. WE QUESTION DEP CTL. HE HAS US GOING OVER HANKI. WE SHOW OUR DEP RTE GOING OVER HCT. HE RECLRS TO FLY PRESENT HEADING, AND SUBSEQUENTLY WE ARE CLRED PRESENT POS J94 ONL DBQ JVL. REVIEWING THE CODED DEP ROUTES, THEY ARE ALL LABELED '1.' TO DIFFERENTIATE BTWN CODED ROUTES IN DEN, IT APPEARS THE TERMINOLOGY WOULD BE 'CLRED SWAP' OR 'CODED DEP RTE E1,' OR 'N1,' ETC. HOWEVER, CODED DEP ROUTES RECEIVED THE NEXT DAY FOR OUR ORD FLT WERE ARRANGED IN ORDER, TOP TO BOTTOM, 1 THROUGH 8, AND A NINTH RTE LABELED '0.' EACH RTE HAD A LETTER FOLLOWING THE RTE NUMBER. THIS DISCREPANCY IN ARRANGING AND LABELING THESE ROUTES OPENS UP THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MISUNDERSTANDING. THIS TYPE OF REROUTE IS USUALLY GIVEN WHILE TAXIING. A HIGH WORKLOAD TIME AS IT IS, THEY ARE NOT THAT COMMON. WE NEED TO MAKE THE IDENTIFIERS STANDARD AND SIMPLE.

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.

B777-200 crew was given a 'swap' route change on taxi out at den. Routing nomenclature was confusing and resulted in the crew beginning to fly the wrong route.