Narrative:

Immediately prior to being cleared for takeoff at sfo, we were advised by tower to contact clearance delivery for a rerte. Instead of our normal fpr, we were given a clearance far north -- sfo 8 departure radar vectors sac J32 battle mountain J154 slc J56 hayden tomsn 3 arrival, kden. Because we were concerned about the fuel implications of this extended northerly routing, and concerned with numerous aircraft behind us in line waiting for takeoff, we quickly loaded the first waypoints -- sac, bam, slc -- into our FMC so that we could depart quickly and later confirm the exact routing. During climb, we became quite busy looking for other traffic, which seemed especially busy in the sacramento and reno area as we climbed and leveled off at FL330. When queried by the center controller as to whether we were cleared direct fmg VOR, we realized we had become preoccupied with conflicting aircraft traffic and had not entered all the specific VOR's constituting J32, namely mustang (fmg) and lovelock (llc). Fortunately, our center controller was kind enough to clear us direct to llc before we entered any military or restr airspace. In retrospect, it is clear that the last min issuance of a new northerly clearance contributed to our workload and perhaps our urgency to depart. But in future, I will work hard to make sure my CRM efforts make getting the exact route loaded into the FMC my biggest priority -- and also to have the other pilot carefully confirm that the route we've loaded 'into the box' exactly matches our clearance. At its worst point, I imagine we may have been approximately 4-6 NM off the intended airway, but at no time were we ever in conflict with other aircraft or terrain. We were, however, very busy with radio and traffic separation duties, and despite our good intentions back on the ground at sfo (to load in the complete flight plan later to help expedite departures) this is not the right way to handle it. We resolved to always take the necessary time to load the entire fpr properly, have it doublechked by the other pilot, so as to not get preoccupied/distraction by heavy task loading later. It would also seem prudent for sfo tower and ground control personnel to coordinate rerte notification faster for greater safety. We understand the reason for our rerte was an MOA going 'hot' and I imagine they (control tower and ground) had more prior notification of this than we did our rerte clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CREW, UPON RECEIVING A RERTE FROM SFO CLRNC, ENTERED ONLY A PORTION OF THE RTE IN THE FMC TO EXPEDITE THEIR DEP. AT LEVELOFF, IT WAS BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTN BY ATC THAT THEIR ROUTING WAS IN ERROR.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO BEING CLRED FOR TKOF AT SFO, WE WERE ADVISED BY TWR TO CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY FOR A RERTE. INSTEAD OF OUR NORMAL FPR, WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC FAR N -- SFO 8 DEP RADAR VECTORS SAC J32 BATTLE MOUNTAIN J154 SLC J56 HAYDEN TOMSN 3 ARR, KDEN. BECAUSE WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUEL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS EXTENDED NORTHERLY ROUTING, AND CONCERNED WITH NUMEROUS ACFT BEHIND US IN LINE WAITING FOR TKOF, WE QUICKLY LOADED THE FIRST WAYPOINTS -- SAC, BAM, SLC -- INTO OUR FMC SO THAT WE COULD DEPART QUICKLY AND LATER CONFIRM THE EXACT ROUTING. DURING CLB, WE BECAME QUITE BUSY LOOKING FOR OTHER TFC, WHICH SEEMED ESPECIALLY BUSY IN THE SACRAMENTO AND RENO AREA AS WE CLBED AND LEVELED OFF AT FL330. WHEN QUERIED BY THE CTR CTLR AS TO WHETHER WE WERE CLRED DIRECT FMG VOR, WE REALIZED WE HAD BECOME PREOCCUPIED WITH CONFLICTING ACFT TFC AND HAD NOT ENTERED ALL THE SPECIFIC VOR'S CONSTITUTING J32, NAMELY MUSTANG (FMG) AND LOVELOCK (LLC). FORTUNATELY, OUR CTR CTLR WAS KIND ENOUGH TO CLR US DIRECT TO LLC BEFORE WE ENTERED ANY MIL OR RESTR AIRSPACE. IN RETROSPECT, IT IS CLR THAT THE LAST MIN ISSUANCE OF A NEW NORTHERLY CLRNC CONTRIBUTED TO OUR WORKLOAD AND PERHAPS OUR URGENCY TO DEPART. BUT IN FUTURE, I WILL WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE MY CRM EFFORTS MAKE GETTING THE EXACT RTE LOADED INTO THE FMC MY BIGGEST PRIORITY -- AND ALSO TO HAVE THE OTHER PLT CAREFULLY CONFIRM THAT THE RTE WE'VE LOADED 'INTO THE BOX' EXACTLY MATCHES OUR CLRNC. AT ITS WORST POINT, I IMAGINE WE MAY HAVE BEEN APPROX 4-6 NM OFF THE INTENDED AIRWAY, BUT AT NO TIME WERE WE EVER IN CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT OR TERRAIN. WE WERE, HOWEVER, VERY BUSY WITH RADIO AND TFC SEPARATION DUTIES, AND DESPITE OUR GOOD INTENTIONS BACK ON THE GND AT SFO (TO LOAD IN THE COMPLETE FLT PLAN LATER TO HELP EXPEDITE DEPS) THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO HANDLE IT. WE RESOLVED TO ALWAYS TAKE THE NECESSARY TIME TO LOAD THE ENTIRE FPR PROPERLY, HAVE IT DOUBLECHKED BY THE OTHER PLT, SO AS TO NOT GET PREOCCUPIED/DISTR BY HVY TASK LOADING LATER. IT WOULD ALSO SEEM PRUDENT FOR SFO TWR AND GND CTL PERSONNEL TO COORDINATE RERTE NOTIFICATION FASTER FOR GREATER SAFETY. WE UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR OUR RERTE WAS AN MOA GOING 'HOT' AND I IMAGINE THEY (CTL TWR AND GND) HAD MORE PRIOR NOTIFICATION OF THIS THAN WE DID OUR RERTE 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.