Narrative:

Our flight release from fll-bwi read as follows: '(see filed route) fll...pbi...A699...permt...AR7...diw...fkn...bwi.' we had never seen this routing before and were going to question the use of an atlantic route due to our requirement to remain within 50 NM of land en route. However, clearance delivery amended the flight plan to read: FLL9...zappa...permt...ilm...J40....ric...OTT4...bwi. We intuitively recognized this as a routing closer to land, containing no atlantic routes, and believed ATC had caught the error. After departure, we looked more closely at the new routing and asked ATC to verify that zappa was within 40 NM offshore. ATC confirmed it was. En route to permt, we asked ATC why we were being routed as we were and if they were aware of our requirement to remain within 50 NM offshore. After checking, ATC said there had been no ATC amendment and we were basically routed as planned by dispatch. I again asked if our routing would keep us within 50 NM offshore to bwi. The controller replied he wasn't certain and had limited capability to verify this. At that point we asked for, and received, a vector back toward the coast while we confirmed the validity of our route. Soon after, we were cleared direct craig and rerouted over land on the route we normally use. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Subsequently reviewing the planned route in detail, it became apparent that, had we flown as planned, the routing on the release would have taken us to a maximum distance of 165 NM from shore. Only because the shore was not obscured by clouds and we checked the routing, did we catch the mistake in time. I called dispatch on bwi arrival to ask about the error and spoke to the dispatcher who planned this flight. She was very concerned and at a loss to explain the routing. She said the only way to input this routing was manually, and she had not done this. She was very helpful and said she would follow up the incident.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC ISSUED OVERWATER CLRNC WHILE FLYING A NON-OVERWATER ACFT.

Narrative: OUR FLT RELEASE FROM FLL-BWI READ AS FOLLOWS: '(SEE FILED RTE) FLL...PBI...A699...PERMT...AR7...DIW...FKN...BWI.' WE HAD NEVER SEEN THIS ROUTING BEFORE AND WERE GOING TO QUESTION THE USE OF AN ATLANTIC RTE DUE TO OUR REQUIREMENT TO REMAIN WITHIN 50 NM OF LAND ENRTE. HOWEVER, CLRNC DELIVERY AMENDED THE FLT PLAN TO READ: FLL9...ZAPPA...PERMT...ILM...J40....RIC...OTT4...BWI. WE INTUITIVELY RECOGNIZED THIS AS A ROUTING CLOSER TO LAND, CONTAINING NO ATLANTIC ROUTES, AND BELIEVED ATC HAD CAUGHT THE ERROR. AFTER DEP, WE LOOKED MORE CLOSELY AT THE NEW ROUTING AND ASKED ATC TO VERIFY THAT ZAPPA WAS WITHIN 40 NM OFFSHORE. ATC CONFIRMED IT WAS. ENRTE TO PERMT, WE ASKED ATC WHY WE WERE BEING ROUTED AS WE WERE AND IF THEY WERE AWARE OF OUR REQUIREMENT TO REMAIN WITHIN 50 NM OFFSHORE. AFTER CHKING, ATC SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO ATC AMENDMENT AND WE WERE BASICALLY ROUTED AS PLANNED BY DISPATCH. I AGAIN ASKED IF OUR ROUTING WOULD KEEP US WITHIN 50 NM OFFSHORE TO BWI. THE CTLR REPLIED HE WASN'T CERTAIN AND HAD LIMITED CAPABILITY TO VERIFY THIS. AT THAT POINT WE ASKED FOR, AND RECEIVED, A VECTOR BACK TOWARD THE COAST WHILE WE CONFIRMED THE VALIDITY OF OUR RTE. SOON AFTER, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT CRAIG AND REROUTED OVER LAND ON THE RTE WE NORMALLY USE. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. SUBSEQUENTLY REVIEWING THE PLANNED RTE IN DETAIL, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT, HAD WE FLOWN AS PLANNED, THE ROUTING ON THE RELEASE WOULD HAVE TAKEN US TO A MAX DISTANCE OF 165 NM FROM SHORE. ONLY BECAUSE THE SHORE WAS NOT OBSCURED BY CLOUDS AND WE CHKED THE ROUTING, DID WE CATCH THE MISTAKE IN TIME. I CALLED DISPATCH ON BWI ARR TO ASK ABOUT THE ERROR AND SPOKE TO THE DISPATCHER WHO PLANNED THIS FLT. SHE WAS VERY CONCERNED AND AT A LOSS TO EXPLAIN THE ROUTING. SHE SAID THE ONLY WAY TO INPUT THIS ROUTING WAS MANUALLY, AND SHE HAD NOT DONE THIS. SHE WAS VERY HELPFUL AND SAID SHE WOULD FOLLOW UP THE INCIDENT.

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.