Narrative:

Normal day, normal turn in rno with a very competent first officer. Sat down in seat for preparing cockpit for departure. After my flow was done, asked first officer what we were doing. He stated rno 3 departure. Pulled my chart out and saw that he had the aircraft set up for rno 3. Accomplished before start checklist. I noticed the release had fmg 6, but since rno 3 was a radar vector departure, I figured they would be vectoring us on course. Took off runway 16R, first officer's leg, switched to departure. About the time I thought they would be giving us vectors (9 DME on irno localizer south) the controller asked if we were making our turn to fmg. I said no, we were on the rno 3. He said stand by. We were then busy trying to figure out what we were supposed to be doing when the controller gave us a heading. I read back, I believe, 030 degrees. But while it was a l-hand turn as expected, I knew that didn't sound right as soon as I finished keying the microphone. The first officer had started the l-hand turn toward my stated heading. The controller came back with left 325 degrees, join J92 on course. Since I was still flustered on the error (SID and heading), I concentrated very hard on the heading to get the aircraft pointed in the right direction. I responded left 325 degrees. I failed to repeat the rest. He gave us another call, 'left 325 degrees, join J92 on course,' which I repeated. If he made more calls than that, I missed them. After he saw we were on our way to the correct direction, he gave us a phone number to call and handed us off to center. Arrived at pdx, called ATC specialist, told him what happened. He called me back and said all was ok, the controllers were concerned about the repeated calls to get on course. He told me not to call rno departure and to file an as soon as possible report. I have flown with this first officer many times before and find him very competent. I have no reason to doubt his stated rno 3 clearance. While this was not the release SID, and while it is not common to fly a different SID than the release, it does happen. I figured this was now a vector SID versus a route SID and it was reasonable. As for my repeated bungling of repeating instructions, I was caught off-guard. We were never in danger of terrain contact (VMC) or traffic (TCASII). We were eyeballs and elbows trying to correct our mistake. My ears were not effectively hearing since my brain was preoccupied. I believe that my comfort in this fine first officer lulled me into full reliance in his statements of our clearance. Although, on the other hand, it does happen occasionally to get a different SID from the release. So that final 'red flag' didn't pop up. I think that I will doublechk with the first officer when the release and SID don't match. When they look at me like I'm crazy, I'll have a real life adventure to share. We have just implemented a new procedure in las for repeating the SID and transition to ground control. This new procedure is to avoid what we just had in rno (wrong SID). Might this be standard procedure everywhere? I dunno.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLT CREW FLIES THE WRONG SID, EXPERIENCING A HDG TRACK DEV ON DEP OFF RWY 16R AT RNO, NV.

Narrative: NORMAL DAY, NORMAL TURN IN RNO WITH A VERY COMPETENT FO. SAT DOWN IN SEAT FOR PREPARING COCKPIT FOR DEP. AFTER MY FLOW WAS DONE, ASKED FO WHAT WE WERE DOING. HE STATED RNO 3 DEP. PULLED MY CHART OUT AND SAW THAT HE HAD THE ACFT SET UP FOR RNO 3. ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE START CHKLIST. I NOTICED THE RELEASE HAD FMG 6, BUT SINCE RNO 3 WAS A RADAR VECTOR DEP, I FIGURED THEY WOULD BE VECTORING US ON COURSE. TOOK OFF RWY 16R, FO'S LEG, SWITCHED TO DEP. ABOUT THE TIME I THOUGHT THEY WOULD BE GIVING US VECTORS (9 DME ON IRNO LOC S) THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE MAKING OUR TURN TO FMG. I SAID NO, WE WERE ON THE RNO 3. HE SAID STAND BY. WE WERE THEN BUSY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING WHEN THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG. I READ BACK, I BELIEVE, 030 DEGS. BUT WHILE IT WAS A L-HAND TURN AS EXPECTED, I KNEW THAT DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT AS SOON AS I FINISHED KEYING THE MIKE. THE FO HAD STARTED THE L-HAND TURN TOWARD MY STATED HDG. THE CTLR CAME BACK WITH L 325 DEGS, JOIN J92 ON COURSE. SINCE I WAS STILL FLUSTERED ON THE ERROR (SID AND HDG), I CONCENTRATED VERY HARD ON THE HDG TO GET THE ACFT POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I RESPONDED L 325 DEGS. I FAILED TO REPEAT THE REST. HE GAVE US ANOTHER CALL, 'L 325 DEGS, JOIN J92 ON COURSE,' WHICH I REPEATED. IF HE MADE MORE CALLS THAN THAT, I MISSED THEM. AFTER HE SAW WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE CORRECT DIRECTION, HE GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL AND HANDED US OFF TO CTR. ARRIVED AT PDX, CALLED ATC SPECIALIST, TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED. HE CALLED ME BACK AND SAID ALL WAS OK, THE CTLRS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE REPEATED CALLS TO GET ON COURSE. HE TOLD ME NOT TO CALL RNO DEP AND TO FILE AN ASAP RPT. I HAVE FLOWN WITH THIS FO MANY TIMES BEFORE AND FIND HIM VERY COMPETENT. I HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT HIS STATED RNO 3 CLRNC. WHILE THIS WAS NOT THE RELEASE SID, AND WHILE IT IS NOT COMMON TO FLY A DIFFERENT SID THAN THE RELEASE, IT DOES HAPPEN. I FIGURED THIS WAS NOW A VECTOR SID VERSUS A RTE SID AND IT WAS REASONABLE. AS FOR MY REPEATED BUNGLING OF REPEATING INSTRUCTIONS, I WAS CAUGHT OFF-GUARD. WE WERE NEVER IN DANGER OF TERRAIN CONTACT (VMC) OR TFC (TCASII). WE WERE EYEBALLS AND ELBOWS TRYING TO CORRECT OUR MISTAKE. MY EARS WERE NOT EFFECTIVELY HEARING SINCE MY BRAIN WAS PREOCCUPIED. I BELIEVE THAT MY COMFORT IN THIS FINE FO LULLED ME INTO FULL RELIANCE IN HIS STATEMENTS OF OUR CLRNC. ALTHOUGH, ON THE OTHER HAND, IT DOES HAPPEN OCCASIONALLY TO GET A DIFFERENT SID FROM THE RELEASE. SO THAT FINAL 'RED FLAG' DIDN'T POP UP. I THINK THAT I WILL DOUBLECHK WITH THE FO WHEN THE RELEASE AND SID DON'T MATCH. WHEN THEY LOOK AT ME LIKE I'M CRAZY, I'LL HAVE A REAL LIFE ADVENTURE TO SHARE. WE HAVE JUST IMPLEMENTED A NEW PROC IN LAS FOR REPEATING THE SID AND TRANSITION TO GND CTL. THIS NEW PROC IS TO AVOID WHAT WE JUST HAD IN RNO (WRONG SID). MIGHT THIS BE STANDARD PROC EVERYWHERE? I DUNNO.

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.