MD80 captain concerned with delay impact to flight due to unavailability of ACARS, clearance amendme...

Attributes
ACN	605141
Time
Date	200401
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	605141
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft ATC Human Performance Company Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : ord.tower

Narrative:

No ACARS clearance at ord. Called clearance delivery and were issued a swap route to pbi. I did not have swap rtes in my flight manual. First officer had rtes, but they did not match clearance. I requested a full route readback and we were told to stand by. After several mins, clearance delivery stated that they did not have time for full route readback and to call company for the route. At this point, I delayed the departure to call dispatch, uplink a new flight plan, set up the gfms and radios, and brief to make sure we agreed on the plan and legality. After takeoff, I confirmed route with center. Several issues here: 1) did company remove swap rtes from our commercial chart to save money, or did I miss a revision? 2) there was no WX at ord or in the area that impacted operations or required a deviation. Why was ord issuing swap rtes? 3) since when did clearance delivery tell us to contact company instead of providing a full route readback? This has been a high interest company item this yr. Although I believe that we were legal, I was not confident that we were correct until after talking to center.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CAPT CONCERNED WITH DELAY IMPACT TO FLT DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF ACARS, CLRNC AMENDMENTS DUE TO WX AT DEST, AND ORD CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR'S COMMENTS.

Narrative: NO ACARS CLRNC AT ORD. CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY AND WERE ISSUED A SWAP RTE TO PBI. I DID NOT HAVE SWAP RTES IN MY FLT MANUAL. FO HAD RTES, BUT THEY DID NOT MATCH CLRNC. I REQUESTED A FULL RTE READBACK AND WE WERE TOLD TO STAND BY. AFTER SEVERAL MINS, CLRNC DELIVERY STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME FOR FULL RTE READBACK AND TO CALL COMPANY FOR THE RTE. AT THIS POINT, I DELAYED THE DEP TO CALL DISPATCH, UPLINK A NEW FLT PLAN, SET UP THE GFMS AND RADIOS, AND BRIEF TO MAKE SURE WE AGREED ON THE PLAN AND LEGALITY. AFTER TKOF, I CONFIRMED RTE WITH CTR. SEVERAL ISSUES HERE: 1) DID COMPANY REMOVE SWAP RTES FROM OUR COMMERCIAL CHART TO SAVE MONEY, OR DID I MISS A REVISION? 2) THERE WAS NO WX AT ORD OR IN THE AREA THAT IMPACTED OPS OR REQUIRED A DEV. WHY WAS ORD ISSUING SWAP RTES? 3) SINCE WHEN DID CLRNC DELIVERY TELL US TO CONTACT COMPANY INSTEAD OF PROVIDING A FULL RTE READBACK? THIS HAS BEEN A HIGH INTEREST COMPANY ITEM THIS YR. ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE THAT WE WERE LEGAL, I WAS NOT CONFIDENT THAT WE WERE CORRECT UNTIL AFTER TALKING TO CTR.

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.

MD80 captain concerned with delay impact to flight due to unavailability of ACARS, clearance amendments due to WX at destination, and ord clearance delivery controller's comments.