Narrative:

We received a heading assignment of 085 degrees to 'join the transition.' I confirmed that we were approximately 1.7 mi north of our course-line and that the 085 degree heading would intercept the course. I activated the navigation mode on the autoplt by pressing the heading selector knob. I then monitored the aircraft's progress as it captured the course. Approximately 2 mins later, departure control called and asked if we showed ourselves established on the departure. We answered in the affirmative. It was at this time that we discovered that the plains 3 hct transition was programmed in our FMS, but we were actually cleared via the mck transition. The departure controller then gave us a heading around slower traffic. Shortly after this, we were given direct to rod VOR. Later in the flight, I believe center asked us to contact center when we landed. While it is true that the captain and I could have caught the change in routing during our preflight planning, the presentation of the pre departure clearance clearance makes it very easy (and even likely) to make a mistake. Why are we given the original routing at all when the clearance has been changed? In our minds we see the original clearance in our company paperwork and then see it again in the amended pre departure clearance clearance. I guess seeing the original clearance twice and the amended clearance once naturally makes our minds want to do what we were expecting to do. To further enhance the probability of making a mistake, we are frequently issued a pre departure clearance clearance which indicates a change to the filed routing when, in fact, the 'amended' portion of the pre departure clearance is exactly as originally filed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that a revised routing pre departure clearance presentation gives the revised routing between 2 dashes, one at the beginning of the revision and one at the end, in the top part of the pre departure clearance. The original clearance is reproduced in the bottom portion of the pre departure clearance. Because of numerous errors at the reporter's company the pilots have received memos from safety, dispatch and the flight department to be aware of changes. The reporter would prefer to see only the revision to the flight plan and none of the original repeated. The tendency is to take that which is repeated twice (first in the release then again in the revision) as opposed to seeing the original in the release then one other that is the revision in the pre departure clearance. Part of the problem for this company is that dispatch issues rtes different from the preferred routing, a process that automatically generates a revised pre departure clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A19 CREW DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE REVISED PORTION OF PREDEP CLRNC (PDC) AND AFTER TKOF FOLLOWED AN INCORRECT ROUTING.

Narrative: WE RECEIVED A HDG ASSIGNMENT OF 085 DEGS TO 'JOIN THE TRANSITION.' I CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE APPROX 1.7 MI N OF OUR COURSE-LINE AND THAT THE 085 DEG HDG WOULD INTERCEPT THE COURSE. I ACTIVATED THE NAV MODE ON THE AUTOPLT BY PRESSING THE HDG SELECTOR KNOB. I THEN MONITORED THE ACFT'S PROGRESS AS IT CAPTURED THE COURSE. APPROX 2 MINS LATER, DEP CTL CALLED AND ASKED IF WE SHOWED OURSELVES ESTABLISHED ON THE DEP. WE ANSWERED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT WE DISCOVERED THAT THE PLAINS 3 HCT TRANSITION WAS PROGRAMMED IN OUR FMS, BUT WE WERE ACTUALLY CLRED VIA THE MCK TRANSITION. THE DEP CTLR THEN GAVE US A HDG AROUND SLOWER TFC. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT TO ROD VOR. LATER IN THE FLT, I BELIEVE CTR ASKED US TO CONTACT CTR WHEN WE LANDED. WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT THE CAPT AND I COULD HAVE CAUGHT THE CHANGE IN ROUTING DURING OUR PREFLT PLANNING, THE PRESENTATION OF THE PDC CLRNC MAKES IT VERY EASY (AND EVEN LIKELY) TO MAKE A MISTAKE. WHY ARE WE GIVEN THE ORIGINAL ROUTING AT ALL WHEN THE CLRNC HAS BEEN CHANGED? IN OUR MINDS WE SEE THE ORIGINAL CLRNC IN OUR COMPANY PAPERWORK AND THEN SEE IT AGAIN IN THE AMENDED PDC CLRNC. I GUESS SEEING THE ORIGINAL CLRNC TWICE AND THE AMENDED CLRNC ONCE NATURALLY MAKES OUR MINDS WANT TO DO WHAT WE WERE EXPECTING TO DO. TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE PROBABILITY OF MAKING A MISTAKE, WE ARE FREQUENTLY ISSUED A PDC CLRNC WHICH INDICATES A CHANGE TO THE FILED ROUTING WHEN, IN FACT, THE 'AMENDED' PORTION OF THE PDC IS EXACTLY AS ORIGINALLY FILED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT A REVISED ROUTING PDC PRESENTATION GIVES THE REVISED ROUTING BTWN 2 DASHES, ONE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE REVISION AND ONE AT THE END, IN THE TOP PART OF THE PDC. THE ORIGINAL CLRNC IS REPRODUCED IN THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE PDC. BECAUSE OF NUMEROUS ERRORS AT THE RPTR'S COMPANY THE PLTS HAVE RECEIVED MEMOS FROM SAFETY, DISPATCH AND THE FLT DEPT TO BE AWARE OF CHANGES. THE RPTR WOULD PREFER TO SEE ONLY THE REVISION TO THE FLT PLAN AND NONE OF THE ORIGINAL REPEATED. THE TENDENCY IS TO TAKE THAT WHICH IS REPEATED TWICE (FIRST IN THE RELEASE THEN AGAIN IN THE REVISION) AS OPPOSED TO SEEING THE ORIGINAL IN THE RELEASE THEN ONE OTHER THAT IS THE REVISION IN THE PDC. PART OF THE PROB FOR THIS COMPANY IS THAT DISPATCH ISSUES RTES DIFFERENT FROM THE PREFERRED ROUTING, A PROCESS THAT AUTOMATICALLY GENERATES A REVISED PDC.

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.