Narrative:

We were cleared for the bluegrass bwg transition off runway 18C. The flight plan was loaded and verified in the FMS. We briefed the departure. Initial takeoff clearance was for a heading of 240 degrees. Once airborne; we were assigned a new heading of 210 degrees and told to intercept the bluegrass. The heading seemed odd to us because it was almost paralleling the cvg 206 degree radial. The FMS did finally capture the course and we were established on the departure. Approaching 13000 ft in the climb; the controller asked us if we had a current database in our FMS. We said yes; and he replied that he showed us off the bluegrass and told us to come to a heading of 180 degrees to intercept. According to our navigation displays; this heading took us east of course. We complied with his instructions and rechked to ensure the FMS was loaded correctly. The bluegrass departure was confirmed. The controller then gave us direct to iiu to resume the departure. He told us to check the database when we landed. We did and found all the points were correct. Both the captain and I were at a loss for what error was made; but the controller's initial headings seemed to be putting us toward the trfwa transition on the SID. We will continue to doublechk all points on the departure to ensure the FMS database matches the current departure charts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter advises they are 99% certain the controller was thinking of the trfwa transition rather than the bluegrass. Multiple checks of their GPS updated FMS indicated normal operation. All vectors given by the controller seemed more appropriate for the trfwa transition. Eventual non committal clearance direct to iiu to resume the departure seemed to indicate the controller realized his error. This incident occurred when the multiple new sids out of cvg were first introduced. Reporter suspected the controller was simply confused.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ700 ON BLUEGRASS DEP SID IS ADVISED THEY ARE OFF TRACK. THEY SHOW OTHERWISE. EVENTUAL CLRNC DIRECT IIU RESOLVES PROB.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR THE BLUEGRASS BWG TRANSITION OFF RWY 18C. THE FLT PLAN WAS LOADED AND VERIFIED IN THE FMS. WE BRIEFED THE DEP. INITIAL TKOF CLRNC WAS FOR A HDG OF 240 DEGS. ONCE AIRBORNE; WE WERE ASSIGNED A NEW HDG OF 210 DEGS AND TOLD TO INTERCEPT THE BLUEGRASS. THE HDG SEEMED ODD TO US BECAUSE IT WAS ALMOST PARALLELING THE CVG 206 DEG RADIAL. THE FMS DID FINALLY CAPTURE THE COURSE AND WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE DEP. APCHING 13000 FT IN THE CLB; THE CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD A CURRENT DATABASE IN OUR FMS. WE SAID YES; AND HE REPLIED THAT HE SHOWED US OFF THE BLUEGRASS AND TOLD US TO COME TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS TO INTERCEPT. ACCORDING TO OUR NAV DISPLAYS; THIS HDG TOOK US E OF COURSE. WE COMPLIED WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND RECHKED TO ENSURE THE FMS WAS LOADED CORRECTLY. THE BLUEGRASS DEP WAS CONFIRMED. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US DIRECT TO IIU TO RESUME THE DEP. HE TOLD US TO CHK THE DATABASE WHEN WE LANDED. WE DID AND FOUND ALL THE POINTS WERE CORRECT. BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE AT A LOSS FOR WHAT ERROR WAS MADE; BUT THE CTLR'S INITIAL HDGS SEEMED TO BE PUTTING US TOWARD THE TRFWA TRANSITION ON THE SID. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DOUBLECHK ALL POINTS ON THE DEP TO ENSURE THE FMS DATABASE MATCHES THE CURRENT DEP CHARTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR ADVISES THEY ARE 99% CERTAIN THE CTLR WAS THINKING OF THE TRFWA TRANSITION RATHER THAN THE BLUEGRASS. MULTIPLE CHKS OF THEIR GPS UPDATED FMS INDICATED NORMAL OP. ALL VECTORS GIVEN BY THE CTLR SEEMED MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THE TRFWA TRANSITION. EVENTUAL NON COMMITTAL CLRNC DIRECT TO IIU TO RESUME THE DEP SEEMED TO INDICATE THE CTLR REALIZED HIS ERROR. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE MULTIPLE NEW SIDS OUT OF CVG WERE FIRST INTRODUCED. RPTR SUSPECTED THE CTLR WAS SIMPLY CONFUSED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.