Narrative:

During preflight planning; I received the following clearance from clearance delivery in phx: 'sjn 3 departure.sjn.J18.gck; as filed.fl' which I compared to our filed clearance of 'SJN3.abq.cim.J96.sln....' prior to CDU programming; I checked the filed route on the high chart; tracing back from sln towards phx on J18/J96; which are co-located east of gck. I missed the fact that J18 and J96 split west of gck and I interpreted the issued clearance as being the same as the filed clearance; even though clearance delivery did not say 'as filed.' it has been my experience on numerous occasions that clearance delivery will issue a clearance listing multiple points along the filed route; then 'as filed' for the remainder of the clearance; rather than just saying 'cleared as filed' (for the entire route). This gives the impression that the clearance is not along the filed route; until the route is checked; point by point; on the charts. I did not verify the route on the chart carefully enough this time and was complacent in assuming that this was another such situation. I; therefore; programmed the CDU with the company route (as filed) and briefed the captain that we had been cleared as filed. In reality; we were programmed to fly abq.cim.gck when we should have been programmed to fly abq.fti.gck. Shortly after crossing over abq and turning towards cim (when we should have turned towards fti); ZAB gave us a vector off course and queried us about our clearance. The captain replied we had been cleared as filed; as I had briefed him. Center called back a little while later with a phone number for us to call after landing. After retracing the clearance on the chart; I realized my error and explained it to the captain. He contacted the ZAB supervisor as directed after landing and explained the course of events. He was told no aircraft separation had been required and no paperwork would be initiated. The error was entirely mine. By being complacent and hurrying through programming the CDU; I inadvertently set the stage for a very embarrassing and potentially dangerous situation. Whenever issued any clearance other than 'as filed;' I will get out my highlighter and more carefully verify the exact routing on the chart and call clearance delivery back with any questions. I will also read the exact clearance issued during my clearance briefing to the captain; even if I believe it is identical to the filed route. This will alert him to verify that I have interpreted the clearance issued correctly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 FLT CREW HAS A TRACK HDG DEV DURING CRUISE.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT PLANNING; I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC FROM CLRNC DELIVERY IN PHX: 'SJN 3 DEP.SJN.J18.GCK; AS FILED.FL' WHICH I COMPARED TO OUR FILED CLRNC OF 'SJN3.ABQ.CIM.J96.SLN....' PRIOR TO CDU PROGRAMMING; I CHKED THE FILED RTE ON THE HIGH CHART; TRACING BACK FROM SLN TOWARDS PHX ON J18/J96; WHICH ARE CO-LOCATED E OF GCK. I MISSED THE FACT THAT J18 AND J96 SPLIT W OF GCK AND I INTERPED THE ISSUED CLRNC AS BEING THE SAME AS THE FILED CLRNC; EVEN THOUGH CLRNC DELIVERY DID NOT SAY 'AS FILED.' IT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT CLRNC DELIVERY WILL ISSUE A CLRNC LISTING MULTIPLE POINTS ALONG THE FILED RTE; THEN 'AS FILED' FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CLRNC; RATHER THAN JUST SAYING 'CLRED AS FILED' (FOR THE ENTIRE RTE). THIS GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT THE CLRNC IS NOT ALONG THE FILED RTE; UNTIL THE RTE IS CHKED; POINT BY POINT; ON THE CHARTS. I DID NOT VERIFY THE RTE ON THE CHART CAREFULLY ENOUGH THIS TIME AND WAS COMPLACENT IN ASSUMING THAT THIS WAS ANOTHER SUCH SITUATION. I; THEREFORE; PROGRAMMED THE CDU WITH THE COMPANY RTE (AS FILED) AND BRIEFED THE CAPT THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED AS FILED. IN REALITY; WE WERE PROGRAMMED TO FLY ABQ.CIM.GCK WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED TO FLY ABQ.FTI.GCK. SHORTLY AFTER XING OVER ABQ AND TURNING TOWARDS CIM (WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE TURNED TOWARDS FTI); ZAB GAVE US A VECTOR OFF COURSE AND QUERIED US ABOUT OUR CLRNC. THE CAPT REPLIED WE HAD BEEN CLRED AS FILED; AS I HAD BRIEFED HIM. CTR CALLED BACK A LITTLE WHILE LATER WITH A PHONE NUMBER FOR US TO CALL AFTER LNDG. AFTER RETRACING THE CLRNC ON THE CHART; I REALIZED MY ERROR AND EXPLAINED IT TO THE CAPT. HE CONTACTED THE ZAB SUPVR AS DIRECTED AFTER LNDG AND EXPLAINED THE COURSE OF EVENTS. HE WAS TOLD NO ACFT SEPARATION HAD BEEN REQUIRED AND NO PAPERWORK WOULD BE INITIATED. THE ERROR WAS ENTIRELY MINE. BY BEING COMPLACENT AND HURRYING THROUGH PROGRAMMING THE CDU; I INADVERTENTLY SET THE STAGE FOR A VERY EMBARRASSING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. WHENEVER ISSUED ANY CLRNC OTHER THAN 'AS FILED;' I WILL GET OUT MY HIGHLIGHTER AND MORE CAREFULLY VERIFY THE EXACT ROUTING ON THE CHART AND CALL CLRNC DELIVERY BACK WITH ANY QUESTIONS. I WILL ALSO READ THE EXACT CLRNC ISSUED DURING MY CLRNC BRIEFING TO THE CAPT; EVEN IF I BELIEVE IT IS IDENTICAL TO THE FILED RTE. THIS WILL ALERT HIM TO VERIFY THAT I HAVE INTERPED THE CLRNC ISSUED CORRECTLY.

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.