Narrative:

We departed ont with the first officer flying. As we climbed out; we neared the point of intercepting the radial to the pom VOR. I reminded the first officer of the turn; but he reminded me that the clearance was 'runway heading;' not from tower; but from clearance. In hopes of eliminating more confusion; I called departure to clarify that he wanted us to intercept inbound toward the VOR and proceed via the departure. He informed me that we had missed the normal 'hold-down' altitude. At this point I realized that I must have not backed up the first officer when he read the clearance to me; as I had looked at the departure; but I did not question the higher than normal altitude. Departure questioned our confusion and I told him that I must have made an error and asked if he had alternate instructions for us. He gave us a new heading (and I think a new altitude) to join the departure. In analyzing this over and over; we noticed that the departure from ont is not as clear as other departures; specifically to our destination city; as to direct us to fly a heading to intercept; versus fly a heading and expect vectors to departure. I need to be reminded frequently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 CREW BECOME CONFUSED DURING DEP FROM ONT EXCEEDING A HOLD DOWN ALT AND QUESTIONING THE TRACK THEY ARE TO FLY.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ONT WITH THE FO FLYING. AS WE CLBED OUT; WE NEARED THE POINT OF INTERCEPTING THE RADIAL TO THE POM VOR. I REMINDED THE FO OF THE TURN; BUT HE REMINDED ME THAT THE CLRNC WAS 'RWY HDG;' NOT FROM TWR; BUT FROM CLRNC. IN HOPES OF ELIMINATING MORE CONFUSION; I CALLED DEP TO CLARIFY THAT HE WANTED US TO INTERCEPT INBOUND TOWARD THE VOR AND PROCEED VIA THE DEP. HE INFORMED ME THAT WE HAD MISSED THE NORMAL 'HOLD-DOWN' ALT. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THAT I MUST HAVE NOT BACKED UP THE FO WHEN HE READ THE CLRNC TO ME; AS I HAD LOOKED AT THE DEP; BUT I DID NOT QUESTION THE HIGHER THAN NORMAL ALT. DEP QUESTIONED OUR CONFUSION AND I TOLD HIM THAT I MUST HAVE MADE AN ERROR AND ASKED IF HE HAD ALTERNATE INSTRUCTIONS FOR US. HE GAVE US A NEW HDG (AND I THINK A NEW ALT) TO JOIN THE DEP. IN ANALYZING THIS OVER AND OVER; WE NOTICED THAT THE DEP FROM ONT IS NOT AS CLR AS OTHER DEPS; SPECIFICALLY TO OUR DEST CITY; AS TO DIRECT US TO FLY A HDG TO INTERCEPT; VERSUS FLY A HDG AND EXPECT VECTORS TO DEP. I NEED TO BE REMINDED FREQUENTLY.

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.