Narrative:

Aircraft called for clearance. The clearance was not stored in NAS computer. FSS was called (who knows which one it is now; I think it was los angeles and dayton combined) to see if it was available. FSS struggled to get flight plan in NAS computer; but what they put in was not what pilot had filed (for whatever reason); but clearance delivery didn't know that and cleared aircraft 'as filed.' after some discussion on the frequency with the pilot about the clearance during their taxi out; it was determined that the flight was not cleared to the destination airport as filed; but as FSS had put it in the NAS computer; at that time the air crew was issued a full route clearance; which put them on the same sheet of music ATC was working from. This was one of over 10 situations just this day; and several of these occurrences involved military aircraft. When these aircraft are filed one direction; but are cleared via a different direction that the pilots have no idea what that is; this is truly a recipe for disaster; or the very least; a pile of paperwork neither the pilot nor controller needs to spend time filling out. It became easier and quicker; for clearance delivery to get the required information and type in the flight plan than to wait for FSS to get around to doing their job (in one instance; when I called FSS to inquire if they had a flight plan; after some deliberation; they acknowledged the fact that they had the information; and asked me if I would like them to put it into the system; and since the pilot had filed to depart 30 mins prior to this time. I told them that that would be helpful; but we still ended up typing in the pilot's flight plan quicker than FSS got it into the system). I feel this is a serious safety concern. How many other places is this happening (besides canned flight plans)...? When a pilot is cleared via how they filed; but what is in the NAS computer is something different; the pilot will fly what they filed; and ATC will expect them to do something different.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EVV CTLR DESCRIBED FLT PLAN FILING CONFUSION; CITING FSS AS NOT COMPLETING DUTIES ACCURATELY AND IN A TIMELY MANNER.

Narrative: ACFT CALLED FOR CLRNC. THE CLRNC WAS NOT STORED IN NAS COMPUTER. FSS WAS CALLED (WHO KNOWS WHICH ONE IT IS NOW; I THINK IT WAS LOS ANGELES AND DAYTON COMBINED) TO SEE IF IT WAS AVAILABLE. FSS STRUGGLED TO GET FLT PLAN IN NAS COMPUTER; BUT WHAT THEY PUT IN WAS NOT WHAT PLT HAD FILED (FOR WHATEVER REASON); BUT CLRNC DELIVERY DIDN'T KNOW THAT AND CLRED ACFT 'AS FILED.' AFTER SOME DISCUSSION ON THE FREQ WITH THE PLT ABOUT THE CLRNC DURING THEIR TAXI OUT; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FLT WAS NOT CLRED TO THE DEST ARPT AS FILED; BUT AS FSS HAD PUT IT IN THE NAS COMPUTER; AT THAT TIME THE AIR CREW WAS ISSUED A FULL RTE CLRNC; WHICH PUT THEM ON THE SAME SHEET OF MUSIC ATC WAS WORKING FROM. THIS WAS ONE OF OVER 10 SITUATIONS JUST THIS DAY; AND SEVERAL OF THESE OCCURRENCES INVOLVED MIL ACFT. WHEN THESE ACFT ARE FILED ONE DIRECTION; BUT ARE CLRED VIA A DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAT THE PLTS HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THAT IS; THIS IS TRULY A RECIPE FOR DISASTER; OR THE VERY LEAST; A PILE OF PAPERWORK NEITHER THE PLT NOR CTLR NEEDS TO SPEND TIME FILLING OUT. IT BECAME EASIER AND QUICKER; FOR CLRNC DELIVERY TO GET THE REQUIRED INFO AND TYPE IN THE FLT PLAN THAN TO WAIT FOR FSS TO GET AROUND TO DOING THEIR JOB (IN ONE INSTANCE; WHEN I CALLED FSS TO INQUIRE IF THEY HAD A FLT PLAN; AFTER SOME DELIBERATION; THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE FACT THAT THEY HAD THE INFO; AND ASKED ME IF I WOULD LIKE THEM TO PUT IT INTO THE SYS; AND SINCE THE PLT HAD FILED TO DEPART 30 MINS PRIOR TO THIS TIME. I TOLD THEM THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL; BUT WE STILL ENDED UP TYPING IN THE PLT'S FLT PLAN QUICKER THAN FSS GOT IT INTO THE SYS). I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. HOW MANY OTHER PLACES IS THIS HAPPENING (BESIDES CANNED FLT PLANS)...? WHEN A PLT IS CLRED VIA HOW THEY FILED; BUT WHAT IS IN THE NAS COMPUTER IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT; THE PLT WILL FLY WHAT THEY FILED; AND ATC WILL EXPECT THEM TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

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.