Narrative:

Assigned the gorman 4 departure I went to pull out my SID; and mine was missing from my book. The captain had his; and I briefed it from his chart. The briefing included routing and altitude restrs. I was the PF and accelerated normally out of 10000 ft to our climb speed of approximately 310 KTS. We leveled off at 15000 ft where the controller told us to 'resume normal speed.' we told him we were normal speed. He went on to explain we had not been given it yet; and the SID limited us to 250 KTS. He then gave us our next frequency and we continued with the flight. Contributing factors: 1) briefing -- my SID briefing; and all 3 pilots; should have caught the 250 KT restr. 2) chart -- I should have borrowed the relief pilot's chart and had it in front of me for the departure (instead of sharing with the captain). 3) poor SID layout and speed notation -- SID format has speed restrs that apply to the entire procedure located with the title. Most of the time (including lhr SID's; that look very similar) this restr states 'maintain 250 KTS below 10000 ft...' or something close to our normal procedures. If you compare the 'speed statement' on the gorman SID with the 'speed statement' on any lhr SID; you see they look the same; but mean something totally opposite. Restrs like those on the gorman are not normal and should be in a different format. Perhaps in a separate special notes box; or located by the runway procedures where most pilots study the specific procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777 PILOT REPORTS EXCEED A LAX GORMAN 4 250 KT RESTRICTION BECAUSE HE MISREAD THE CHART.

Narrative: ASSIGNED THE GORMAN 4 DEP I WENT TO PULL OUT MY SID; AND MINE WAS MISSING FROM MY BOOK. THE CAPT HAD HIS; AND I BRIEFED IT FROM HIS CHART. THE BRIEFING INCLUDED ROUTING AND ALT RESTRS. I WAS THE PF AND ACCELERATED NORMALLY OUT OF 10000 FT TO OUR CLB SPD OF APPROX 310 KTS. WE LEVELED OFF AT 15000 FT WHERE THE CTLR TOLD US TO 'RESUME NORMAL SPD.' WE TOLD HIM WE WERE NORMAL SPD. HE WENT ON TO EXPLAIN WE HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN IT YET; AND THE SID LIMITED US TO 250 KTS. HE THEN GAVE US OUR NEXT FREQ AND WE CONTINUED WITH THE FLT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) BRIEFING -- MY SID BRIEFING; AND ALL 3 PLTS; SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE 250 KT RESTR. 2) CHART -- I SHOULD HAVE BORROWED THE RELIEF PLT'S CHART AND HAD IT IN FRONT OF ME FOR THE DEP (INSTEAD OF SHARING WITH THE CAPT). 3) POOR SID LAYOUT AND SPD NOTATION -- SID FORMAT HAS SPD RESTRS THAT APPLY TO THE ENTIRE PROC LOCATED WITH THE TITLE. MOST OF THE TIME (INCLUDING LHR SID'S; THAT LOOK VERY SIMILAR) THIS RESTR STATES 'MAINTAIN 250 KTS BELOW 10000 FT...' OR SOMETHING CLOSE TO OUR NORMAL PROCS. IF YOU COMPARE THE 'SPD STATEMENT' ON THE GORMAN SID WITH THE 'SPD STATEMENT' ON ANY LHR SID; YOU SEE THEY LOOK THE SAME; BUT MEAN SOMETHING TOTALLY OPPOSITE. RESTRS LIKE THOSE ON THE GORMAN ARE NOT NORMAL AND SHOULD BE IN A DIFFERENT FORMAT. PERHAPS IN A SEPARATE SPECIAL NOTES BOX; OR LOCATED BY THE RWY PROCS WHERE MOST PLTS STUDY THE SPECIFIC PROCS.

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.