Narrative:

We were given the wevic RNAV departure from runway 17 out of slc. Looking at the departure we assumed the altitude to set in the flight director was 16000 ft per the top of the commercial chart; 'maintain 16000 ft or lower filed altitude.' our filed altitude was FL410. We flew the RNAV like normal. We checked in with departure; gave them our altitude passing for 16000 ft (similar to las). We were given 'resume normal speed' when approaching 10000 ft and we accelerated to approximately 280 KTS and started the climb above 13000 ft (first restr). When passing 15000 ft for 16000 ft I noticed the 14000 ft restr near the fold on my page (yes I was surprised) and at that time departure asked us our altitude and told us of our deviation and cleared us to 16000 ft. We were given a phone number to call; which we later had our ATC rep call in our behalf once we had landed. This is the first time I've been given an RNAV departure with intermediate hard altitudes (the 14000 ft restr is poorly placed and easily missed with the chart fold). The chart is also the only chart I've seen that flows sideways and has a hard altitude so far from an 'at or above' altitude. (It's easily 2 inches past the 13000 ft 'at or above' restr -- not user friendly.) additionally; the 14000 ft and 16000 ft restrs are at or beyond the page fold -- poor design. The las RNAV SID (shead comes to mind) does have a hard altitude at mddog and tarrk; but they have never been used to my recollection. Las usually clears us direct to FL190. Their other sids are generally at or above altitudes and none of them are folded or designed the way this page layout is. Redesign the RNAV departure so fold is not near the hard altitude. Why not make the 'at or above' 13000 ft a hard 14000 ft (or 'at or below' so it's more apparent/standard like las sids 'at or below' 7000 ft or have the maintain box read 14000 ft versus 16000 ft and then have ATC clear us above 14000 ft. Do any actual airline crews (line pilots) review/fly the SID prior to implementation? Standardize the way ATC assigns the altitudes -- las versus slc sids/controllers. This may be the way of the future; but we need to have some sort of standardization between all the airports we fly out of. This seems to fall short of the mark.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW OVERLOOKED THE ALT RESTRICTION AT 'KOOGR' ON THE WEVIC ONE RNAV DEP; AND CLIMBED THROUGH THE MANDATORY ALT OF 14000 FT.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN THE WEVIC RNAV DEP FROM RWY 17 OUT OF SLC. LOOKING AT THE DEP WE ASSUMED THE ALT TO SET IN THE FLT DIRECTOR WAS 16000 FT PER THE TOP OF THE COMMERCIAL CHART; 'MAINTAIN 16000 FT OR LOWER FILED ALT.' OUR FILED ALT WAS FL410. WE FLEW THE RNAV LIKE NORMAL. WE CHKED IN WITH DEP; GAVE THEM OUR ALT PASSING FOR 16000 FT (SIMILAR TO LAS). WE WERE GIVEN 'RESUME NORMAL SPD' WHEN APCHING 10000 FT AND WE ACCELERATED TO APPROX 280 KTS AND STARTED THE CLB ABOVE 13000 FT (FIRST RESTR). WHEN PASSING 15000 FT FOR 16000 FT I NOTICED THE 14000 FT RESTR NEAR THE FOLD ON MY PAGE (YES I WAS SURPRISED) AND AT THAT TIME DEP ASKED US OUR ALT AND TOLD US OF OUR DEV AND CLRED US TO 16000 FT. WE WERE GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL; WHICH WE LATER HAD OUR ATC REP CALL IN OUR BEHALF ONCE WE HAD LANDED. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN GIVEN AN RNAV DEP WITH INTERMEDIATE HARD ALTS (THE 14000 FT RESTR IS POORLY PLACED AND EASILY MISSED WITH THE CHART FOLD). THE CHART IS ALSO THE ONLY CHART I'VE SEEN THAT FLOWS SIDEWAYS AND HAS A HARD ALT SO FAR FROM AN 'AT OR ABOVE' ALT. (IT'S EASILY 2 INCHES PAST THE 13000 FT 'AT OR ABOVE' RESTR -- NOT USER FRIENDLY.) ADDITIONALLY; THE 14000 FT AND 16000 FT RESTRS ARE AT OR BEYOND THE PAGE FOLD -- POOR DESIGN. THE LAS RNAV SID (SHEAD COMES TO MIND) DOES HAVE A HARD ALT AT MDDOG AND TARRK; BUT THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN USED TO MY RECOLLECTION. LAS USUALLY CLRS US DIRECT TO FL190. THEIR OTHER SIDS ARE GENERALLY AT OR ABOVE ALTS AND NONE OF THEM ARE FOLDED OR DESIGNED THE WAY THIS PAGE LAYOUT IS. REDESIGN THE RNAV DEP SO FOLD IS NOT NEAR THE HARD ALT. WHY NOT MAKE THE 'AT OR ABOVE' 13000 FT A HARD 14000 FT (OR 'AT OR BELOW' SO IT'S MORE APPARENT/STANDARD LIKE LAS SIDS 'AT OR BELOW' 7000 FT OR HAVE THE MAINTAIN BOX READ 14000 FT VERSUS 16000 FT AND THEN HAVE ATC CLR US ABOVE 14000 FT. DO ANY ACTUAL AIRLINE CREWS (LINE PLTS) REVIEW/FLY THE SID PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTATION? STANDARDIZE THE WAY ATC ASSIGNS THE ALTS -- LAS VERSUS SLC SIDS/CTLRS. THIS MAY BE THE WAY OF THE FUTURE; BUT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF STANDARDIZATION BTWN ALL THE ARPTS WE FLY OUT OF. THIS SEEMS TO FALL SHORT OF THE MARK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.