Narrative:

Pvd pre departure clearance clearance was -- put nelie J75 cmk. We verified the route in the FMC prior to departure. After passing cmk; bos asked if we were on a direct to. We confirmed we were direct to tay. He asked us to turn right direct to a fix to rejoin the J75 route. There were no traffic conflicts and no problem with ATC. After questioning my first officer about the pre departure clearance; it was unclr to both of us that we are expected to fly the published route even though the fix (cmk) was part of the jet route. We thought that the clearance was to fly to cmk then direct as it looked on the clearance. After researching the subject; I am now aware of the problem. Pvd files us to the furthest fix in their airspace then hands us off to center. The way it should have read is as filed (the 01 route); or put nelie J75 tay. I have read the company bulletins but this confused me. I will question the clearance prior to departure with my first officer and clearance delivery. This clearance seemed a bit confusing to us since we should have been cleared via the 01 route. Another lesson learned. Supplemental information from acn 772448: filed route: pvd..put..nelie.J75.tay.DADES1.city. Pre departure clearance clearance: -put nelie J7D cmk-. I loaded the pre departure clearance route between the '-' as instructed by the company bulletin. Thinking that the rest of the route would remain unchanged; then after cmk; I understood this to then be: tay.DADES1.city. 10 miles past cmk; bos center asked if we were given a heading or were direct. I (PNF) told them we were direct. They said they showed us off course 7 miles and gave us a turn direct to copes; then the rest of J75 to tay. This was briefed by the PF at the gate. I told him with confidence this is the way I understood the pre departure clearance from the bulletin and so the FMC was programmed with the cmk direct tay. I should have contacted clearance to verify the routing; but was certain because of the bulletin that the programmed clearance was correct. Some training on the pre departure clearance would be nice. I understand the / means as filed; and that anything between a '+' or '-' is an amendment to the filed routing. I only know these things because I was given some material on it. However; I have also gotten a '***'. I did use my head that time and contacted clearance for clarification; and I will do so for the remainder of the pre departure clearance clrncs where I am not 100% sure of the symbolism.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain's personal investigation after the fact discovered that cmk was shown in the clearance solely because it was the last fix of their filed route that was in ZBW airspace. Of interest; perhaps; to ATC but of no consequence to the flight crew and in no way a revision to their filed route. Also of interest; the captain advised that his air carrier does not utilize a printer for their ACARS data link system. As a result; unless a distinct effort is made to have both pilots direct their attention to the ACARS screen; the interpretation of the pre departure clearance format is the responsibility of the pilot requesting the information; usually the first officer. He felt this was a significant contributor to the failure to resolve any uncertainties in a timely fashion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV RESULTS WHEN FLT CREW MISINTERPRETS PDC CLRNC.

Narrative: PVD PDC CLRNC WAS -- PUT NELIE J75 CMK. WE VERIFIED THE RTE IN THE FMC PRIOR TO DEP. AFTER PASSING CMK; BOS ASKED IF WE WERE ON A DIRECT TO. WE CONFIRMED WE WERE DIRECT TO TAY. HE ASKED US TO TURN R DIRECT TO A FIX TO REJOIN THE J75 ROUTE. THERE WERE NO TFC CONFLICTS AND NO PROBLEM WITH ATC. AFTER QUESTIONING MY FO ABOUT THE PDC; IT WAS UNCLR TO BOTH OF US THAT WE ARE EXPECTED TO FLY THE PUBLISHED RTE EVEN THOUGH THE FIX (CMK) WAS PART OF THE JET RTE. WE THOUGHT THAT THE CLRNC WAS TO FLY TO CMK THEN DIRECT AS IT LOOKED ON THE CLRNC. AFTER RESEARCHING THE SUBJECT; I AM NOW AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. PVD FILES US TO THE FURTHEST FIX IN THEIR AIRSPACE THEN HANDS US OFF TO CENTER. THE WAY IT SHOULD HAVE READ IS AS FILED (THE 01 RTE); OR PUT NELIE J75 TAY. I HAVE READ THE COMPANY BULLETINS BUT THIS CONFUSED ME. I WILL QUESTION THE CLRNC PRIOR TO DEP WITH MY FO AND CLRNC DELIVERY. THIS CLRNC SEEMED A BIT CONFUSING TO US SINCE WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLRED VIA THE 01 RTE. ANOTHER LESSON LEARNED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 772448: FILED ROUTE: PVD..PUT..NELIE.J75.TAY.DADES1.CITY. PDC CLRNC: -PUT NELIE J7D CMK-. I LOADED THE PDC RTE BETWEEN THE '-' AS INSTRUCTED BY THE COMPANY BULLETIN. THINKING THAT THE REST OF THE RTE WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED; THEN AFTER CMK; I UNDERSTOOD THIS TO THEN BE: TAY.DADES1.CITY. 10 MILES PAST CMK; BOS CENTER ASKED IF WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OR WERE DIRECT. I (PNF) TOLD THEM WE WERE DIRECT. THEY SAID THEY SHOWED US OFF COURSE 7 MILES AND GAVE US A TURN DIRECT TO COPES; THEN THE REST OF J75 TO TAY. THIS WAS BRIEFED BY THE PF AT THE GATE. I TOLD HIM WITH CONFIDENCE THIS IS THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD THE PDC FROM THE BULLETIN AND SO THE FMC WAS PROGRAMMED WITH THE CMK DIRECT TAY. I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED CLRNC TO VERIFY THE ROUTING; BUT WAS CERTAIN BECAUSE OF THE BULLETIN THAT THE PROGRAMMED CLRNC WAS CORRECT. SOME TRAINING ON THE PDC WOULD BE NICE. I UNDERSTAND THE / MEANS AS FILED; AND THAT ANYTHING BETWEEN A '+' OR '-' IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE FILED ROUTING. I ONLY KNOW THESE THINGS BECAUSE I WAS GIVEN SOME MATERIAL ON IT. HOWEVER; I HAVE ALSO GOTTEN A '***'. I DID USE MY HEAD THAT TIME AND CONTACTED CLRNC FOR CLARIFICATION; AND I WILL DO SO FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE PDC CLRNCS WHERE I AM NOT 100% SURE OF THE SYMBOLISM.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT'S PERSONAL INVESTIGATION AFTER THE FACT DISCOVERED THAT CMK WAS SHOWN IN THE CLRNC SOLELY BECAUSE IT WAS THE LAST FIX OF THEIR FILED RTE THAT WAS IN ZBW AIRSPACE. OF INTEREST; PERHAPS; TO ATC BUT OF NO CONSEQUENCE TO THE FLT CREW AND IN NO WAY A REVISION TO THEIR FILED RTE. ALSO OF INTEREST; THE CAPT ADVISED THAT HIS ACR DOES NOT UTILIZE A PRINTER FOR THEIR ACARS DATA LINK SYSTEM. AS A RESULT; UNLESS A DISTINCT EFFORT IS MADE TO HAVE BOTH PLTS DIRECT THEIR ATTENTION TO THE ACARS SCREEN; THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PDC FORMAT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PLT REQUESTING THE INFO; USUALLY THE FO. HE FELT THIS WAS A SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTOR TO THE FAILURE TO RESOLVE ANY UNCERTAINTIES IN A TIMELY FASHION.

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.