Narrative:

Captain and I arrived early to gate and had plenty of time to complete our duties. I; first officer had been to sjc several times but this was the first time I would be departing runway 12L with the typical being runway 30R. The event starts with myself obtaining the pre departure clearance from sjc clearance for our flight to our destination. The pre departure clearance contained a change in our route from the filed route which was the first time I had seen this while receiving a pre departure clearance. Our flight plan was a (see filed route) to (city) and our release had us filed sjc.DANV2.lin.peons.inslo.dta.J84.obh etc. The pre departure clearance contained the following: -ALTAM7.lin.peons.inslo.dta- I was not familiar with this change format and subsequently asked the captain for his help. My inexperience with departing runway 12L also played into my asking for assistance. The captain and I discussed the clearance and its intent. I asked if we should just call clearance but then we realized we had the explanation on our WX package. The captain read the example on the page and I followed along from the first officer seat. We both thought that we understood the pre departure clearance and subsequently went with the DANV2 as our departure SID. Normal push and start and taxi to runway 12L. Normal departure and climb out. We were both unsure of our exact altitude; but we believe at approximately 5000 ft to 6000 ft departure asked us if we 'were going to make the turn.' we replied that we were on the DANV2 which was a radar vector SID. Controller asked us if we had received the ALTAM7 from clearance which at the time we were sure we had interpreted the pre departure clearance as the DANV2. Departure had us turn to 300 degrees and resume the ALTAM7 departure from that point. There did not seem to be any traffic separation issues and the controller switched us to another norcal departure controller. Normal climb from this point on. Upon leveling at cruise we began to look at our clearance; the pre departure clearance message and again reviewed the WX package explanation of pre departure clearance route changes. It was during this review that we realized we had erred in our understanding. We had indeed flown the wrong SID and had complied with the wrong clearance. After reviewing our pre departure clearance and the example on our WX package the phraseology is clear. However; the minus symbols did lead both of us to think that this was the changed route not the new routing to follow. In our minds the new route would have been surrounded by the plus symbols. But to an even greater degree than understanding the pdcs; a call to clearance to clarify the route would have been the easiest and best way to verify our route. More diligence will be made when the next route changed pre departure clearance is received.supplemental information from acn 775430: my only suggestions would be a clearer format of the pre departure clearance. Either have only the cleared routing show up in the pre departure clearance message; or clearer annotation for the revised routing; so there is less of a chance that a crew flies the unrevised route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CONFUSED BY THE EXISTENCE OF BOTH A FILED RTE THEY SHOULDN'T FLY AND CLEARED RTE THEY SHOULD HAVE ON THEIR ACARS DELIVERED PDC; MLG FLT CREW PICKS THE WRONG ONE AND HAS A TRACK DEV.

Narrative: CAPT AND I ARRIVED EARLY TO GATE AND HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO COMPLETE OUR DUTIES. I; FO HAD BEEN TO SJC SEVERAL TIMES BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I WOULD BE DEPARTING RWY 12L WITH THE TYPICAL BEING RWY 30R. THE EVENT STARTS WITH MYSELF OBTAINING THE PDC FROM SJC CLRNC FOR OUR FLT TO OUR DEST. THE PDC CONTAINED A CHANGE IN OUR RTE FROM THE FILED RTE WHICH WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD SEEN THIS WHILE RECEIVING A PDC. OUR FLT PLAN WAS A (SEE FILED RTE) TO (CITY) AND OUR RELEASE HAD US FILED SJC.DANV2.LIN.PEONS.INSLO.DTA.J84.OBH ETC. THE PDC CONTAINED THE FOLLOWING: -ALTAM7.LIN.PEONS.INSLO.DTA- I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS CHANGE FORMAT AND SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED THE CAPTAIN FOR HIS HELP. MY INEXPERIENCE WITH DEPARTING RWY 12L ALSO PLAYED INTO MY ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE. THE CAPT AND I DISCUSSED THE CLRNC AND ITS INTENT. I ASKED IF WE SHOULD JUST CALL CLRNC BUT THEN WE REALIZED WE HAD THE EXPLANATION ON OUR WX PACKAGE. THE CAPT READ THE EXAMPLE ON THE PAGE AND I FOLLOWED ALONG FROM THE FO SEAT. WE BOTH THOUGHT THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE PDC AND SUBSEQUENTLY WENT WITH THE DANV2 AS OUR DEP SID. NORMAL PUSH AND START AND TAXI TO RWY 12L. NORMAL DEP AND CLBOUT. WE WERE BOTH UNSURE OF OUR EXACT ALT; BUT WE BELIEVE AT APPROX 5000 FT TO 6000 FT DEP ASKED US IF WE 'WERE GOING TO MAKE THE TURN.' WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE ON THE DANV2 WHICH WAS A RADAR VECTOR SID. CTLR ASKED US IF WE HAD RECEIVED THE ALTAM7 FROM CLRNC WHICH AT THE TIME WE WERE SURE WE HAD INTERPRETED THE PDC AS THE DANV2. DEP HAD US TURN TO 300 DEGS AND RESUME THE ALTAM7 DEP FROM THAT POINT. THERE DID NOT SEEM TO BE ANY TFC SEPARATION ISSUES AND THE CTLR SWITCHED US TO ANOTHER NORCAL DEP CTLR. NORMAL CLB FROM THIS POINT ON. UPON LEVELING AT CRUISE WE BEGAN TO LOOK AT OUR CLRNC; THE PDC MESSAGE AND AGAIN REVIEWED THE WX PACKAGE EXPLANATION OF PDC RTE CHANGES. IT WAS DURING THIS REVIEW THAT WE REALIZED WE HAD ERRED IN OUR UNDERSTANDING. WE HAD INDEED FLOWN THE WRONG SID AND HAD COMPLIED WITH THE WRONG CLRNC. AFTER REVIEWING OUR PDC AND THE EXAMPLE ON OUR WX PACKAGE THE PHRASEOLOGY IS CLR. HOWEVER; THE MINUS SYMBOLS DID LEAD BOTH OF US TO THINK THAT THIS WAS THE CHANGED RTE NOT THE NEW ROUTING TO FOLLOW. IN OUR MINDS THE NEW RTE WOULD HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY THE PLUS SYMBOLS. BUT TO AN EVEN GREATER DEGREE THAN UNDERSTANDING THE PDCS; A CALL TO CLRNC TO CLARIFY THE RTE WOULD HAVE BEEN THE EASIEST AND BEST WAY TO VERIFY OUR RTE. MORE DILIGENCE WILL BE MADE WHEN THE NEXT RTE CHANGED PDC IS RECEIVED.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 775430: MY ONLY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE A CLEARER FORMAT OF THE PDC. EITHER HAVE ONLY THE CLEARED ROUTING SHOW UP IN THE PDC MESSAGE; OR CLEARER ANNOTATION FOR THE REVISED ROUTING; SO THERE IS LESS OF A CHANCE THAT A CREW FLIES THE UNREVISED ROUTE.

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.