Narrative:

Pre-flight planning was accomplished normally and the FMS was programmed with our route. Our flight plan routing was to depart cvg on the bluegrass 8 departure; iiu transition; mys; pxv; and the remainder of our route. This was a familiar route from the past. The flight was running about on time and the weather was good. We departed cvg per the bluegrass departure and was vectored for a short time. We then were cleared to chcll intersection to join our route. After iiu; we began heading towards mys; as was listed in our flight plan. After a time; we requested and received a more direct routing. The flight proceeded normally into my layover city. Shortly after arriving at the layover hotel; I received a call from my chief pilot's office stating that we deviated from the ATC clearance issued. During our discussion; I was made aware that although our flight plan routing was the bluegrass departure iiu transition mys; our ATC cleared route was the bluegrass departure iiu transition pxv. No loss of separation occurred. The cause of this problem has a few different aspects. The first part of the problem is that the only way to catch this error is to see that the ATC cleared route on the pre departure clearance is different from the filed route. As the flight plan routing was somewhat familiar; and the ATC cleared routing was also familiar; when I looked at the pre departure clearance I missed the subtle change in the cleared route; which basically eliminates mys. The second part of the problem; I believe; is the fact that our dispatch filed us over mys when indy center wants us to go from iiu direct to pxv. This conflict generates the two different routes; and in essence; creates the problem. I can see two things that would help to prevent this from happening again. The first; and most obvious to me; is that when I check the ATC route on the pre departure clearance; against the flight plan route; I need to scrutinize it more. Had I looked closer; I would have noticed the subtle difference and corrected it immediately. The second thing that would help to prevent this problem is to file the flight plan routing the way indy center wants it; preventing the routing differences. This would also seem to be an easy fix. The combination of these two fixes would almost certainly have prevented our route deviation; and possibly; any future deviations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW REPORTS MISREADING PDC AS BLGRS8 IIU DIRECT MYS; INSTEAD OF REVISED ROUTING BLGRS8 IIU DIRECT PXV.

Narrative: PRE-FLIGHT PLANNING WAS ACCOMPLISHED NORMALLY AND THE FMS WAS PROGRAMMED WITH OUR ROUTE. OUR FLIGHT PLAN ROUTING WAS TO DEPART CVG ON THE BLUEGRASS 8 DEPARTURE; IIU TRANSITION; MYS; PXV; AND THE REMAINDER OF OUR ROUTE. THIS WAS A FAMILIAR ROUTE FROM THE PAST. THE FLIGHT WAS RUNNING ABOUT ON TIME AND THE WEATHER WAS GOOD. WE DEPARTED CVG PER THE BLUEGRASS DEPARTURE AND WAS VECTORED FOR A SHORT TIME. WE THEN WERE CLEARED TO CHCLL INTERSECTION TO JOIN OUR ROUTE. AFTER IIU; WE BEGAN HEADING TOWARDS MYS; AS WAS LISTED IN OUR FLIGHT PLAN. AFTER A TIME; WE REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A MORE DIRECT ROUTING. THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED NORMALLY INTO MY LAYOVER CITY. SHORTLY AFTER ARRIVING AT THE LAYOVER HOTEL; I RECEIVED A CALL FROM MY CHIEF PILOT'S OFFICE STATING THAT WE DEVIATED FROM THE ATC CLEARANCE ISSUED. DURING OUR DISCUSSION; I WAS MADE AWARE THAT ALTHOUGH OUR FLIGHT PLAN ROUTING WAS THE BLUEGRASS DEPARTURE IIU TRANSITION MYS; OUR ATC CLEARED ROUTE WAS THE BLUEGRASS DEPARTURE IIU TRANSITION PXV. NO LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED. THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM HAS A FEW DIFFERENT ASPECTS. THE FIRST PART OF THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE ONLY WAY TO CATCH THIS ERROR IS TO SEE THAT THE ATC CLEARED ROUTE ON THE PDC IS DIFFERENT FROM THE FILED ROUTE. AS THE FLIGHT PLAN ROUTING WAS SOMEWHAT FAMILIAR; AND THE ATC CLEARED ROUTING WAS ALSO FAMILIAR; WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PDC I MISSED THE SUBTLE CHANGE IN THE CLEARED ROUTE; WHICH BASICALLY ELIMINATES MYS. THE SECOND PART OF THE PROBLEM; I BELIEVE; IS THE FACT THAT OUR DISPATCH FILED US OVER MYS WHEN INDY CENTER WANTS US TO GO FROM IIU DIRECT TO PXV. THIS CONFLICT GENERATES THE TWO DIFFERENT ROUTES; AND IN ESSENCE; CREATES THE PROBLEM. I CAN SEE TWO THINGS THAT WOULD HELP TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. THE FIRST; AND MOST OBVIOUS TO ME; IS THAT WHEN I CHECK THE ATC ROUTE ON THE PDC; AGAINST THE FLIGHT PLAN ROUTE; I NEED TO SCRUTINIZE IT MORE. HAD I LOOKED CLOSER; I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE SUBTLE DIFFERENCE AND CORRECTED IT IMMEDIATELY. THE SECOND THING THAT WOULD HELP TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM IS TO FILE THE FLIGHT PLAN ROUTING THE WAY INDY CENTER WANTS IT; PREVENTING THE ROUTING DIFFERENCES. THIS WOULD ALSO SEEM TO BE AN EASY FIX. THE COMBINATION OF THESE TWO FIXES WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY HAVE PREVENTED OUR ROUTE DEVIATION; AND POSSIBLY; ANY FUTURE DEVIATIONS.

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.