Heavy jet flight crew misinterprets amended pre departure clearance and has track deviation departin...

Attributes
ACN	781486
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo.airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody Low Wing 3 Turbojet Eng
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : gapp
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 166 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 5733
ASRS Report	787486
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Filed routing starting at normm. Pre departure clearance was GAPP3. Pre departure clearance route change indicated 'GAPP3 sfo alcoa.' we interpreted the route change as direct alcoa; deleting the normm fix; which is what we flew. Departure questioned our routing and we explained that we were proceeding direct alcoa per the pre departure clearance but he advised that our clearance was the GAPP3 which for runway 28R is: 'R281 sfo to normm. Expect vectors to assigned route/fix.' in hindsight; had we left normm in the FMS; we would have complied with the noise sensitive departure and our filed clearance. Instead; we had interpreted the route change to delete normm and thereby flew an unintended departure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HEAVY JET FLT CREW MISINTERPRETS AMENDED PDC AND HAS TRACK DEV DEPARTING SFO TO THE WEST.

Narrative: FILED ROUTING STARTING AT NORMM. PDC WAS GAPP3. PDC RTE CHANGE INDICATED 'GAPP3 SFO ALCOA.' WE INTERPED THE RTE CHANGE AS DIRECT ALCOA; DELETING THE NORMM FIX; WHICH IS WHAT WE FLEW. DEP QUESTIONED OUR ROUTING AND WE EXPLAINED THAT WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT ALCOA PER THE PDC BUT HE ADVISED THAT OUR CLRNC WAS THE GAPP3 WHICH FOR RWY 28R IS: 'R281 SFO TO NORMM. EXPECT VECTORS TO ASSIGNED RTE/FIX.' IN HINDSIGHT; HAD WE LEFT NORMM IN THE FMS; WE WOULD HAVE COMPLIED WITH THE NOISE SENSITIVE DEP AND OUR FILED CLRNC. INSTEAD; WE HAD INTERPED THE RTE CHANGE TO DELETE NORMM AND THEREBY FLEW AN UNINTENDED DEP.

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.

Heavy jet flight crew misinterprets amended pre departure clearance and has track deviation departing sfo to the west.