Narrative:

Pre departure clearance showed: blues ldn J134 hnn -- iad blues ldn J134 stl J24 mci J80 gld J146 dvc *** las. I reviewed the amended routing and programmed the FMS to read: iad blues ldn J134 hnn stl J24 mci J80 gld J146 dvc *** las. At hnn ATC queried our course and gave us 10 degrees left; followed shortly by direct mci. We were later given an mci center phone number.supplemental information from acn 784421: when the first officer briefed me on the clearance he stated that we were cleared direct to stl after hnn. I failed to verify the routing against the pre departure clearance. ATC showed an amended clearance when in actuality we were cleared as filed. ATC needs to spell out the clearances more clearly. Instead of saying J134 hnn; the pre departure clearance should have read J134 stl. Their routing was ambiguous.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW MISINTERPRETS AMENDED PORTION OF PDC CLRNC THAT WAS; IN FACT; NOT AN AMENDMENT OF THE FILED ROUTE.

Narrative: PDC SHOWED: BLUES LDN J134 HNN -- IAD BLUES LDN J134 STL J24 MCI J80 GLD J146 DVC *** LAS. I REVIEWED THE AMENDED ROUTING AND PROGRAMMED THE FMS TO READ: IAD BLUES LDN J134 HNN STL J24 MCI J80 GLD J146 DVC *** LAS. AT HNN ATC QUERIED OUR COURSE AND GAVE US 10 DEGREES LEFT; FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY DIRECT MCI. WE WERE LATER GIVEN AN MCI CENTER PHONE NUMBER.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 784421: WHEN THE FO BRIEFED ME ON THE CLEARANCE HE STATED THAT WE WERE CLEARED DIRECT TO STL AFTER HNN. I FAILED TO VERIFY THE ROUTING AGAINST THE PDC. ATC SHOWED AN AMENDED CLEARANCE WHEN IN ACTUALITY WE WERE CLEARED AS FILED. ATC NEEDS TO SPELL OUT THE CLEARANCES MORE CLEARLY. INSTEAD OF SAYING J134 HNN; THE PDC SHOULD HAVE READ J134 STL. THEIR ROUTING WAS AMBIGUOUS.

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.