B737 flight crew misunderstands revised segment on pre departure clearance and has track deviation.

Attributes
ACN	786189
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : buf.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 26000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 191
ASRS Report	786189
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 262 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	786191
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Ny center asked us where we were going about two minutes after we crossed vallo intersection. We told nyc what we thought our clearance was and he said that we were actually filed for J220 to buf. He was very nice and said that a lot of company flts do the same thing. At that time he turned us twenty degrees right for about 30 seconds and then he cleared us direct to buf. We talked to dispatch about the confusion and he said that he was looking into the confusing clearance. If pre departure clearance is not 100 percent clear; then ask clearance delivery for clarification.supplemental information from acn 786191: pre departure clearance listed a change to our original clearance on the release. Originally cleared...jeres.J220.buf. Pre departure clearance clearance showed an amendment that read:...jeres.J220.vallo. Captain and I misinterpreted clearance to read that after vallo we were cleared direct to buf. (Why send an amendment for a clearance that doesn't need one?) after passing vallo; ny center queried us as to where we were going. We explained our pre departure clearance and he stated this has happened in the past and then cleared us direct to buf. He was very professional and courteous and explained that there was no foul or need to rectify the situation further. However; he was curious as to the nature of the situation and was going to do some research. Upon landing the captain and I were requested to call dispatch. The captain relayed to me that dispatch was also aware that the pre departure clearance was confusing and that dispatch was going to do some research into the matter. Stop pre departure clearance's from giving amendments to fixes along the filed route of flight on the release. Amendments should only occur if there is in fact a change of routing. This happens regularly and at best it causes confusion and delays by having to confirm the exact fix the reroute takes you to only to find out it's part of the jetway. At worst; you deviate off course.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW MISUNDERSTANDS REVISED SEGMENT ON PDC AND HAS TRACK DEV.

Narrative: NY CENTER ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING ABOUT TWO MINUTES AFTER WE CROSSED VALLO INTXN. WE TOLD NYC WHAT WE THOUGHT OUR CLRNC WAS AND HE SAID THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY FILED FOR J220 TO BUF. HE WAS VERY NICE AND SAID THAT A LOT OF COMPANY FLTS DO THE SAME THING. AT THAT TIME HE TURNED US TWENTY DEGS R FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND THEN HE CLEARED US DIRECT TO BUF. WE TALKED TO DISPATCH ABOUT THE CONFUSION AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS LOOKING INTO THE CONFUSING CLRNC. IF PDC IS NOT 100 PERCENT CLEAR; THEN ASK CLRNC DELIVERY FOR CLARIFICATION.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 786191: PDC LISTED A CHANGE TO OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC ON THE RELEASE. ORIGINALLY CLEARED...JERES.J220.BUF. PDC CLRNC SHOWED AN AMENDMENT THAT READ:...JERES.J220.VALLO. CAPT AND I MISINTERPRETED CLRNC TO READ THAT AFTER VALLO WE WERE CLEARED DIRECT TO BUF. (WHY SEND AN AMENDMENT FOR A CLRNC THAT DOESN'T NEED ONE?) AFTER PASSING VALLO; NY CENTER QUERIED US AS TO WHERE WE WERE GOING. WE EXPLAINED OUR PDC AND HE STATED THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST AND THEN CLEARED US DIRECT TO BUF. HE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS AND EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS NO FOUL OR NEED TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION FURTHER. HOWEVER; HE WAS CURIOUS AS TO THE NATURE OF THE SITUATION AND WAS GOING TO DO SOME RESEARCH. UPON LNDG THE CAPT AND I WERE REQUESTED TO CALL DISPATCH. THE CAPT RELAYED TO ME THAT DISPATCH WAS ALSO AWARE THAT THE PDC WAS CONFUSING AND THAT DISPATCH WAS GOING TO DO SOME RESEARCH INTO THE MATTER. STOP PDC'S FROM GIVING AMENDMENTS TO FIXES ALONG THE FILED RTE OF FLT ON THE RELEASE. AMENDMENTS SHOULD ONLY OCCUR IF THERE IS IN FACT A CHANGE OF ROUTING. THIS HAPPENS REGULARLY AND AT BEST IT CAUSES CONFUSION AND DELAYS BY HAVING TO CONFIRM THE EXACT FIX THE REROUTE TAKES YOU TO ONLY TO FIND OUT IT'S PART OF THE JETWAY. AT WORST; YOU DEVIATE OFF COURSE.

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.