Narrative:

On jul/08; I was the captain flying air carrier X flight from lax to ZZZ. I was the pilot monitoring on this leg. Our dispatch filed our flight plan via the following route: lax-LOOP4.dag.KEPEC2.ZZZ. When the first officer acquired the clearance during his normal preflight duties using the computerized pre departure clearance method; he missed the amended route located below the original filed route in the ACARS message pre departure clearance. Pre departure clearance clrncs are relatively new to air carrier and unfortunately are sometimes confusing at times. What used to be a simple task of picking up a clearance from ATC which included the flight number; clearance limit; route; altitude assigned; departure frequency; and squawk code; now has the following in a pre departure clearance: flight number; departure city; arrival city; squawk code; departure city again; type aircraft; equipment suffix; proposed departure time; altitude filed; route filed; expected departure clearance time; departure assigned; amended route; altitude assigned; departure frequency; and pushback instructions. Not only does ATC include the route filed; but you have to search for the amended route in the pre departure clearance which will be highlighted with a +/-. On this particular flight; the first officer unintentionally missed the amended clearance which had a different departure for early morning departures for noise abatement which consequently caused us to program our FMC incorrectly and fly an incorrect route. There was no loss of separation according to the controller. The major lesson learned is that as the captain; I will always verify that the pre departure clearance clearance reflects the same route as the FMC; and provide my first officer with a backup scan; through the sometimes lengthy pre departure clearance clearance; for any possible reroutes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW FLEW AN INCORRECT SID OUT OF LAX WHEN THEY MISSED THE CHANGES IN THE PDC.

Narrative: ON JUL/08; I WAS THE CAPT FLYING ACR X FLT FROM LAX TO ZZZ. I WAS THE PLT MONITORING ON THIS LEG. OUR DISPATCH FILED OUR FLT PLAN VIA THE FOLLOWING RTE: LAX-LOOP4.DAG.KEPEC2.ZZZ. WHEN THE FO ACQUIRED THE CLRNC DURING HIS NORMAL PREFLT DUTIES USING THE COMPUTERIZED PDC METHOD; HE MISSED THE AMENDED RTE LOCATED BELOW THE ORIGINAL FILED RTE IN THE ACARS MESSAGE PDC. PDC CLRNCS ARE RELATIVELY NEW TO ACR AND UNFORTUNATELY ARE SOMETIMES CONFUSING AT TIMES. WHAT USED TO BE A SIMPLE TASK OF PICKING UP A CLRNC FROM ATC WHICH INCLUDED THE FLT NUMBER; CLRNC LIMIT; RTE; ALT ASSIGNED; DEP FREQ; AND SQUAWK CODE; NOW HAS THE FOLLOWING IN A PDC: FLT NUMBER; DEP CITY; ARR CITY; SQUAWK CODE; DEP CITY AGAIN; TYPE ACFT; EQUIP SUFFIX; PROPOSED DEP TIME; ALT FILED; RTE FILED; EXPECTED DEP CLRNC TIME; DEP ASSIGNED; AMENDED RTE; ALT ASSIGNED; DEP FREQ; AND PUSHBACK INSTRUCTIONS. NOT ONLY DOES ATC INCLUDE THE RTE FILED; BUT YOU HAVE TO SEARCH FOR THE AMENDED RTE IN THE PDC WHICH WILL BE HIGHLIGHTED WITH A +/-. ON THIS PARTICULAR FLT; THE FO UNINTENTIONALLY MISSED THE AMENDED CLRNC WHICH HAD A DIFFERENT DEP FOR EARLY MORNING DEPS FOR NOISE ABATEMENT WHICH CONSEQUENTLY CAUSED US TO PROGRAM OUR FMC INCORRECTLY AND FLY AN INCORRECT RTE. THERE WAS NO LOSS OF SEPARATION ACCORDING TO THE CTLR. THE MAJOR LESSON LEARNED IS THAT AS THE CAPT; I WILL ALWAYS VERIFY THAT THE PDC CLRNC REFLECTS THE SAME RTE AS THE FMC; AND PROVIDE MY FO WITH A BACKUP SCAN; THROUGH THE SOMETIMES LENGTHY PDC CLRNC; FOR ANY POSSIBLE REROUTES.

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.