Narrative:

Captain received the clearance via pre departure clearance. Pre departure clearance was nonstandard routing as follows: bwi..daily.J61.colin.J14.ric..fak..gso..irq.J85. An amended pre departure clearance was also received: hafnr gve J75 gso. Captain contacted clearance delivery via radio to clarify routing. While climbing through approximately 1000 ft AGL; we were handed off to departure. Departure asked if we were able to execute the terpz departure. I responded we could if he needed us to. Departure stated that we had filed an equipment suffix /west. He said if we could tell him our proper suffix; it would make it a lot easier on him and cleared us direct terpz intersection; terpz 1. The final flap retraction was made and the captain attempted to program the departure into the FMC. Terpz 1 departure was selected; but was not given the option to select a transition. Captain had to manually type in waypoints. It was around this time that departure control had asked us again about our equipment suffix. I replied that we were a little too busy to answer that question at the moment. That was when the captain told me we had not been assigned a transition to fly. I queried departure who told us to fly the hafnr transition. Shortly after; departure told us to fly a heading of 240 degrees and contact ZDC. After completing the climb checklist; we checked in with ZDC. We were cleared direct hafnr. Captain brought hafnr to the top of legs page 1 and executed. Navigation switches were selected to navigation and LNAV was pressed. Focus went back to the route discontinuity after hafnr. I queried ATC about our route of flight in which he responded direct gve. After the route discontinuity was cleared up; we took a breath. That was when captain noticed LNAV had not engaged. LNAV was quickly engaged and the aircraft began a left turn toward hafnr. Time elapsed from clearance to execution of LNAV approximately 90-120 seconds. 1/2 way in the turn; ATC had stated that we were supposed to be proceeding direct hafnr. I replied that we were in the turn. ATC assigned us a heading of 180 degrees. That was flown for a few mins then we were cleared to gve with no further incident. The dispatch release; our suffix code was /J. On pre departure clearance; suffix code was /west. ATC could have verified proper suffix when they were contacted by us on the ground. Captain and first officer could have verified LNAV engaged in MCP before trying to clear up route discontinuity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW IS NOT ASSIGNED A SID DEPARTING BWI DUE TO MISUNDERSTANDING OVER EQUIPMENT SUFFIX. TERPZ 1 ASSIGNED SHORTLY AFTER TKOF BY ATC CAUSES FLT CREW DIFFICULTIES.

Narrative: CAPT RECEIVED THE CLRNC VIA PDC. PDC WAS NONSTANDARD ROUTING AS FOLLOWS: BWI..DAILY.J61.COLIN.J14.RIC..FAK..GSO..IRQ.J85. AN AMENDED PDC WAS ALSO RECEIVED: HAFNR GVE J75 GSO. CAPT CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY VIA RADIO TO CLARIFY ROUTING. WHILE CLBING THROUGH APPROX 1000 FT AGL; WE WERE HANDED OFF TO DEP. DEP ASKED IF WE WERE ABLE TO EXECUTE THE TERPZ DEP. I RESPONDED WE COULD IF HE NEEDED US TO. DEP STATED THAT WE HAD FILED AN EQUIP SUFFIX /W. HE SAID IF WE COULD TELL HIM OUR PROPER SUFFIX; IT WOULD MAKE IT A LOT EASIER ON HIM AND CLRED US DIRECT TERPZ INTXN; TERPZ 1. THE FINAL FLAP RETRACTION WAS MADE AND THE CAPT ATTEMPTED TO PROGRAM THE DEP INTO THE FMC. TERPZ 1 DEP WAS SELECTED; BUT WAS NOT GIVEN THE OPTION TO SELECT A TRANSITION. CAPT HAD TO MANUALLY TYPE IN WAYPOINTS. IT WAS AROUND THIS TIME THAT DEP CTL HAD ASKED US AGAIN ABOUT OUR EQUIP SUFFIX. I REPLIED THAT WE WERE A LITTLE TOO BUSY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION AT THE MOMENT. THAT WAS WHEN THE CAPT TOLD ME WE HAD NOT BEEN ASSIGNED A TRANSITION TO FLY. I QUERIED DEP WHO TOLD US TO FLY THE HAFNR TRANSITION. SHORTLY AFTER; DEP TOLD US TO FLY A HDG OF 240 DEGS AND CONTACT ZDC. AFTER COMPLETING THE CLB CHKLIST; WE CHKED IN WITH ZDC. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT HAFNR. CAPT BROUGHT HAFNR TO THE TOP OF LEGS PAGE 1 AND EXECUTED. NAV SWITCHES WERE SELECTED TO NAV AND LNAV WAS PRESSED. FOCUS WENT BACK TO THE RTE DISCONTINUITY AFTER HAFNR. I QUERIED ATC ABOUT OUR RTE OF FLT IN WHICH HE RESPONDED DIRECT GVE. AFTER THE RTE DISCONTINUITY WAS CLRED UP; WE TOOK A BREATH. THAT WAS WHEN CAPT NOTICED LNAV HAD NOT ENGAGED. LNAV WAS QUICKLY ENGAGED AND THE ACFT BEGAN A L TURN TOWARD HAFNR. TIME ELAPSED FROM CLRNC TO EXECUTION OF LNAV APPROX 90-120 SECONDS. 1/2 WAY IN THE TURN; ATC HAD STATED THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PROCEEDING DIRECT HAFNR. I REPLIED THAT WE WERE IN THE TURN. ATC ASSIGNED US A HDG OF 180 DEGS. THAT WAS FLOWN FOR A FEW MINS THEN WE WERE CLRED TO GVE WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. THE DISPATCH RELEASE; OUR SUFFIX CODE WAS /J. ON PDC; SUFFIX CODE WAS /W. ATC COULD HAVE VERIFIED PROPER SUFFIX WHEN THEY WERE CONTACTED BY US ON THE GND. CAPT AND FO COULD HAVE VERIFIED LNAV ENGAGED IN MCP BEFORE TRYING TO CLR UP RTE DISCONTINUITY.

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.