Narrative:

The main text of the pre departure clearance was as follows: -llc- krno FMG7 fmg J94 onc J151... Edct (page 2) fly i-rno localizer south crs expc vctr on crs maintain 15000 ft. We were confused with the '-llc-;' so we called clearance prior to taxi. He said it meant; 'expect vectors to llc (lovelock).' on departure; I flew the localizer to 3 DME; and then started a left turn to fmg; as depicted on the FMG7 departure. About 30 degrees into the turn departure control asked why we were turning left. We said we were complying with the FMG7; he turned us back to the south and said we were not given the FMG7. We then politely said that it was on our pre departure clearance. After a short pause he came back and said that we were right; he was wrong; and that we were indeed given the FMG7. Prior to switching to oak center; we seemed all in agreement that there was 'no harm; no foul.' once at altitude we again reviewed the pre departure clearance and concluded that we probably should have continued on the localizer south course (as directed on page 2 of the pre departure clearance); and not complied with the FMG7. We looked for guidance in the fom concerning pre departure clearance procedures and found none. The 'box stuffer' published by the as soon as possible office was very informative; perhaps an additional publication displaying various examples of actual pre departure clearance's that aircrews have had problems with would also help to further educate the pilot group.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the very first line item on the pre departure clearance between the dashed indicates a change. In this case the -llc- was confusing because it was not identified as the changed fix on the routing. The crew then assumed that the routing on the FMG7 fmg was the correct routing. However; they were very confused and realized later that the last clearance; 'I-rno localizer south...' was what the controller expected and that the 'vector on crs' applied to a vector to llc then on course. The reporter stated that most of the information this air carrier's crew are getting comes from the union. They have not gotten a formal update on reading pre departure clearance's and it seems some airport's pre departure clearance's are using a non standard format.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW MADE A WRONG TURN AFTER DEP AT RNO BECAUSE THE PDC WAS CONFUSING.

Narrative: THE MAIN TEXT OF THE PDC WAS AS FOLLOWS: -LLC- KRNO FMG7 FMG J94 ONC J151... EDCT (PAGE 2) FLY I-RNO LOC S CRS EXPC VCTR ON CRS MAINTAIN 15000 FT. WE WERE CONFUSED WITH THE '-LLC-;' SO WE CALLED CLRNC PRIOR TO TAXI. HE SAID IT MEANT; 'EXPECT VECTORS TO LLC (LOVELOCK).' ON DEPARTURE; I FLEW THE LOC TO 3 DME; AND THEN STARTED A LEFT TURN TO FMG; AS DEPICTED ON THE FMG7 DEPARTURE. ABOUT 30 DEGREES INTO THE TURN DEPARTURE CONTROL ASKED WHY WE WERE TURNING LEFT. WE SAID WE WERE COMPLYING WITH THE FMG7; HE TURNED US BACK TO THE SOUTH AND SAID WE WERE NOT GIVEN THE FMG7. WE THEN POLITELY SAID THAT IT WAS ON OUR PDC. AFTER A SHORT PAUSE HE CAME BACK AND SAID THAT WE WERE RIGHT; HE WAS WRONG; AND THAT WE WERE INDEED GIVEN THE FMG7. PRIOR TO SWITCHING TO OAK CENTER; WE SEEMED ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT THERE WAS 'NO HARM; NO FOUL.' ONCE AT ALTITUDE WE AGAIN REVIEWED THE PDC AND CONCLUDED THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED ON THE LOC SOUTH COURSE (AS DIRECTED ON PAGE 2 OF THE PDC); AND NOT COMPLIED WITH THE FMG7. WE LOOKED FOR GUIDANCE IN THE FOM CONCERNING PDC PROCEDURES AND FOUND NONE. THE 'BOX STUFFER' PUBLISHED BY THE ASAP OFFICE WAS VERY INFORMATIVE; PERHAPS AN ADDITIONAL PUBLICATION DISPLAYING VARIOUS EXAMPLES OF ACTUAL PDC'S THAT AIRCREWS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH WOULD ALSO HELP TO FURTHER EDUCATE THE PILOT GROUP.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT THE VERY FIRST LINE ITEM ON THE PDC BETWEEN THE DASHED INDICATES A CHANGE. IN THIS CASE THE -LLC- WAS CONFUSING BECAUSE IT WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AS THE CHANGED FIX ON THE ROUTING. THE CREW THEN ASSUMED THAT THE ROUTING ON THE FMG7 FMG WAS THE CORRECT ROUTING. HOWEVER; THEY WERE VERY CONFUSED AND REALIZED LATER THAT THE LAST CLEARANCE; 'I-RNO LOC S...' WAS WHAT THE CONTROLLER EXPECTED AND THAT THE 'VECTOR ON CRS' APPLIED TO A VECTOR TO LLC THEN ON COURSE. THE REPORTER STATED THAT MOST OF THE INFORMATION THIS ACR'S CREW ARE GETTING COMES FROM THE UNION. THEY HAVE NOT GOTTEN A FORMAL UPDATE ON READING PDC's AND IT SEEMS SOME ARPT'S PDC's ARE USING A NON STANDARD FORMAT.

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.