Air carrier mg flight crew experiences track deviation on chins one arrival to sea.

Attributes
ACN	168016
Time
Date	199101
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3300
ASRS Report	168016
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On the arrival to sea there is a turn required at 8 DME. This is the chins one arrival. The turn is indicated by a heading (340) and the broken arrow symbol which also represents radar vectors. The turn is also mentioned in the text. During the arrival we had been warned about moderate rime ice on the descent and agreed to remain high longer than usual to avoid prolonged flying in ice. There was also some turbulence. I had looked at the arrival route earlier noting the altitude restrictions and the heading and arrows at auburn intersection (8 DME). As we got to the 8 DME point I remarked that we were there and reached to the heading bug in anticipation of a turn at about 6 DME ATC assigned a right turn to a 340 heading. They then asked if we were on an arrival route. We replied that we were and the response was something like 'roger turn right to 010 heading for vectors.' the question about the arrival route made me wonder if we had missed something. I looked at the chart again and realized that the turn was our responsibility. There didn't appear to be any problem however I feel badly that I misread the chart and missed the turn. You can bet that in the future I will take more time to read the text and I do have some questions and suggestions however. Why do some departures and arrs indicate a turn with a solid line and arrow (with heading) dfw four departure, bachman 6 departure (dfw), phx drake four departure (phx) pauso 6 departure then there are others which simply use the broken arrow symbol (expect radar vectors) along with the heading eq (pdx) dalles one arrival (sea) chins one arrival. Perhaps for the sake of simplicity and consistency when I turn is required it could be depicted by a solid line turning to the heading and then the radar vector arrows. The charts could be standardized this way to be consistent at every airport to eliminate the confusion explained in the above report. I might be the only pilot to make this mistake but I don't honestly think so.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MG FLC EXPERIENCES TRACK DEVIATION ON CHINS ONE ARRIVAL TO SEA.

Narrative: ON THE ARR TO SEA THERE IS A TURN REQUIRED AT 8 DME. THIS IS THE CHINS ONE ARR. THE TURN IS INDICATED BY A HDG (340) AND THE BROKEN ARROW SYMBOL WHICH ALSO REPRESENTS RADAR VECTORS. THE TURN IS ALSO MENTIONED IN THE TEXT. DURING THE ARR WE HAD BEEN WARNED ABOUT MODERATE RIME ICE ON THE DSNT AND AGREED TO REMAIN HIGH LONGER THAN USUAL TO AVOID PROLONGED FLYING IN ICE. THERE WAS ALSO SOME TURB. I HAD LOOKED AT THE ARR RTE EARLIER NOTING THE ALT RESTRICTIONS AND THE HDG AND ARROWS AT AUBURN INTXN (8 DME). AS WE GOT TO THE 8 DME POINT I REMARKED THAT WE WERE THERE AND REACHED TO THE HDG BUG IN ANTICIPATION OF A TURN AT ABOUT 6 DME ATC ASSIGNED A R TURN TO A 340 HDG. THEY THEN ASKED IF WE WERE ON AN ARR RTE. WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE AND THE RESPONSE WAS SOMETHING LIKE 'ROGER TURN R TO 010 HDG FOR VECTORS.' THE QUESTION ABOUT THE ARR RTE MADE ME WONDER IF WE HAD MISSED SOMETHING. I LOOKED AT THE CHART AGAIN AND REALIZED THAT THE TURN WAS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. THERE DIDN'T APPEAR TO BE ANY PROB HOWEVER I FEEL BADLY THAT I MISREAD THE CHART AND MISSED THE TURN. YOU CAN BET THAT IN THE FUTURE I WILL TAKE MORE TIME TO READ THE TEXT AND I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS HOWEVER. WHY DO SOME DEPS AND ARRS INDICATE A TURN WITH A SOLID LINE AND ARROW (WITH HDG) DFW FOUR DEP, BACHMAN 6 DEP (DFW), PHX DRAKE FOUR DEP (PHX) PAUSO 6 DEP THEN THERE ARE OTHERS WHICH SIMPLY USE THE BROKEN ARROW SYMBOL (EXPECT RADAR VECTORS) ALONG WITH THE HDG EQ (PDX) DALLES ONE ARR (SEA) CHINS ONE ARR. PERHAPS FOR THE SAKE OF SIMPLICITY AND CONSISTENCY WHEN I TURN IS REQUIRED IT COULD BE DEPICTED BY A SOLID LINE TURNING TO THE HDG AND THEN THE RADAR VECTOR ARROWS. THE CHARTS COULD BE STANDARDIZED THIS WAY TO BE CONSISTENT AT EVERY ARPT TO ELIMINATE THE CONFUSION EXPLAINED IN THE ABOVE RPT. I MIGHT BE THE ONLY PLT TO MAKE THIS MISTAKE BUT I DON'T HONESTLY THINK SO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.