Narrative:

PF had not flown aircraft for 85 days so I elected to let him fly this deadhead leg. (First officer not typed). PF obtained clearance as I was busy with other duties. Before taxi reviewed the clearance and it was dallas 7 departure. Quickly reviewed SID before taxi and found that after takeoff on 13R we were to turn to 170 degree heading. Told the pilot to fly a 170 heading after takeoff. He stated ok. Departed 13R and started turn to 170 degree heading. Switched to departure and was asked where we got the 170 degree heading and I replied from the SID. This caused confusion on the controllers side as 2 controllers tried to explain that this was only for night time operation. Well upon reviewing the dallas 7 SID the departure instructions were for 13R at dfw more confusion on my part as the dallas 7 SID had numerous areas of confusion. In rather small print it has the instructions for love field and they are to fly runway heading. I asked first officer if clearance had given us runway heading he said yes but had not remembered it when I gave him the 170 degree heading. If I had gotten the clearance this would have been avoided. Why not make the sids and stars apply to one airport only. This would take a little more paper and time but it could avoid a disaster. Under today's ATC system and traffic, the workload is tremendous enough and we have to decipher a SID or STAR that may apply to several different airports and they sometimes have the same runways. This could have been a terrible accident under different conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP ACFT FLIES WRONG HDG DUE TO SID PRESENTATION.

Narrative: PF HAD NOT FLOWN ACFT FOR 85 DAYS SO I ELECTED TO LET HIM FLY THIS DEADHEAD LEG. (FO NOT TYPED). PF OBTAINED CLRNC AS I WAS BUSY WITH OTHER DUTIES. BEFORE TAXI REVIEWED THE CLRNC AND IT WAS DALLAS 7 DEP. QUICKLY REVIEWED SID BEFORE TAXI AND FOUND THAT AFTER TKOF ON 13R WE WERE TO TURN TO 170 DEG HDG. TOLD THE PLT TO FLY A 170 HDG AFTER TKOF. HE STATED OK. DEPARTED 13R AND STARTED TURN TO 170 DEG HDG. SWITCHED TO DEP AND WAS ASKED WHERE WE GOT THE 170 DEG HDG AND I REPLIED FROM THE SID. THIS CAUSED CONFUSION ON THE CTLRS SIDE AS 2 CTLRS TRIED TO EXPLAIN THAT THIS WAS ONLY FOR NIGHT TIME OP. WELL UPON REVIEWING THE DALLAS 7 SID THE DEP INSTRUCTIONS WERE FOR 13R AT DFW MORE CONFUSION ON MY PART AS THE DALLAS 7 SID HAD NUMEROUS AREAS OF CONFUSION. IN RATHER SMALL PRINT IT HAS THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOVE FIELD AND THEY ARE TO FLY RWY HDG. I ASKED FO IF CLRNC HAD GIVEN US RWY HDG HE SAID YES BUT HAD NOT REMEMBERED IT WHEN I GAVE HIM THE 170 DEG HDG. IF I HAD GOTTEN THE CLRNC THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. WHY NOT MAKE THE SIDS AND STARS APPLY TO ONE ARPT ONLY. THIS WOULD TAKE A LITTLE MORE PAPER AND TIME BUT IT COULD AVOID A DISASTER. UNDER TODAY'S ATC SYS AND TFC, THE WORKLOAD IS TREMENDOUS ENOUGH AND WE HAVE TO DECIPHER A SID OR STAR THAT MAY Apply TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT ARPTS AND THEY SOMETIMES HAVE THE SAME RWYS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS.

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.