Misread predep clearance (pre departure clearance) and flew J9 instead of J11 out of ffu.

Attributes
ACN	218473
Time
Date	199208
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ffu airport : slc
State Reference	UT
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : j11 enroute airway : j9
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	218473
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance 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:

Climbing out of slc en route to lax. ATC cleared us direct to ffu, flight plan route. After passing ffu and proceeding on what we thought was our flight plan route, ATC asked us what our routing was. We doubled checked our pre departure clearance and realized we had misread the clearance. ATC expected us to fly the ffu 170 radial and we flew the ffu 188 radial and at 20 DME from ffu this deviation was brought to our attention. We immediately said we would correct back to course but we were told we could continue on our understood routing. We figured we were about 6 mi off course when this error was brought to our attention. I feel the pre departure clearance format is very confusing and this caused our confusion. Enclosed is a copy of our pre departure clearance for this flight segment. The flight plan routing section is exactly what was on the original flight plan and is what we thought we were cleared. The rerte portion on the pre departure clearance should be highlighted some way to emphasize, either by underlining or by surrounding with asterisks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISREAD PREDEP CLRNC (PDC) AND FLEW J9 INSTEAD OF J11 OUT OF FFU.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF SLC ENRTE TO LAX. ATC CLRED US DIRECT TO FFU, FLT PLAN RTE. AFTER PASSING FFU AND PROCEEDING ON WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS OUR FLT PLAN RTE, ATC ASKED US WHAT OUR ROUTING WAS. WE DOUBLED CHKED OUR PDC AND REALIZED WE HAD MISREAD THE CLRNC. ATC EXPECTED US TO FLY THE FFU 170 RADIAL AND WE FLEW THE FFU 188 RADIAL AND AT 20 DME FROM FFU THIS DEV WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTN. WE IMMEDIATELY SAID WE WOULD CORRECT BACK TO COURSE BUT WE WERE TOLD WE COULD CONTINUE ON OUR UNDERSTOOD ROUTING. WE FIGURED WE WERE ABOUT 6 MI OFF COURSE WHEN THIS ERROR WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTN. I FEEL THE PDC FORMAT IS VERY CONFUSING AND THIS CAUSED OUR CONFUSION. ENCLOSED IS A COPY OF OUR PDC FOR THIS FLT SEGMENT. THE FLT PLAN ROUTING SECTION IS EXACTLY WHAT WAS ON THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN AND IS WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED. THE RERTE PORTION ON THE PDC SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTED SOME WAY TO EMPHASIZE, EITHER BY UNDERLINING OR BY SURROUNDING WITH ASTERISKS.

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.