Narrative:

The following is a copy of our flight plan route and note concerning use of musel 5 SID: sna..sxc..vtu..rzs.J501.bsr..sfo/H plus 03. (Vtu trans musel 5 SID not to be used for sna-sfo flts. SID is being revised) (xpect radar vectors from musel to SXC084 sxc vtu). During cockpit preflight and set-up, much confusion existed between my first officer and me as to whether the musel 5 SID should be used at all on this departure. We decided not to use it and, after takeoff, maintained runway heading vice turning to 175 degrees after passing the 1 mi fix on the 19R ILS localizer DME as specified in the musel 5 SID. Shortly after contacting coast departure, the controller asked what heading we were on and my first officer replied 194 degrees runway heading. Departure stated that we should be on 175 degrees. First officer rogered and I turned to 175 degree heading. In retrospect, several things should have been done to avoid this pitfall. The wording of the note below our route was very ambiguous and confusing to me, and, in the hassle of the moment, I jumped to a wrong conclusion. I would like to see the wording changed so as to be more easily read when in a hurry. In the future, whenever any part of a routing, notes pertaining to the routing, or verbal clrncs from ATC are not absolutely clear, I will take the time to resolve all confusion! Also, if musel 5 SID is part of our route (even though it may be modified by a note) I think that it should be part of the routing text. This will ensure that it gets entered into the route on the FMS so that the first fix shows up on the map. Apparently, I did not catch the issuance of the musel 5 SID from clearance delivery. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that there is no pre-departure clearance in place at sna. Had there been, this all might not have happened as he reads better than he listens. Neither the FAA nor the company are after him on this incident. The reporter thinks that the company's wording could be a lot better in the flight plan message. He admits that he should have questioned the clearance delivery person as exactly what to do. The turn after takeoff is for noise abatement reasons. As the reporter was very light, he did not set off the noise monitors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LGT CREW MISUNDERSTOOD BOTH THEIR COMPANY FLT PLAN MESSAGE AND THE CLRNC DELIVERY VOICE MESSAGE AND FAILED TO FLY A NOISE ABATEMENT PROC HDG.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING IS A COPY OF OUR FLT PLAN RTE AND NOTE CONCERNING USE OF MUSEL 5 SID: SNA..SXC..VTU..RZS.J501.BSR..SFO/H PLUS 03. (VTU TRANS MUSEL 5 SID NOT TO BE USED FOR SNA-SFO FLTS. SID IS BEING REVISED) (XPECT RADAR VECTORS FROM MUSEL TO SXC084 SXC VTU). DURING COCKPIT PREFLT AND SET-UP, MUCH CONFUSION EXISTED BTWN MY FO AND ME AS TO WHETHER THE MUSEL 5 SID SHOULD BE USED AT ALL ON THIS DEP. WE DECIDED NOT TO USE IT AND, AFTER TKOF, MAINTAINED RWY HDG VICE TURNING TO 175 DEGS AFTER PASSING THE 1 MI FIX ON THE 19R ILS LOC DME AS SPECIFIED IN THE MUSEL 5 SID. SHORTLY AFTER CONTACTING COAST DEP, THE CTLR ASKED WHAT HDG WE WERE ON AND MY FO REPLIED 194 DEGS RWY HDG. DEP STATED THAT WE SHOULD BE ON 175 DEGS. FO ROGERED AND I TURNED TO 175 DEG HDG. IN RETROSPECT, SEVERAL THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO AVOID THIS PITFALL. THE WORDING OF THE NOTE BELOW OUR RTE WAS VERY AMBIGUOUS AND CONFUSING TO ME, AND, IN THE HASSLE OF THE MOMENT, I JUMPED TO A WRONG CONCLUSION. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WORDING CHANGED SO AS TO BE MORE EASILY READ WHEN IN A HURRY. IN THE FUTURE, WHENEVER ANY PART OF A RTING, NOTES PERTAINING TO THE RTING, OR VERBAL CLRNCS FROM ATC ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY CLR, I WILL TAKE THE TIME TO RESOLVE ALL CONFUSION! ALSO, IF MUSEL 5 SID IS PART OF OUR RTE (EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE MODIFIED BY A NOTE) I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE RTING TEXT. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT IT GETS ENTERED INTO THE RTE ON THE FMS SO THAT THE FIRST FIX SHOWS UP ON THE MAP. APPARENTLY, I DID NOT CATCH THE ISSUANCE OF THE MUSEL 5 SID FROM CLRNC DELIVERY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT THERE IS NO PRE-DEP CLRNC IN PLACE AT SNA. HAD THERE BEEN, THIS ALL MIGHT NOT HAVE HAPPENED AS HE READS BETTER THAN HE LISTENS. NEITHER THE FAA NOR THE COMPANY ARE AFTER HIM ON THIS INCIDENT. THE RPTR THINKS THAT THE COMPANY'S WORDING COULD BE A LOT BETTER IN THE FLT PLAN MESSAGE. HE ADMITS THAT HE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE CLRNC DELIVERY PERSON AS EXACTLY WHAT TO DO. THE TURN AFTER TKOF IS FOR NOISE ABATEMENT REASONS. AS THE RPTR WAS VERY LIGHT, HE DID NOT SET OFF THE NOISE MONITORS.

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.