Narrative:

This was a quick turn with everything quite rushed as the aircraft arrived late for our departure. I got the clearance via ACARS and mentioned to the captain that we needed to check the routing. In the climb it was quite busy and the flight attendant called the cockpit for help with a stuck serving cart. The captain sent me back, and while I was gone, ZOA called and advised us that it looked like we were diverging from J-84 after lin. A correction was given and upon checking, we confirmed that there was a deviation from our filed flight route. The routing in the ACARS looked like this: -- SFO6 lin J84 MVA J198 ilc -- SFO6 lin oal J58 ./. Mci. I had plugged the stored flight plan routing into the computer which was the second line of the flight plan on ACARS and checked it against our computer flight plan from dispatch which agreed. I feel that the format in the ACARS can be confusing and can be misleading. Perhaps if there is a difference in the flight plan, the entire new flight plan routing only should be shown, just like it would be given (read) by clearance delivery over the clearance frequency. (No not print the old routing not to be flown.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC ACR MLG ACFT DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED CLRNC DUE TO MISREADING THE AMENDED PREDEP CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS WAS A QUICK TURN WITH EVERYTHING QUITE RUSHED AS THE ACFT ARRIVED LATE FOR OUR DEP. I GOT THE CLRNC VIA ACARS AND MENTIONED TO THE CAPT THAT WE NEEDED TO CHK THE ROUTING. IN THE CLB IT WAS QUITE BUSY AND THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT FOR HELP WITH A STUCK SERVING CART. THE CAPT SENT ME BACK, AND WHILE I WAS GONE, ZOA CALLED AND ADVISED US THAT IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE DIVERGING FROM J-84 AFTER LIN. A CORRECTION WAS GIVEN AND UPON CHKING, WE CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS A DEV FROM OUR FILED FLT RTE. THE ROUTING IN THE ACARS LOOKED LIKE THIS: -- SFO6 LIN J84 MVA J198 ILC -- SFO6 LIN OAL J58 ./. MCI. I HAD PLUGGED THE STORED FLT PLAN ROUTING INTO THE COMPUTER WHICH WAS THE SECOND LINE OF THE FLT PLAN ON ACARS AND CHKED IT AGAINST OUR COMPUTER FLT PLAN FROM DISPATCH WHICH AGREED. I FEEL THAT THE FORMAT IN THE ACARS CAN BE CONFUSING AND CAN BE MISLEADING. PERHAPS IF THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN THE FLT PLAN, THE ENTIRE NEW FLT PLAN ROUTING ONLY SHOULD BE SHOWN, JUST LIKE IT WOULD BE GIVEN (READ) BY CLRNC DELIVERY OVER THE CLRNC FREQ. (NO NOT PRINT THE OLD ROUTING NOT TO BE FLOWN.)

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.