Narrative:

The flight plan route specified gapp 1 departure. Pre departure clearance was received just a few mins prior to pushback. Routing on the clearance specified gapp 1 departure. The ATC clearance specified both san francisco 6 and gapp 1 departure and the gapp 1 was misinterpreted as being the preferred route. Gapp 1 calls for left turn to 350 degrees, san francisco 6 calls for right turn to 030 degrees after takeoff. We departed runway 1R with an air carrier large transport cleared for takeoff behind us on runway 1L. We were in visual contact with this traffic and commenced left turn at 400 ft. Tower immediately told us to turn right to 030 degrees. We continued on this heading and were handed off to bay departure. Departure asked what heading we were given. Departure also informed us we should be on san francisco 6, which we were at that time. The flight continued normally. Having 2 clrncs on the pre departure clearance is misleading and confusing. The flight crew misinterpreted the preferred route and should have confirmed this with ATC. The late arrival on the pre departure clearance also contributed to the confusion. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporting first officer states that his air carrier does not provide ACARS printers in their aircraft, so the pre departure clearance is brought to the cockpit by the ticket lift agent just prior to pushback. This can create some confusion at a busy time. The reporter learned later that the flight crew is to fly the departure routing shown with a minus sign preceding it, no matter how many departure routings there might be shown. The sfo 6 and the gapp 1 departures differ only in the heading to be flown after takeoff. At sfo, no controller ever asks if the aircraft has the proper transponder squawk, departure routing, or assigned heading after takeoff allowing any one of these mistakes. The reporter, his captain on this trip, and the air carrier's ATC liaison have all contacted sfo about ironing out this problem. Supplemental information from acn 249498: recommend confirming squawk and departure with clearance delivery as at lga.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG FLEW THE WRONG HDG AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: THE FLT PLAN RTE SPECIFIED GAPP 1 DEP. PDC WAS RECEIVED JUST A FEW MINS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. ROUTING ON THE CLRNC SPECIFIED GAPP 1 DEP. THE ATC CLRNC SPECIFIED BOTH SAN FRANCISCO 6 AND GAPP 1 DEP AND THE GAPP 1 WAS MISINTERPRETED AS BEING THE PREFERRED RTE. GAPP 1 CALLS FOR L TURN TO 350 DEGS, SAN FRANCISCO 6 CALLS FOR R TURN TO 030 DEGS AFTER TKOF. WE DEPARTED RWY 1R WITH AN ACR LGT CLRED FOR TKOF BEHIND US ON RWY 1L. WE WERE IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THIS TFC AND COMMENCED L TURN AT 400 FT. TWR IMMEDIATELY TOLD US TO TURN R TO 030 DEGS. WE CONTINUED ON THIS HDG AND WERE HANDED OFF TO BAY DEP. DEP ASKED WHAT HDG WE WERE GIVEN. DEP ALSO INFORMED US WE SHOULD BE ON SAN FRANCISCO 6, WHICH WE WERE AT THAT TIME. THE FLT CONTINUED NORMALLY. HAVING 2 CLRNCS ON THE PDC IS MISLEADING AND CONFUSING. THE FLC MISINTERPRETED THE PREFERRED RTE AND SHOULD HAVE CONFIRMED THIS WITH ATC. THE LATE ARR ON THE PDC ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTING FO STATES THAT HIS ACR DOES NOT PROVIDE ACARS PRINTERS IN THEIR ACFT, SO THE PDC IS BROUGHT TO THE COCKPIT BY THE TICKET LIFT AGENT JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. THIS CAN CREATE SOME CONFUSION AT A BUSY TIME. THE RPTR LEARNED LATER THAT THE FLC IS TO FLY THE DEP ROUTING SHOWN WITH A MINUS SIGN PRECEDING IT, NO MATTER HOW MANY DEP ROUTINGS THERE MIGHT BE SHOWN. THE SFO 6 AND THE GAPP 1 DEPS DIFFER ONLY IN THE HDG TO BE FLOWN AFTER TKOF. AT SFO, NO CTLR EVER ASKS IF THE ACFT HAS THE PROPER XPONDER SQUAWK, DEP ROUTING, OR ASSIGNED HDG AFTER TKOF ALLOWING ANY ONE OF THESE MISTAKES. THE RPTR, HIS CAPT ON THIS TRIP, AND THE ACR'S ATC LIAISON HAVE ALL CONTACTED SFO ABOUT IRONING OUT THIS PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 249498: RECOMMEND CONFIRMING SQUAWK AND DEP WITH CLRNC DELIVERY AS AT LGA.

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.