Narrative:

NOTAM section of flight plan said to initiate noise abatement turn at 9 DME. Once airborne, 9 DME didn't look right, so upon closer inspection of flight plan, it showed a period '.' at the end of a line and the number 9 at the beginning of the next line. Apparently the printer did a line feed after printing the period, thus separating the decimal from the integer. It should have read 0.9 DME. By this time it was too late to initiate a turn for the noise abatement, as we were about 3000 ft and climbing rapidly. Recommend a leading zero precedes the decimal point to prevent a printer from separating the decimal from the digits. Supplemental information from acn 261746: prior to pushback, captain, myself, discussed srq noise abatement 'pink page,' a turn at 'MM' was called for to intercept the 295 degree srq radial, climbing to assigned 3000 ft. The captain pointed out the flight plan remarks which were read by captain and first officer as to turn at '9 DME.' this seemed reasonable because I felt we wouldn't go between 2 noise sensitive areas on the .295 degree radial but a whole new track was essentially designed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLC MISSES NOISE ABATEMENT TURN DUE TO DECIMAL BEING MISPLACED IN FLT PLAN.

Narrative: NOTAM SECTION OF FLT PLAN SAID TO INITIATE NOISE ABATEMENT TURN AT 9 DME. ONCE AIRBORNE, 9 DME DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT, SO UPON CLOSER INSPECTION OF FLT PLAN, IT SHOWED A PERIOD '.' AT THE END OF A LINE AND THE NUMBER 9 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT LINE. APPARENTLY THE PRINTER DID A LINE FEED AFTER PRINTING THE PERIOD, THUS SEPARATING THE DECIMAL FROM THE INTEGER. IT SHOULD HAVE READ 0.9 DME. BY THIS TIME IT WAS TOO LATE TO INITIATE A TURN FOR THE NOISE ABATEMENT, AS WE WERE ABOUT 3000 FT AND CLBING RAPIDLY. RECOMMEND A LEADING ZERO PRECEDES THE DECIMAL POINT TO PREVENT A PRINTER FROM SEPARATING THE DECIMAL FROM THE DIGITS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 261746: PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, CAPT, MYSELF, DISCUSSED SRQ NOISE ABATEMENT 'PINK PAGE,' A TURN AT 'MM' WAS CALLED FOR TO INTERCEPT THE 295 DEG SRQ RADIAL, CLBING TO ASSIGNED 3000 FT. THE CAPT POINTED OUT THE FLT PLAN REMARKS WHICH WERE READ BY CAPT AND FO AS TO TURN AT '9 DME.' THIS SEEMED REASONABLE BECAUSE I FELT WE WOULDN'T GO BTWN 2 NOISE SENSITIVE AREAS ON THE .295 DEG RADIAL BUT A WHOLE NEW TRACK WAS ESSENTIALLY DESIGNED.

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.