A reporter was surprised by TRACON departure control when a SID was issued on initial climb.

Attributes
ACN	321760
Time
Date	199511
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : slc
State Reference	UT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : slc tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial ground : preflight
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	other other : other pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	321760
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were filed 'slc slc 094 mtu 303 mtu, ALS, ama, mqp, tornn, iah.' the pre departure clearance had that routing, but we failed to see the addition of 'ffu 3, hve, cim, ama...' after departure, the controller cleared us to ffu, then continue the ffu 3 departure. The captain told the controller initially that we did not have that clearance, believing the filed plan as also being the ATC clearance plan. Another check of the pre departure clearance revealed the misread part (ffu 3 hve, dvc, cim, ama). After a vector direct to ffu (which is actually part of the ffu 3 departure procedure) and reading-following the ffu 3 departure, the flight continued uneventfully. The problem arose from a misinterpretation of the written pre departure clearance clearance combined with the filed route (all being printed in the same block of space with no delineation separating the two). It would be much clrer if this ATC clearance stood alone without any other form of routing written by it. If it is 'as filed,' just print 'as filed,' if it is amended say so. All it takes is a printer weak on ink and you can miss some DOT or dash. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B737-300. He understands that the pre departure clearance format is set by his air carrier and he has tried to get it to standardize. The crew was surprised by TRACON giving a ffu 3 SID. There was no track deviation or loss of sep. The captain called slc TRACON later to determine this. The reporter is concerned that there are so many formats of the pre departure clearance and the difficulty of finding the latest information.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A RPTR WAS SURPRISED BY TRACON DEP CTL WHEN A SID WAS ISSUED ON INITIAL CLB.

Narrative: WE WERE FILED 'SLC SLC 094 MTU 303 MTU, ALS, AMA, MQP, TORNN, IAH.' THE PDC HAD THAT ROUTING, BUT WE FAILED TO SEE THE ADDITION OF 'FFU 3, HVE, CIM, AMA...' AFTER DEP, THE CTLR CLRED US TO FFU, THEN CONTINUE THE FFU 3 DEP. THE CAPT TOLD THE CTLR INITIALLY THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THAT CLRNC, BELIEVING THE FILED PLAN AS ALSO BEING THE ATC CLRNC PLAN. ANOTHER CHK OF THE PDC REVEALED THE MISREAD PART (FFU 3 HVE, DVC, CIM, AMA). AFTER A VECTOR DIRECT TO FFU (WHICH IS ACTUALLY PART OF THE FFU 3 DEP PROC) AND READING-FOLLOWING THE FFU 3 DEP, THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. THE PROB AROSE FROM A MISINTERPRETATION OF THE WRITTEN PDC CLRNC COMBINED WITH THE FILED ROUTE (ALL BEING PRINTED IN THE SAME BLOCK OF SPACE WITH NO DELINEATION SEPARATING THE TWO). IT WOULD BE MUCH CLRER IF THIS ATC CLRNC STOOD ALONE WITHOUT ANY OTHER FORM OF ROUTING WRITTEN BY IT. IF IT IS 'AS FILED,' JUST PRINT 'AS FILED,' IF IT IS AMENDED SAY SO. ALL IT TAKES IS A PRINTER WEAK ON INK AND YOU CAN MISS SOME DOT OR DASH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B737-300. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT THE PDC FORMAT IS SET BY HIS ACR AND HE HAS TRIED TO GET IT TO STANDARDIZE. THE CREW WAS SURPRISED BY TRACON GIVING A FFU 3 SID. THERE WAS NO TRACK DEV OR LOSS OF SEP. THE CAPT CALLED SLC TRACON LATER TO DETERMINE THIS. THE RPTR IS CONCERNED THAT THERE ARE SO MANY FORMATS OF THE PDC AND THE DIFFICULTY OF FINDING THE LATEST INFO.

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.