Flight crew of an medium large transport failed to follow clearance route.

Attributes
ACN	323120
Time
Date	199512
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dsm
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j25
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	other other : other pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 9000
ASRS Report	323120
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On this particular night flight, I failed to catch that we were not going the normal routing of mkc-J25-mcw-meinz 7- msp. We were supposed to go mkc-FOD-meinz 7-MSP. We caught our mistake when we took a fuel burn reading over dsm and then were unable to find a fuel burn summary for dsm. We quickly checked our releases and ACARS to confirm our en route cleared route. We realized our mistake and requested direct mcw-meinz 7-MSP. ATC granted our request and never mentioned the fact that we were not on our filed route. I don't know if they ever realized that we were not on our filed route. I think that ATC thought that someone down line had reclred us to msp via the usual route. Bottom line is that I looked at the filed route, but only saw what I expected to see.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG FAILED TO FOLLOW CLRNC RTE.

Narrative: ON THIS PARTICULAR NIGHT FLT, I FAILED TO CATCH THAT WE WERE NOT GOING THE NORMAL ROUTING OF MKC-J25-MCW-MEINZ 7- MSP. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GO MKC-FOD-MEINZ 7-MSP. WE CAUGHT OUR MISTAKE WHEN WE TOOK A FUEL BURN READING OVER DSM AND THEN WERE UNABLE TO FIND A FUEL BURN SUMMARY FOR DSM. WE QUICKLY CHKED OUR RELEASES AND ACARS TO CONFIRM OUR ENRTE CLRED RTE. WE REALIZED OUR MISTAKE AND REQUESTED DIRECT MCW-MEINZ 7-MSP. ATC GRANTED OUR REQUEST AND NEVER MENTIONED THE FACT THAT WE WERE NOT ON OUR FILED RTE. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY EVER REALIZED THAT WE WERE NOT ON OUR FILED RTE. I THINK THAT ATC THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE DOWN LINE HAD RECLRED US TO MSP VIA THE USUAL RTE. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT I LOOKED AT THE FILED RTE, BUT ONLY SAW WHAT I EXPECTED TO SEE.

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.