Narrative:

Our original flight plan was DALL2 txk lit...ord. ACARS clearance came through with revised segment DALL2 lit...ord. We did not catch the revision. Our flight proceeded out the departure with a left turn to intercept the 062 degree radial. I read back left turn to intercept the 072 degree radial, with no other response from ATC on our readback to correct our mistake. Shortly thereafter, the controller must have noticed us tracking the dfw 072 degree and asked us what our departure clearance was. I said DALL2-txk-lit...as filed. The controller said we were supposed to fly the 062 degree radial to lit...as filed. We then realized our mistake on the revised segment on the ACARS clearance change. We were then given direct lit flight plan. I asked the controller if there was a traffic conflict and he said, no. This event would not have taken place if the flight crew had observed more carefully the revised segment change on the ACARS clearance readout. Also had the ATC controller listened more carefully to and responded to our readback of 072 degree radial intercept vice 062 degree radial that he actually cleared us, I doubt this would have taken place. Conclusion: flight crew should have more carefully read the ACARS clearance. Remedy: change the format of the revised segment of the ACARS clearance. This is to put the revised segment area above the original flight plan area. This should increase the visibility to the flight crew that there is a change to the routing. Ie: FLIP flop the revised segment area with the original flight plan area. Revised segment above flight plan area format.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD80 FLC DID NOT NOTE THAT THEIR FLT PLAN RTE CLRNC WAS CHANGED FROM THE PLANNED RTE. THEY TURNED TO THE WRONG HEADING AND GOT OFF COURSE. AN ARTCC CTLR CORRECTED THEM.

Narrative: OUR ORIGINAL FLT PLAN WAS DALL2 TXK LIT...ORD. ACARS CLRNC CAME THROUGH WITH REVISED SEGMENT DALL2 LIT...ORD. WE DID NOT CATCH THE REVISION. OUR FLT PROCEEDED OUT THE DEP WITH A L TURN TO INTERCEPT THE 062 DEG RADIAL. I READ BACK L TURN TO INTERCEPT THE 072 DEG RADIAL, WITH NO OTHER RESPONSE FROM ATC ON OUR READBACK TO CORRECT OUR MISTAKE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE CTLR MUST HAVE NOTICED US TRACKING THE DFW 072 DEG AND ASKED US WHAT OUR DEP CLRNC WAS. I SAID DALL2-TXK-LIT...AS FILED. THE CTLR SAID WE WERE SUPPOSED TO FLY THE 062 DEG RADIAL TO LIT...AS FILED. WE THEN REALIZED OUR MISTAKE ON THE REVISED SEGMENT ON THE ACARS CLRNC CHANGE. WE WERE THEN GIVEN DIRECT LIT FLT PLAN. I ASKED THE CTLR IF THERE WAS A TFC CONFLICT AND HE SAID, NO. THIS EVENT WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IF THE FLC HAD OBSERVED MORE CAREFULLY THE REVISED SEGMENT CHANGE ON THE ACARS CLRNC READOUT. ALSO HAD THE ATC CTLR LISTENED MORE CAREFULLY TO AND RESPONDED TO OUR READBACK OF 072 DEG RADIAL INTERCEPT VICE 062 DEG RADIAL THAT HE ACTUALLY CLRED US, I DOUBT THIS WOULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE. CONCLUSION: FLC SHOULD HAVE MORE CAREFULLY READ THE ACARS CLRNC. REMEDY: CHANGE THE FORMAT OF THE REVISED SEGMENT OF THE ACARS CLRNC. THIS IS TO PUT THE REVISED SEGMENT AREA ABOVE THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN AREA. THIS SHOULD INCREASE THE VISIBILITY TO THE FLC THAT THERE IS A CHANGE TO THE ROUTING. IE: FLIP FLOP THE REVISED SEGMENT AREA WITH THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN AREA. REVISED SEGMENT ABOVE FLT PLAN AREA FORMAT.

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.