Narrative:

Was cleared via the fairy transition on the papas departure. There is also a fairy arc transition. Flew the arc instead of transition. Very confusing. The transition should have totally different names. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that he was new to the B747-200 and that his first officer, who had been on the aircraft for 8 months, was sure that the clearance was for the 'fairy arc transition.' the captain had copied the 'fairy transition,' but admitted that he had difficulty understanding the heavily accented speech of the clearance delivery controller. The first officer assured him that the 'fairy' was always issued and since the first officer had flown this route several times recently the captain did not argue with him. In addition to the speech problem, the procedure at nrt is to not give the clearance to the flight crew until 5 minutes prior to engine start. This requires the flight crew to immediately start their checklists for pushback and other flight preparation with no time for an extended discussion about the departure route. Further, the departure route depiction on the chart is very cluttered and the transition names 'fairy' and 'fairy arc' are too similar. As the flight approached the 'papas' intersection, the captain said that he was told by the first officer, that he would set up the 'arc.' a discussion began about the clearance and then just as the captain decided to call the departure controller to clarify the situation the controller called them. The controller told them to turn to the right and intercept the cvc 179 degree radial. The remainder of the flight was normal according to the reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B747 FLC OVERFLEW A SID TURN POINT WHILE DISCUSSING WHICH TRANSITION THE CTLR HAD ASSIGNED. THE DEP CTLR INSTRUCTED THEM TO TURN TO A HEADING TO INTERCEPT.

Narrative: WAS CLRED VIA THE FAIRY TRANSITION ON THE PAPAS DEP. THERE IS ALSO A FAIRY ARC TRANSITION. FLEW THE ARC INSTEAD OF TRANSITION. VERY CONFUSING. THE TRANSITION SHOULD HAVE TOTALLY DIFFERENT NAMES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT HE WAS NEW TO THE B747-200 AND THAT HIS FO, WHO HAD BEEN ON THE ACFT FOR 8 MONTHS, WAS SURE THAT THE CLRNC WAS FOR THE 'FAIRY ARC TRANSITION.' THE CAPT HAD COPIED THE 'FAIRY TRANSITION,' BUT ADMITTED THAT HE HAD DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING THE HEAVILY ACCENTED SPEECH OF THE CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR. THE FO ASSURED HIM THAT THE 'FAIRY' WAS ALWAYS ISSUED AND SINCE THE FO HAD FLOWN THIS ROUTE SEVERAL TIMES RECENTLY THE CAPT DID NOT ARGUE WITH HIM. IN ADDITION TO THE SPEECH PROBLEM, THE PROC AT NRT IS TO NOT GIVE THE CLRNC TO THE FLC UNTIL 5 MINUTES PRIOR TO ENGINE START. THIS REQUIRES THE FLC TO IMMEDIATELY START THEIR CHECKLISTS FOR PUSHBACK AND OTHER FLT PREPARATION WITH NO TIME FOR AN EXTENDED DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DEP ROUTE. FURTHER, THE DEP ROUTE DEPICTION ON THE CHART IS VERY CLUTTERED AND THE TRANSITION NAMES 'FAIRY' AND 'FAIRY ARC' ARE TOO SIMILAR. AS THE FLT APPROACHED THE 'PAPAS' INTERSECTION, THE CAPT SAID THAT HE WAS TOLD BY THE FO, THAT HE WOULD SET UP THE 'ARC.' A DISCUSSION BEGAN ABOUT THE CLRNC AND THEN JUST AS THE CAPT DECIDED TO CALL THE DEP CTLR TO CLARIFY THE SITUATION THE CTLR CALLED THEM. THE CTLR TOLD THEM TO TURN TO THE R AND INTERCEPT THE CVC 179 DEG RADIAL. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS NORMAL ACCORDING TO THE RPTR.

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.