Narrative:

While preparing for flight cdg-dxb, asked for planned departure off of cdg runway 9. Flight data told us the departure but we were unsure of whether it was the lagil 8G or left'aigle 8G departure. Unbeknownst to me, I was missing a departure chart. I informed rest of crew that I thought we were cleared the lagil 8G departure but that I didn't have a lagil departure off of runway 9. At this time, the captain got overly involved with trying not to fly because of a minor problem. Captain never looked at his charts to see that in fact there was a lagil 8G departure off runway 9. Almost 3 hours later we departed. We had convinced ourselves that we had been cleared the left'aigle 8G (lgl 8G) departure. These 2 departure names are very similar. We reinitiated our clearance and confirmed we were cleared the left'aigle departure (lgl 8G). Cdg ATCT confirmed our departure was the lgl 8G. This departure had us heading in the wrong direction but we expected radar vectors on course. During the initial part of our departure, cdg ATC informed us that we were not complying with our clearance. We were radar vectored on course and informed cdg of what we understood our clearance to be. They said it was their error. It was ours too -- reliance on 1 crew member, not following up on confusion, misplaced priorities. I had looked at departures for 10 mins and none made sense. If it feels wrong, it usually is. Cdg should use departure idents, not name to deliver clrncs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A 3 ENG WDB CARGO ACFT FAILED TO FOLLOW THE DEP SID CLRNC ON TKOF FROM PARIS, FRANCE, CAUSING DEP CTLR TO PROVIDE VECTORS TO THE CLRNC DEP TRACK.

Narrative: WHILE PREPARING FOR FLT CDG-DXB, ASKED FOR PLANNED DEP OFF OF CDG RWY 9. FLT DATA TOLD US THE DEP BUT WE WERE UNSURE OF WHETHER IT WAS THE LAGIL 8G OR L'AIGLE 8G DEP. UNBEKNOWNST TO ME, I WAS MISSING A DEP CHART. I INFORMED REST OF CREW THAT I THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED THE LAGIL 8G DEP BUT THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A LAGIL DEP OFF OF RWY 9. AT THIS TIME, THE CAPT GOT OVERLY INVOLVED WITH TRYING NOT TO FLY BECAUSE OF A MINOR PROB. CAPT NEVER LOOKED AT HIS CHARTS TO SEE THAT IN FACT THERE WAS A LAGIL 8G DEP OFF RWY 9. ALMOST 3 HRS LATER WE DEPARTED. WE HAD CONVINCED OURSELVES THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED THE L'AIGLE 8G (LGL 8G) DEP. THESE 2 DEP NAMES ARE VERY SIMILAR. WE REINITIATED OUR CLRNC AND CONFIRMED WE WERE CLRED THE L'AIGLE DEP (LGL 8G). CDG ATCT CONFIRMED OUR DEP WAS THE LGL 8G. THIS DEP HAD US HDG IN THE WRONG DIRECTION BUT WE EXPECTED RADAR VECTORS ON COURSE. DURING THE INITIAL PART OF OUR DEP, CDG ATC INFORMED US THAT WE WERE NOT COMPLYING WITH OUR CLRNC. WE WERE RADAR VECTORED ON COURSE AND INFORMED CDG OF WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD OUR CLRNC TO BE. THEY SAID IT WAS THEIR ERROR. IT WAS OURS TOO -- RELIANCE ON 1 CREW MEMBER, NOT FOLLOWING UP ON CONFUSION, MISPLACED PRIORITIES. I HAD LOOKED AT DEPS FOR 10 MINS AND NONE MADE SENSE. IF IT FEELS WRONG, IT USUALLY IS. CDG SHOULD USE DEP IDENTS, NOT NAME TO DELIVER CLRNCS.

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.