Narrative:

Departure control gave us a 'turn left 050 degree to intercept the 096 radial of sea on course' and I read back the same. We flew that heading for a min and intercepted the 096 radial of sea. Shortly after that departure said 'turn left 030 degree to intercept the 069 radial of sea on course' and gave us traffic at 12 O'clock and 7 mi. Both the first officer and I had heard 096 radial not 069 radial and I read back 096 radial. Either the controller or we made a mistake. Also, part of his instructions were the heading to intercept the sea (096 radial or 069 radial) on course. We were on the bluit 3 departure - the sea 069 radial is not depicted and also when you look at the bluit 3 departure plate it looks like the sea 096 radial will take you to the bluit intersection. It's a real problem. In thinking back, sea departure does this all the time (fly heading to intercept the 069 degree radial (sea) on course). The 069 degree radial should be depicted on the bluit 3 plate if they want to do that. They are giving us a non RNAV clearance to intercept a RNAV fix (bluit - as depicted on the bluit 3 plate). The bluit 3 plate should be changed or sea departure should just clear us 'fly the 069 degree to bluit on course or just direct bluit. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that after takeoff he and the first officer were not ready or set up to intercept radials on the bluit 3 FMS departure. He said it was not a big problem and they were able to respond to the instructions. After they were established out bound on the sea 069 radial, they were instructed to intercept an airway which was not shown on the departure plate. The reporter suggested, to make clearances simpler, the controller should just issue a clearance direct to a 3 letter identify. It would save a lot of fumbling around looking for a fix on a chart.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW OFF SEA RECEIVE CONFUSING INSTRUCTIONS TOINTERCEPT OUTBOUND COURSE.

Narrative: DEP CTL GAVE US A 'TURN L 050 DEG TO INTERCEPT THE 096 RADIAL OF SEA ON COURSE' AND I READ BACK THE SAME. WE FLEW THAT HDG FOR A MIN AND INTERCEPTED THE 096 RADIAL OF SEA. SHORTLY AFTER THAT DEP SAID 'TURN L 030 DEG TO INTERCEPT THE 069 RADIAL OF SEA ON COURSE' AND GAVE US TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 7 MI. BOTH THE FO AND I HAD HEARD 096 RADIAL NOT 069 RADIAL AND I READ BACK 096 RADIAL. EITHER THE CTLR OR WE MADE A MISTAKE. ALSO, PART OF HIS INSTRUCTIONS WERE THE HDG TO INTERCEPT THE SEA (096 RADIAL OR 069 RADIAL) ON COURSE. WE WERE ON THE BLUIT 3 DEP - THE SEA 069 RADIAL IS NOT DEPICTED AND ALSO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BLUIT 3 DEP PLATE IT LOOKS LIKE THE SEA 096 RADIAL WILL TAKE YOU TO THE BLUIT INTXN. IT'S A REAL PROB. IN THINKING BACK, SEA DEP DOES THIS ALL THE TIME (FLY HDG TO INTERCEPT THE 069 DEG RADIAL (SEA) ON COURSE). THE 069 DEG RADIAL SHOULD BE DEPICTED ON THE BLUIT 3 PLATE IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT. THEY ARE GIVING US A NON RNAV CLEARANCE TO INTERCEPT A RNAV FIX (BLUIT - AS DEPICTED ON THE BLUIT 3 PLATE). THE BLUIT 3 PLATE SHOULD BE CHANGED OR SEA DEP SHOULD JUST CLEAR US 'FLY THE 069 DEG TO BLUIT ON COURSE OR JUST DIRECT BLUIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER TKOF HE AND THE FO WERE NOT READY OR SET UP TO INTERCEPT RADIALS ON THE BLUIT 3 FMS DEP. HE SAID IT WAS NOT A BIG PROB AND THEY WERE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER THEY WERE ESTABLISHED OUT BOUND ON THE SEA 069 RADIAL, THEY WERE INSTRUCTED TO INTERCEPT AN AIRWAY WHICH WAS NOT SHOWN ON THE DEP PLATE. THE RPTR SUGGESTED, TO MAKE CLEARANCES SIMPLER, THE CTLR SHOULD JUST ISSUE A CLRNC DIRECT TO A 3 LETTER IDENT. IT WOULD SAVE A LOT OF FUMBLING AROUND LOOKING FOR A FIX ON A CHART.

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.