Heading track deviation occurs when the flight crew of an MD88 misreads their ACARS screen and flies the filed plan versus the ATC 'cleared via' flight plan 15 NM east of pxr, az.

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Attributes
ACN	590597
Time
Date	200308
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : pxr.vortac
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl single value : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : p50.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : maxxo
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 420 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	590597
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to original clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Received ATC clearance via ACARS. Had filed a 'dryheat 2' SID. ACARS screen on back of throttle area has 3 or 4 pages for ATC clearance. In scrolling through pages, saw the filed departure and mistook it for the ATC cleared departure (SJN2 SID). On departure at 4 DME, turned to 100 departure heading, in accordance with dryheat SID versus 45 degrees, in accordance with sjn SID. After about 8 mi, controller asked what departure we were flying, then turned us to 45 degrees to comply with sjn SID. Contributing factors: design -- ACARS screen on MD88 is to side of pilots and is more difficult to read than screens more forward, such as the B737-800. Departure procedures: phx has a large number of sids and stars. Departure sids change frequently depending on runway assigned. Because of density altitude, departure runway is frequently different from runway ATC expects as aircraft operate at maximum weights in hot WX. Procedural: since sids change frequently, would help if sids were not filled, let them always be ATC assigned. Pilot procedure: we carefully briefed the filed SID. I will always print out ATC clrncs after this to reduce possibility of confusing 'cleared' versus 'filed' rtes!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV OCCURS WHEN THE FLT CREW OF AN MD88 MISREADS THEIR ACARS SCREEN AND FLIES THE FILED PLAN VERSUS THE ATC 'CLRED VIA' FLT PLAN 15 NM E OF PXR, AZ.

Narrative: RECEIVED ATC CLRNC VIA ACARS. HAD FILED A 'DRYHEAT 2' SID. ACARS SCREEN ON BACK OF THROTTLE AREA HAS 3 OR 4 PAGES FOR ATC CLRNC. IN SCROLLING THROUGH PAGES, SAW THE FILED DEP AND MISTOOK IT FOR THE ATC CLRED DEP (SJN2 SID). ON DEP AT 4 DME, TURNED TO 100 DEP HDG, IN ACCORDANCE WITH DRYHEAT SID VERSUS 45 DEGS, IN ACCORDANCE WITH SJN SID. AFTER ABOUT 8 MI, CTLR ASKED WHAT DEP WE WERE FLYING, THEN TURNED US TO 45 DEGS TO COMPLY WITH SJN SID. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: DESIGN -- ACARS SCREEN ON MD88 IS TO SIDE OF PLTS AND IS MORE DIFFICULT TO READ THAN SCREENS MORE FORWARD, SUCH AS THE B737-800. DEP PROCS: PHX HAS A LARGE NUMBER OF SIDS AND STARS. DEP SIDS CHANGE FREQUENTLY DEPENDING ON RWY ASSIGNED. BECAUSE OF DENSITY ALT, DEP RWY IS FREQUENTLY DIFFERENT FROM RWY ATC EXPECTS AS ACFT OPERATE AT MAX WTS IN HOT WX. PROCEDURAL: SINCE SIDS CHANGE FREQUENTLY, WOULD HELP IF SIDS WERE NOT FILLED, LET THEM ALWAYS BE ATC ASSIGNED. PLT PROC: WE CAREFULLY BRIEFED THE FILED SID. I WILL ALWAYS PRINT OUT ATC CLRNCS AFTER THIS TO REDUCE POSSIBILITY OF CONFUSING 'CLRED' VERSUS 'FILED' RTES!

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.