Narrative:

Shortly after contacting departure control; the controller asked us what departure we were flying. I responded that we were flying the maxxo 1. The controller asked us to stand by; then came back a few seconds later and asked us if we had been issued the sjn 3; and asked us to check to see if that departure had been issued on the pre departure clearance. I looked at the pre departure clearance and sure enough; the sjn 3 had been issued as a revised segment. However; when I realized what had happened; and mentioned it to the captain; he ordered me to tell the controller that we didn't see 'it' (the sjn 3 clearance) on the pre departure clearance issued clearance. Realizing it was imprudent to engage in an altercation with the captain during a critical phase of flight; I followed the captain's order and told the controller that we didn't see it. The controller then issued a heading which turned us back to the north. Moments later; he turned us to the east then reclred us to join the sjn 3 SID. I asked the controller if there was an 'issue' with what had occurred; and he said 'no.' I asked him a similar question as he was handing us off to the center; and he said (I'm paraphrasing) 'no problem; have a nice day.' once things settled down and we established in a non-critical phase of flight; I confronted the captain. I reminded him that ATC has the ability to confirm what they sent us and in fact the ACARS transmission which brought us the pre departure clearance clearance would likely be traceable via the ACARS service. I told him that we would be better off admitting the omission of the revised segment and taking our lumps. He did not agree with my statement and wanted to remain silent on the error. I was very uncomfortable with his decision; and still am; thus the submission of this report. I had no intention of deceiving the controller; especially when I knew good and well that he had the ability to 'bust us' if he wanted to. But in order to avoid the conflict of an insubordinate situation during a critical phase of flight; I acted in a manner directed by the captain. I don't know how we missed the revised segment during preflight preparation; other than the fact that we were 'preprogrammed' to expect maxxo departure. It was on the release; it was the filed flight plan; and it was what was in the 'canned' computer flight plan loaded into the computer when it was automatic uplinked via ACARS. When the clearance was received via ACARS; it indicated the filed flight plan was to include the 'maxxo 1' but we must have both looked right through or past the revised segment. We each ensured that the programming was 'correct;' leg by leg as we had anticipated it to be in accordance with the clearance we believed to be correct; and in accordance with the filed flight plan. I consider both pilots involved to be professional and conscientious. We were not fatigued as this was the first and only leg of the day after a relatively long overnight. The outbound flight we were operating was running about 20 mins late; but I never got the feeling that we were rushed in any of our activities during our preparation for flight. Neither of us recognized the revised segment in the pre departure clearance. We followed procedures; took our time; and attempted to make sure we had everything set up correctly because as we all know; the computer; which was going to fly the navigation departure on autoplt; is only as good as the 'garbage' programmed into it. Everything was programmed properly based on what we believed to be the correct clearance. As a suggestion; should a pre departure clearance contain a revised segment; the system should not allow for an automatic receipt of that clearance. There would be far less of a chance of missing a revised segment received from a clearance delivery controller who states the departure/transition directly to you via a verbal transmission. It would stand out like a sore thumb if he were to say something other than what the pilots are expecting to hear. Having a clearance presented via ACARS is great unless there is a revised segment. It does not stand out; and can be missed. It doesn't happen often; but it does happen. No conflict with other traffic was noted by the crew or the controller during the period of 'confusion.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 CREW FAILED TO SEE A REVISION TO THEIR FLT PLAN DELIVERED VIA ACARS FLT PLAN REVISION FORMAT.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER CONTACTING DEP CTL; THE CTLR ASKED US WHAT DEP WE WERE FLYING. I RESPONDED THAT WE WERE FLYING THE MAXXO 1. THE CTLR ASKED US TO STAND BY; THEN CAME BACK A FEW SECONDS LATER AND ASKED US IF WE HAD BEEN ISSUED THE SJN 3; AND ASKED US TO CHK TO SEE IF THAT DEP HAD BEEN ISSUED ON THE PDC. I LOOKED AT THE PDC AND SURE ENOUGH; THE SJN 3 HAD BEEN ISSUED AS A REVISED SEGMENT. HOWEVER; WHEN I REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED; AND MENTIONED IT TO THE CAPT; HE ORDERED ME TO TELL THE CTLR THAT WE DIDN'T SEE 'IT' (THE SJN 3 CLRNC) ON THE PDC ISSUED CLRNC. REALIZING IT WAS IMPRUDENT TO ENGAGE IN AN ALTERCATION WITH THE CAPT DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT; I FOLLOWED THE CAPT'S ORDER AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE DIDN'T SEE IT. THE CTLR THEN ISSUED A HDG WHICH TURNED US BACK TO THE N. MOMENTS LATER; HE TURNED US TO THE E THEN RECLRED US TO JOIN THE SJN 3 SID. I ASKED THE CTLR IF THERE WAS AN 'ISSUE' WITH WHAT HAD OCCURRED; AND HE SAID 'NO.' I ASKED HIM A SIMILAR QUESTION AS HE WAS HANDING US OFF TO THE CTR; AND HE SAID (I'M PARAPHRASING) 'NO PROB; HAVE A NICE DAY.' ONCE THINGS SETTLED DOWN AND WE ESTABLISHED IN A NON-CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT; I CONFRONTED THE CAPT. I REMINDED HIM THAT ATC HAS THE ABILITY TO CONFIRM WHAT THEY SENT US AND IN FACT THE ACARS XMISSION WHICH BROUGHT US THE PDC CLRNC WOULD LIKELY BE TRACEABLE VIA THE ACARS SVC. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF ADMITTING THE OMISSION OF THE REVISED SEGMENT AND TAKING OUR LUMPS. HE DID NOT AGREE WITH MY STATEMENT AND WANTED TO REMAIN SILENT ON THE ERROR. I WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIS DECISION; AND STILL AM; THUS THE SUBMISSION OF THIS RPT. I HAD NO INTENTION OF DECEIVING THE CTLR; ESPECIALLY WHEN I KNEW GOOD AND WELL THAT HE HAD THE ABILITY TO 'BUST US' IF HE WANTED TO. BUT IN ORDER TO AVOID THE CONFLICT OF AN INSUBORDINATE SIT DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT; I ACTED IN A MANNER DIRECTED BY THE CAPT. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE MISSED THE REVISED SEGMENT DURING PREFLT PREPARATION; OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT WE WERE 'PREPROGRAMMED' TO EXPECT MAXXO DEP. IT WAS ON THE RELEASE; IT WAS THE FILED FLT PLAN; AND IT WAS WHAT WAS IN THE 'CANNED' COMPUTER FLT PLAN LOADED INTO THE COMPUTER WHEN IT WAS AUTO UPLINKED VIA ACARS. WHEN THE CLRNC WAS RECEIVED VIA ACARS; IT INDICATED THE FILED FLT PLAN WAS TO INCLUDE THE 'MAXXO 1' BUT WE MUST HAVE BOTH LOOKED RIGHT THROUGH OR PAST THE REVISED SEGMENT. WE EACH ENSURED THAT THE PROGRAMMING WAS 'CORRECT;' LEG BY LEG AS WE HAD ANTICIPATED IT TO BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CLRNC WE BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT; AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FILED FLT PLAN. I CONSIDER BOTH PLTS INVOLVED TO BE PROFESSIONAL AND CONSCIENTIOUS. WE WERE NOT FATIGUED AS THIS WAS THE FIRST AND ONLY LEG OF THE DAY AFTER A RELATIVELY LONG OVERNIGHT. THE OUTBOUND FLT WE WERE OPERATING WAS RUNNING ABOUT 20 MINS LATE; BUT I NEVER GOT THE FEELING THAT WE WERE RUSHED IN ANY OF OUR ACTIVITIES DURING OUR PREPARATION FOR FLT. NEITHER OF US RECOGNIZED THE REVISED SEGMENT IN THE PDC. WE FOLLOWED PROCS; TOOK OUR TIME; AND ATTEMPTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD EVERYTHING SET UP CORRECTLY BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW; THE COMPUTER; WHICH WAS GOING TO FLY THE NAV DEP ON AUTOPLT; IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE 'GARBAGE' PROGRAMMED INTO IT. EVERYTHING WAS PROGRAMMED PROPERLY BASED ON WHAT WE BELIEVED TO BE THE CORRECT CLRNC. AS A SUGGESTION; SHOULD A PDC CONTAIN A REVISED SEGMENT; THE SYS SHOULD NOT ALLOW FOR AN AUTOMATIC RECEIPT OF THAT CLRNC. THERE WOULD BE FAR LESS OF A CHANCE OF MISSING A REVISED SEGMENT RECEIVED FROM A CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR WHO STATES THE DEP/TRANSITION DIRECTLY TO YOU VIA A VERBAL XMISSION. IT WOULD STAND OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB IF HE WERE TO SAY SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT THE PLTS ARE EXPECTING TO HEAR. HAVING A CLRNC PRESENTED VIA ACARS IS GREAT UNLESS THERE IS A REVISED SEGMENT. IT DOES NOT STAND OUT; AND CAN BE MISSED. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN; BUT IT DOES HAPPEN. NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC WAS NOTED BY THE CREW OR THE CTLR DURING THE PERIOD OF 'CONFUSION.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.