A320 flight crew fail to follow pomona SID track out of ont.

Attributes
ACN	681480
Time
Date	200512
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sct.tracon
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 8000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : pom
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 186 flight time total : 7900 flight time type : 3866
ASRS Report	681480
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After takeoff on runway 26L; we made our initial climb heading 255 degrees per the departure description. After passing the pomona VOR wbound; socal called to give us a north heading and to tell us we missed the turn to the VOR (pomona). We were then told to re-intercept the departure route north of the VOR and to call the supervisor when we got to our destination. This navigation deviation was the result of an apparently arbitrary difference in the commercial chart format for the ont departures. All the other departures; including ones from other socal controled airports; have the heading and route information together. In this instance; they were separated on the chart. In addition to this; the pictorial depiction was misleading in that it looks like a heading is required until radar vectors are given to intercept the route north of the VOR; which is what we ended up doing. Both the captain and myself independently reviewed the departure; and then briefed it together accordingly. For both of us to have 'taken the bait' clearly indicated that there was too much ambiguity on how the chart was both written and depicted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW FAIL TO FOLLOW POMONA SID TRACK OUT OF ONT.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF ON RWY 26L; WE MADE OUR INITIAL CLB HDG 255 DEGS PER THE DEP DESCRIPTION. AFTER PASSING THE POMONA VOR WBOUND; SOCAL CALLED TO GIVE US A N HDG AND TO TELL US WE MISSED THE TURN TO THE VOR (POMONA). WE WERE THEN TOLD TO RE-INTERCEPT THE DEP RTE N OF THE VOR AND TO CALL THE SUPVR WHEN WE GOT TO OUR DEST. THIS NAV DEV WAS THE RESULT OF AN APPARENTLY ARBITRARY DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMERCIAL CHART FORMAT FOR THE ONT DEPS. ALL THE OTHER DEPS; INCLUDING ONES FROM OTHER SOCAL CTLED ARPTS; HAVE THE HDG AND RTE INFO TOGETHER. IN THIS INSTANCE; THEY WERE SEPARATED ON THE CHART. IN ADDITION TO THIS; THE PICTORIAL DEPICTION WAS MISLEADING IN THAT IT LOOKS LIKE A HDG IS REQUIRED UNTIL RADAR VECTORS ARE GIVEN TO INTERCEPT THE RTE N OF THE VOR; WHICH IS WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING. BOTH THE CAPT AND MYSELF INDEPENDENTLY REVIEWED THE DEP; AND THEN BRIEFED IT TOGETHER ACCORDINGLY. FOR BOTH OF US TO HAVE 'TAKEN THE BAIT' CLRLY INDICATED THAT THERE WAS TOO MUCH AMBIGUITY ON HOW THE CHART WAS BOTH WRITTEN AND DEPICTED.

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.