Narrative:

The flight was a passenger flight on an IFR flight plan. Before the passenger arrived; I conferred with my first officer over our clearance. We were cleared for the danville 2 departure. I familiarized myself with the plate and then briefed the departure and its set-up at the appropriate step in our checklist. On departure; I flew runway heading for a vector to the sjc VOR on a climb to 12000 ft. At 4500 ft; my first officer told me with stress; 'come left; you are supposed to turn left to intercept the 004 degree radial into sjc.' I looked over at the SID plate and saw that written in the SID description. Thinking I must have missed that in my brief; I began a turn to the left. As I turned; I remembered seeing that there was another SID with these instructions. I immediately turned back to my 123 degree heading and exclaimed 'you've got the wrong departure plate up.' he had the altam 7 SID plate in front of him; which does depict a left turn to intercept the sjc 004 degree radial after the oak 129 degree radial to 4000 ft. He realized he had the wrong departure plate up just as departure control queried us on our turn. I told departure that we were turning back to our runway heading and they said turn to 120 degrees. I asked them if there had been any problem. They replied 'negative.' the departure controller reminded us that the danville 2 is a heading and vectors. The controller said no problem and proceeded to vector us onto our route. This case is important because it stresses the need to slowly and meticulously brief all departures without any perceived rush. Also; we; as a company only have 1 set of plates; and the PNF keeps the plate in front of him. There is risk here because I could not quickly verify my depicted flight path on the plate because I could not see it on his yoke. These 2 points would both have prevented the turn from happening.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CE560 CREW DEPARTING SJC GETS SIDS CONFUSED BUT CATCHES THEIR OWN MISTAKE.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS A PAX FLT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. BEFORE THE PAX ARRIVED; I CONFERRED WITH MY FO OVER OUR CLRNC. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE DANVILLE 2 DEP. I FAMILIARIZED MYSELF WITH THE PLATE AND THEN BRIEFED THE DEP AND ITS SET-UP AT THE APPROPRIATE STEP IN OUR CHKLIST. ON DEP; I FLEW RWY HDG FOR A VECTOR TO THE SJC VOR ON A CLB TO 12000 FT. AT 4500 FT; MY FO TOLD ME WITH STRESS; 'COME L; YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO TURN L TO INTERCEPT THE 004 DEG RADIAL INTO SJC.' I LOOKED OVER AT THE SID PLATE AND SAW THAT WRITTEN IN THE SID DESCRIPTION. THINKING I MUST HAVE MISSED THAT IN MY BRIEF; I BEGAN A TURN TO THE L. AS I TURNED; I REMEMBERED SEEING THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER SID WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK TO MY 123 DEG HDG AND EXCLAIMED 'YOU'VE GOT THE WRONG DEP PLATE UP.' HE HAD THE ALTAM 7 SID PLATE IN FRONT OF HIM; WHICH DOES DEPICT A L TURN TO INTERCEPT THE SJC 004 DEG RADIAL AFTER THE OAK 129 DEG RADIAL TO 4000 FT. HE REALIZED HE HAD THE WRONG DEP PLATE UP JUST AS DEP CTL QUERIED US ON OUR TURN. I TOLD DEP THAT WE WERE TURNING BACK TO OUR RWY HDG AND THEY SAID TURN TO 120 DEGS. I ASKED THEM IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY PROB. THEY REPLIED 'NEGATIVE.' THE DEP CTLR REMINDED US THAT THE DANVILLE 2 IS A HDG AND VECTORS. THE CTLR SAID NO PROB AND PROCEEDED TO VECTOR US ONTO OUR RTE. THIS CASE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT STRESSES THE NEED TO SLOWLY AND METICULOUSLY BRIEF ALL DEPS WITHOUT ANY PERCEIVED RUSH. ALSO; WE; AS A COMPANY ONLY HAVE 1 SET OF PLATES; AND THE PNF KEEPS THE PLATE IN FRONT OF HIM. THERE IS RISK HERE BECAUSE I COULD NOT QUICKLY VERIFY MY DEPICTED FLT PATH ON THE PLATE BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE IT ON HIS YOKE. THESE 2 POINTS WOULD BOTH HAVE PREVENTED THE TURN FROM HAPPENING.

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.