Narrative:

Received clearance to fly the oblin.1 departure. During briefing at gate and during taxi out; discussed with first officer what the departure really meant. The departure states that when departing runway 6 left/right lt to djb via the djb R-082 to 2600 ft then via assigned heading to 5000 ft or assigned altitude. This is also depicted pictorially on the SID. When read; it indicates that you are to turn and intercept that radial to djb and then fly the assigned heading. When cleared for takeoff; the tower said to; 'fly heading 350 degrees cleared for takeoff.' I took this to be the assigned heading in the SID (to be flown after reaching djb). After takeoff while in the turn the departure controller asked our heading and then asked to return to a 350 degree heading. They gave their phone number to call when arriving at destination. I called and spoke with the TRACON supervisor and he stated that he knew exactly why we turned and I wasn't the first one to do it but the tower heading took precedence. We discussed the wording of the SID and he stated that they had tried to get it changed but to no avail. Other sids have turns prior to the final heading assigned for terrain or other airspace clrncs and the wording in this SID is similar. The text is confusing and not totally clear in specifying when to fly the tower heading as well as do you cross the djb VOR at 2600 ft and then climb to 500 ft once on the assigned heading? The TRACON supervisor asked that we just fly the tower heading and they assumed that you would do whatever heading the tower assigned and not do the turn. Their interpretation is that the tower heading takes precedence over the SID and isn't the heading referred to in the SID text. Recommendation: re-word the SID to either specify only when told to fly the SID by tower or to put it as a lost communication procedure. It conflicts with the other sids that require you to fly some procedure prior to assuming the SID heading. One that comes to mind is mdw departure to the north that requires a turn to the east first and then to the north.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 ON THE OBLIN.1 DEP OUT OF CLE TURNED TO THE WRONG HDG AFTER TAKEOFF AT LEAST IN PART BECAUSE OF A POORLY WRITTEN PROC.

Narrative: RECEIVED CLRNC TO FLY THE OBLIN.1 DEP. DURING BRIEFING AT GATE AND DURING TAXI OUT; DISCUSSED WITH FO WHAT THE DEP REALLY MEANT. THE DEP STATES THAT WHEN DEPARTING RWY 6 L/R LT TO DJB VIA THE DJB R-082 TO 2600 FT THEN VIA ASSIGNED HDG TO 5000 FT OR ASSIGNED ALT. THIS IS ALSO DEPICTED PICTORIALLY ON THE SID. WHEN READ; IT INDICATES THAT YOU ARE TO TURN AND INTERCEPT THAT RADIAL TO DJB AND THEN FLY THE ASSIGNED HDG. WHEN CLRED FOR TAKEOFF; THE TWR SAID TO; 'FLY HDG 350 DEGS CLRED FOR TAKEOFF.' I TOOK THIS TO BE THE ASSIGNED HDG IN THE SID (TO BE FLOWN AFTER REACHING DJB). AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE IN THE TURN THE DEP CTLR ASKED OUR HDG AND THEN ASKED TO RETURN TO A 350 DEG HDG. THEY GAVE THEIR PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN ARRIVING AT DEST. I CALLED AND SPOKE WITH THE TRACON SUPVR AND HE STATED THAT HE KNEW EXACTLY WHY WE TURNED AND I WASN'T THE FIRST ONE TO DO IT BUT THE TWR HDG TOOK PRECEDENCE. WE DISCUSSED THE WORDING OF THE SID AND HE STATED THAT THEY HAD TRIED TO GET IT CHANGED BUT TO NO AVAIL. OTHER SIDS HAVE TURNS PRIOR TO THE FINAL HDG ASSIGNED FOR TERRAIN OR OTHER AIRSPACE CLRNCS AND THE WORDING IN THIS SID IS SIMILAR. THE TEXT IS CONFUSING AND NOT TOTALLY CLEAR IN SPECIFYING WHEN TO FLY THE TWR HDG AS WELL AS DO YOU CROSS THE DJB VOR AT 2600 FT AND THEN CLB TO 500 FT ONCE ON THE ASSIGNED HDG? THE TRACON SUPVR ASKED THAT WE JUST FLY THE TWR HDG AND THEY ASSUMED THAT YOU WOULD DO WHATEVER HDG THE TWR ASSIGNED AND NOT DO THE TURN. THEIR INTERPRETATION IS THAT THE TWR HDG TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER THE SID AND ISN'T THE HDG REFERRED TO IN THE SID TEXT. RECOMMENDATION: RE-WORD THE SID TO EITHER SPECIFY ONLY WHEN TOLD TO FLY THE SID BY TWR OR TO PUT IT AS A LOST COM PROC. IT CONFLICTS WITH THE OTHER SIDS THAT REQUIRE YOU TO FLY SOME PROC PRIOR TO ASSUMING THE SID HDG. ONE THAT COMES TO MIND IS MDW DEP TO THE N THAT REQUIRES A TURN TO THE E FIRST AND THEN TO THE N.

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.