Narrative:

Filed molen 3 eni boxer. Pre departure clearance had revised clearance which was molen 3 molen boxer. Eni is on the SID page. So since we were filed over eni and the amended clearance did not specifically state direct boxer after molen; we followed the SID. As we turned towards eni; ATC asked if sfo had revised our clearance for direct boxer after molen. He subsequently gave us a heading and then a clearance direct boxer. In retrospect; I should have asked if we were indeed cleared direct boxer after molen since we were somewhat confused about the revised clearance. Supplemental information from acn 775168: prior to before start checklist; the pre departure clearance was received. It was the molen 3 departure; as expected. The revised segment indicated the same; molen 3 molen and boxer. Boxer was already on our route of flight; so this did not stand out as; in fact; revised. This was loaded into the FMC; with the legs page looking as described in the clearance. After handoff from norcal to ZOA; we were queried about going direct to boxer; which we had not been given by the previous controller. The clearance was then questioned; and ZOA indicated we had been cleared direct boxer on the pre departure clearance. After examining the revised segment again; since the text was worded 'molen boxer' we did not grasp that it was direct after molen. In retrospect; clearance should have been contacted on the ground to disseminate the revised segment; it appeared to us to be our originally filed route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV OCCURS WHEN B747-400 FLT CREW MISINTERPRETS PDC REVISED SEGMENT.

Narrative: FILED MOLEN 3 ENI BOXER. PDC HAD REVISED CLRNC WHICH WAS MOLEN 3 MOLEN BOXER. ENI IS ON THE SID PAGE. SO SINCE WE WERE FILED OVER ENI AND THE AMENDED CLRNC DID NOT SPECIFICALLY STATE DIRECT BOXER AFTER MOLEN; WE FOLLOWED THE SID. AS WE TURNED TOWARDS ENI; ATC ASKED IF SFO HAD REVISED OUR CLRNC FOR DIRECT BOXER AFTER MOLEN. HE SUBSEQUENTLY GAVE US A HDG AND THEN A CLRNC DIRECT BOXER. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE ASKED IF WE WERE INDEED CLRED DIRECT BOXER AFTER MOLEN SINCE WE WERE SOMEWHAT CONFUSED ABOUT THE REVISED CLRNC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 775168: PRIOR TO BEFORE START CHKLIST; THE PDC WAS RECEIVED. IT WAS THE MOLEN 3 DEP; AS EXPECTED. THE REVISED SEGMENT INDICATED THE SAME; MOLEN 3 MOLEN AND BOXER. BOXER WAS ALREADY ON OUR RTE OF FLT; SO THIS DID NOT STAND OUT AS; IN FACT; REVISED. THIS WAS LOADED INTO THE FMC; WITH THE LEGS PAGE LOOKING AS DESCRIBED IN THE CLRNC. AFTER HDOF FROM NORCAL TO ZOA; WE WERE QUERIED ABOUT GOING DIRECT TO BOXER; WHICH WE HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN BY THE PREVIOUS CTLR. THE CLRNC WAS THEN QUESTIONED; AND ZOA INDICATED WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT BOXER ON THE PDC. AFTER EXAMINING THE REVISED SEGMENT AGAIN; SINCE THE TEXT WAS WORDED 'MOLEN BOXER' WE DID NOT GRASP THAT IT WAS DIRECT AFTER MOLEN. IN RETROSPECT; CLRNC SHOULD HAVE BEEN CONTACTED ON THE GND TO DISSEMINATE THE REVISED SEGMENT; IT APPEARED TO US TO BE OUR ORIGINALLY FILED RTE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.