Narrative:

Ny center asked us where we were going about two minutes after we crossed vallo intersection. We told nyc what we thought our clearance was and he said that we were actually filed for J220 to buf. He was very nice and said that a lot of company flts do the same thing. At that time he turned us twenty degrees right for about 30 seconds and then he cleared us direct to buf. We talked to dispatch about the confusion and he said that he was looking into the confusing clearance. If pre departure clearance is not 100 percent clear; then ask clearance delivery for clarification.supplemental information from acn 786191: pre departure clearance listed a change to our original clearance on the release. Originally cleared...jeres.J220.buf. Pre departure clearance clearance showed an amendment that read:...jeres.J220.vallo. Captain and I misinterpreted clearance to read that after vallo we were cleared direct to buf. (Why send an amendment for a clearance that doesn't need one?) after passing vallo; ny center queried us as to where we were going. We explained our pre departure clearance and he stated this has happened in the past and then cleared us direct to buf. He was very professional and courteous and explained that there was no foul or need to rectify the situation further. However; he was curious as to the nature of the situation and was going to do some research. Upon landing the captain and I were requested to call dispatch. The captain relayed to me that dispatch was also aware that the pre departure clearance was confusing and that dispatch was going to do some research into the matter. Stop pre departure clearance's from giving amendments to fixes along the filed route of flight on the release. Amendments should only occur if there is in fact a change of routing. This happens regularly and at best it causes confusion and delays by having to confirm the exact fix the reroute takes you to only to find out it's part of the jetway. At worst; you deviate off course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLT CREW MISUNDERSTANDS REVISED SEGMENT ON PDC AND HAS TRACK DEV.

Narrative: NY CENTER ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING ABOUT TWO MINUTES AFTER WE CROSSED VALLO INTXN. WE TOLD NYC WHAT WE THOUGHT OUR CLRNC WAS AND HE SAID THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY FILED FOR J220 TO BUF. HE WAS VERY NICE AND SAID THAT A LOT OF COMPANY FLTS DO THE SAME THING. AT THAT TIME HE TURNED US TWENTY DEGS R FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS AND THEN HE CLEARED US DIRECT TO BUF. WE TALKED TO DISPATCH ABOUT THE CONFUSION AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS LOOKING INTO THE CONFUSING CLRNC. IF PDC IS NOT 100 PERCENT CLEAR; THEN ASK CLRNC DELIVERY FOR CLARIFICATION.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 786191: PDC LISTED A CHANGE TO OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC ON THE RELEASE. ORIGINALLY CLEARED...JERES.J220.BUF. PDC CLRNC SHOWED AN AMENDMENT THAT READ:...JERES.J220.VALLO. CAPT AND I MISINTERPRETED CLRNC TO READ THAT AFTER VALLO WE WERE CLEARED DIRECT TO BUF. (WHY SEND AN AMENDMENT FOR A CLRNC THAT DOESN'T NEED ONE?) AFTER PASSING VALLO; NY CENTER QUERIED US AS TO WHERE WE WERE GOING. WE EXPLAINED OUR PDC AND HE STATED THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST AND THEN CLEARED US DIRECT TO BUF. HE WAS VERY PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS AND EXPLAINED THAT THERE WAS NO FOUL OR NEED TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION FURTHER. HOWEVER; HE WAS CURIOUS AS TO THE NATURE OF THE SITUATION AND WAS GOING TO DO SOME RESEARCH. UPON LNDG THE CAPT AND I WERE REQUESTED TO CALL DISPATCH. THE CAPT RELAYED TO ME THAT DISPATCH WAS ALSO AWARE THAT THE PDC WAS CONFUSING AND THAT DISPATCH WAS GOING TO DO SOME RESEARCH INTO THE MATTER. STOP PDC'S FROM GIVING AMENDMENTS TO FIXES ALONG THE FILED RTE OF FLT ON THE RELEASE. AMENDMENTS SHOULD ONLY OCCUR IF THERE IS IN FACT A CHANGE OF ROUTING. THIS HAPPENS REGULARLY AND AT BEST IT CAUSES CONFUSION AND DELAYS BY HAVING TO CONFIRM THE EXACT FIX THE REROUTE TAKES YOU TO ONLY TO FIND OUT IT'S PART OF THE JETWAY. AT WORST; YOU DEVIATE OFF COURSE.

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.