A flight crew re-filed a flight plan with clearance delivery. Both the pilots and ATC misunderstood ...

Attributes
ACN	788837
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 5500
ASRS Report	788837
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	788836
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Flight release flight plan: stl; VOR1; VOR2; destination. Clearance delivery issued; stl; CARDS7; neens transition; VOR1; VOR2; destination. Captain and first officer consulted radar (WX) and decided it would be better for WX avoidance to change our departure transition from neens to spi; keeping the remainder of the flight plan the same. First officer spoke with dispatch about the route amendment and the release was amended to reflect the route: stl; CARDS7; spi transition; VOR1; VOR2; destination and new fuel numbers. First officer called clearance delivery back to ask if the new flight plan had been received. Clearance delivery said no and first officer asked clearance delivery to call us back when the new flight plan came through the system. Mins later; clearance delivery called back; and stated he did not have the new flight plan so he typed one in on his own. The new clearance was 'cleared to destination via CARDS7; spi; direct.' first officer read back; 'cleared to destination via CARDS7; spi; direct as filed.' this is where we understood the only change to our route was the departure transition from neens to spi (then to VOR1; VOR2; destination as originally cleared). The route we flew was the one on our amended release; in the FMS; and that we understood we were cleared to do by clearance delivery. What we didn't know was that clearance delivery had totally changed our entire route to stl; CARDS7; spi; destination. ATC center contacted the captain to inquire about a possible deviation. After center reviewed the clearance delivery tape; center decided there was too much ambiguity in the clearance to fault either party. Clearance delivery felt they had communicated the new route and we thought we understood the new route; however; what we both understood to be correct did not agree. The breakdown in communication happened by clearance delivery saying 'direct' (which we thought was direct VOR1 when in fact he meant direct destination). Center stated to captain that upon review; no pilot deviation had occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT CREW RE-FILED A FLT PLAN WITH CLRNC DELIVERY. BOTH THE PILOTS AND ATC MISUNDERSTOOD WHAT EACH THOUGHT THE CLRNC WAS SO THE FLT CREW DEVIATED FROM THE ATC ROUTING IN FLT.

Narrative: FLT RELEASE FLT PLAN: STL; VOR1; VOR2; DEST. CLRNC DELIVERY ISSUED; STL; CARDS7; NEENS TRANSITION; VOR1; VOR2; DEST. CAPT AND FO CONSULTED RADAR (WX) AND DECIDED IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR WX AVOIDANCE TO CHANGE OUR DEP TRANSITION FROM NEENS TO SPI; KEEPING THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PLAN THE SAME. FO SPOKE WITH DISPATCH ABOUT THE RTE AMENDMENT AND THE RELEASE WAS AMENDED TO REFLECT THE RTE: STL; CARDS7; SPI TRANSITION; VOR1; VOR2; DEST AND NEW FUEL NUMBERS. FO CALLED CLRNC DELIVERY BACK TO ASK IF THE NEW FLT PLAN HAD BEEN RECEIVED. CLRNC DELIVERY SAID NO AND FO ASKED CLRNC DELIVERY TO CALL US BACK WHEN THE NEW FLT PLAN CAME THROUGH THE SYS. MINS LATER; CLRNC DELIVERY CALLED BACK; AND STATED HE DID NOT HAVE THE NEW FLT PLAN SO HE TYPED ONE IN ON HIS OWN. THE NEW CLRNC WAS 'CLRED TO DEST VIA CARDS7; SPI; DIRECT.' FO READ BACK; 'CLRED TO DEST VIA CARDS7; SPI; DIRECT AS FILED.' THIS IS WHERE WE UNDERSTOOD THE ONLY CHANGE TO OUR RTE WAS THE DEP TRANSITION FROM NEENS TO SPI (THEN TO VOR1; VOR2; DEST AS ORIGINALLY CLRED). THE RTE WE FLEW WAS THE ONE ON OUR AMENDED RELEASE; IN THE FMS; AND THAT WE UNDERSTOOD WE WERE CLRED TO DO BY CLRNC DELIVERY. WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WAS THAT CLRNC DELIVERY HAD TOTALLY CHANGED OUR ENTIRE RTE TO STL; CARDS7; SPI; DEST. ATC CTR CONTACTED THE CAPT TO INQUIRE ABOUT A POSSIBLE DEV. AFTER CTR REVIEWED THE CLRNC DELIVERY TAPE; CTR DECIDED THERE WAS TOO MUCH AMBIGUITY IN THE CLRNC TO FAULT EITHER PARTY. CLRNC DELIVERY FELT THEY HAD COMMUNICATED THE NEW RTE AND WE THOUGHT WE UNDERSTOOD THE NEW RTE; HOWEVER; WHAT WE BOTH UNDERSTOOD TO BE CORRECT DID NOT AGREE. THE BREAKDOWN IN COM HAPPENED BY CLRNC DELIVERY SAYING 'DIRECT' (WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS DIRECT VOR1 WHEN IN FACT HE MEANT DIRECT DEST). CTR STATED TO CAPT THAT UPON REVIEW; NO PLTDEV HAD OCCURRED.

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.

A flight crew re-filed a flight plan with clearance delivery. Both the pilots and ATC misunderstood what each thought the clearance was so the flight crew deviated from the ATC routing in flight.