B747-400 flight crew fails to note departure clearance was molen SID to molen intersection; thence d...

Attributes
ACN	802058
Time
Date	200808
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : molen
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : molen
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 2500
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company FAA ATC Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	FAA

Narrative:

On climb out on the molen 3 departure; our pre departure clearance had a revised segment molen (direct) boxer. Our original route; as loaded upon initialization and on the filed flight plan was molen eni boxer. We were flying the original routing. ZOA queried us about our next waypoint and mentioned we should be going direct to boxer after molen. There was no traffic conflict and no further requests; actions or comments by ZOA. For many yrs; sfo has included a revised segment on their pre departure clearance which is not a route change; but only a clearance limit fix. The vast majority of the time this routing is exactly the same as our requested routing and our flight plan routing. The use of this pre departure clearance revised segment feature to denote a clearance limit fix is desensitizing pilots into looking at it as the same route; as in this case when the change is very subtle like leaving off one waypoint. I recommend that on pre departure clearance's in the future; if sfo or other airports need to denote a clearance limit fix; they create a new block on the pre departure clearance for just this purpose. A revised segment should be just that: a revised segment. A clearance limit fix is not a revised segment in the opinion of every pilot I have discussed this with. This was; in my personal opinion; a set-up that has been likely to occur for a long time. The results of our situation required minimal controling from ZOA and no further action. No violation. This could be more significant in a heavy traffic situation; where ZOA is expecting a flight to continue on a route and it doesn't. A serious traffic conflict could occur. Four highly experienced international first officer's with considerable experience at sfo missed this route change. Our cockpit duties weren't rushed. Our workload was relatively normal. We were starting our flight after adequate rest. The relief pilots reviewed the pre departure clearance as well; and missed the change. The manner in which the revised segment block on pre departure clearance is used needs to be changed to avoid this problem in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 FLT CREW FAILS TO NOTE DEP CLRNC WAS MOLEN SID TO MOLEN INTERSECTION; THENCE DIRECT TO BOXER. FILED ROUTE WAS VIA MOLEN; ENI; BOXER.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT ON THE MOLEN 3 DEP; OUR PDC HAD A REVISED SEGMENT MOLEN (DIRECT) BOXER. OUR ORIGINAL RTE; AS LOADED UPON INITIALIZATION AND ON THE FILED FLT PLAN WAS MOLEN ENI BOXER. WE WERE FLYING THE ORIGINAL ROUTING. ZOA QUERIED US ABOUT OUR NEXT WAYPOINT AND MENTIONED WE SHOULD BE GOING DIRECT TO BOXER AFTER MOLEN. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT AND NO FURTHER REQUESTS; ACTIONS OR COMMENTS BY ZOA. FOR MANY YRS; SFO HAS INCLUDED A REVISED SEGMENT ON THEIR PDC WHICH IS NOT A RTE CHANGE; BUT ONLY A CLRNC LIMIT FIX. THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME THIS ROUTING IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS OUR REQUESTED ROUTING AND OUR FLT PLAN ROUTING. THE USE OF THIS PDC REVISED SEGMENT FEATURE TO DENOTE A CLRNC LIMIT FIX IS DESENSITIZING PLTS INTO LOOKING AT IT AS THE SAME RTE; AS IN THIS CASE WHEN THE CHANGE IS VERY SUBTLE LIKE LEAVING OFF ONE WAYPOINT. I RECOMMEND THAT ON PDC'S IN THE FUTURE; IF SFO OR OTHER ARPTS NEED TO DENOTE A CLRNC LIMIT FIX; THEY CREATE A NEW BLOCK ON THE PDC FOR JUST THIS PURPOSE. A REVISED SEGMENT SHOULD BE JUST THAT: A REVISED SEGMENT. A CLRNC LIMIT FIX IS NOT A REVISED SEGMENT IN THE OPINION OF EVERY PLT I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH. THIS WAS; IN MY PERSONAL OPINION; A SET-UP THAT HAS BEEN LIKELY TO OCCUR FOR A LONG TIME. THE RESULTS OF OUR SITUATION REQUIRED MINIMAL CTLING FROM ZOA AND NO FURTHER ACTION. NO VIOLATION. THIS COULD BE MORE SIGNIFICANT IN A HVY TFC SITUATION; WHERE ZOA IS EXPECTING A FLT TO CONTINUE ON A RTE AND IT DOESN'T. A SERIOUS TFC CONFLICT COULD OCCUR. FOUR HIGHLY EXPERIENCED INTL FO'S WITH CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE AT SFO MISSED THIS RTE CHANGE. OUR COCKPIT DUTIES WEREN'T RUSHED. OUR WORKLOAD WAS RELATIVELY NORMAL. WE WERE STARTING OUR FLT AFTER ADEQUATE REST. THE RELIEF PLTS REVIEWED THE PDC AS WELL; AND MISSED THE CHANGE. THE MANNER IN WHICH THE REVISED SEGMENT BLOCK ON PDC IS USED NEEDS TO BE CHANGED TO AVOID THIS PROB IN THE FUTURE.

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.

B747-400 flight crew fails to note departure clearance was molen SID to molen intersection; thence direct to boxer. Filed route was via molen; eni; boxer.