A B737-700 crew did not load an FMC with a pre departure clearance route revision because the revisi...

Attributes
ACN	804197
Time
Date	200809
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Route In Use	departure sid : zzz
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 133
ASRS Report	804197
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

My first officer received the pre departure clearance and put the clearance in the FMC just as it is written on the pre departure clearance. He forgot to check to see if it was amended. When I reviewed the route as I always do in the FMC; it was exactly the same as on my release. I did not check the pre departure clearance. Off we went on the wrong SID. ATC didn't seem to care and simply gave us a direct down the road. I hate the requirement to decipher the pre departure clearance hieroglyphics when there is no need and one could simply write it out long hand. Why is the 'old' clearance even on the pre departure clearance when it can only cause potential violations? Who cares what the old clearance was? I love smart automation; but when it is as unusable as being required to figure out which clearance is ours and what dots and dashes and slashes mean is nothing more than plain dumb. What a clearance is; is vitally important. It needs to be written out in full from start to end. Not the next one; not the last one; not the last with a change. The current one in full. I think we should only use verbal clrncs until this gets fixed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 CREW DID NOT LOAD AN FMC WITH A PDC ROUTE REVISION BECAUSE THE REVISION WAS NOT SEEN. THE CREW SUGGESTS SENDING ONLY THE DESIRED FLT PLAN.

Narrative: MY FO RECEIVED THE PDC AND PUT THE CLRNC IN THE FMC JUST AS IT IS WRITTEN ON THE PDC. HE FORGOT TO CHK TO SEE IF IT WAS AMENDED. WHEN I REVIEWED THE RTE AS I ALWAYS DO IN THE FMC; IT WAS EXACTLY THE SAME AS ON MY RELEASE. I DID NOT CHK THE PDC. OFF WE WENT ON THE WRONG SID. ATC DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE AND SIMPLY GAVE US A DIRECT DOWN THE ROAD. I HATE THE REQUIREMENT TO DECIPHER THE PDC HIEROGLYPHICS WHEN THERE IS NO NEED AND ONE COULD SIMPLY WRITE IT OUT LONG HAND. WHY IS THE 'OLD' CLRNC EVEN ON THE PDC WHEN IT CAN ONLY CAUSE POTENTIAL VIOLATIONS? WHO CARES WHAT THE OLD CLRNC WAS? I LOVE SMART AUTOMATION; BUT WHEN IT IS AS UNUSABLE AS BEING REQUIRED TO FIGURE OUT WHICH CLRNC IS OURS AND WHAT DOTS AND DASHES AND SLASHES MEAN IS NOTHING MORE THAN PLAIN DUMB. WHAT A CLRNC IS; IS VITALLY IMPORTANT. IT NEEDS TO BE WRITTEN OUT IN FULL FROM START TO END. NOT THE NEXT ONE; NOT THE LAST ONE; NOT THE LAST WITH A CHANGE. THE CURRENT ONE IN FULL. I THINK WE SHOULD ONLY USE VERBAL CLRNCS UNTIL THIS GETS FIXED.

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 B737-700 crew did not load an FMC with a pre departure clearance route revision because the revision was not seen. The crew suggests sending only the desired flight plan.