B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 17272; Flight Crew Type 11000
Other / Unknown; Confusion
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Procedure
After programming the FMC; we failed to properly identify ATC routing change upon receiving PDC. Original cleared routing: -DEN BAYLR2 HBU DVC-; ATC routing change; -BAYLR2 TEHRU DVC-. With ATC routing change listed directly above the original cleared routing on the PDC; we inadvertently verified the cleared routing as the routing change. On departure at top of climb at BOBBA Intersection we proceeded to fly the HBU transition. Shortly after turning DEN ATC cleared us direct to TEHRU flight planned route. ATC then questioned us about the clearance we received. At that time we believed The HBU transition to be correct. ATC then gave us a frequency change. We then reviewed the PDC and all that led up to the deviation and conclusion that we mis-identified the routing change. Several controllers later; we were advised to call DEN ATC about possible route deviation. I called immediately after completing the flight. The ATC supervisor indicated to me that this same deviation has been happening on a regular basis and that my explanation is the same as on most occurrences. The ATC routing change and the original cleared routing being so close together allows for the potential to make this mistake repeatedly. We realize the error and will be more diligent to not repeat this error.
After crossing BOBBA Intersection on BAYLR DEPARTURE ATC gave us a vector to TEHRU. We complied. ATC then asked what our transition was and we said the BAYLR2 HBU DVC. The Controller said he showed us doing the BAYLR2 TEHRU DVC. He said there must have been an error in clearance delivery. Shortly thereafter; we changed frequency. We continued uneventfully.When we had the opportunity to thoroughly check our paperwork we found that we had misread the PDC which showed a change from the HBU transition to the TEHRU transition. The Captain and I determined we both made the same mistake and misread the line below the change which showed the original cleared route. At first glance; the first and third waypoints are the same and the transition shares similar letters. Being placed one over the other in the Phoenix format lent to our misreading of the PDC. Several ATC sectors later we were given a phone number to call once we landed for a possible course deviation. The Captain called the given number and talked with the ATC supervisor and told him we determined we had misread the correction and in fact we were supposed to fly the TEHRU transition. The supervisor said something to the effect that it was happening every day and the pilots all said the same thing about misreading the ATC routing change on the PDC. The Captain said we would be filing reports and the supervisor said they would be filing similar reports. He suggested making any recommendation that would help fix the problem.
B737 flight crew reports misreading a revised PDC; which results in a track deviation noted by ATC.