Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 100; Flight Crew Total 15000; Flight Crew Type 1100
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Confusion
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Aircraft; Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Procedure
We had already loaded our filed route in the FMS but; when we received no PDC; we contacted LAX Clearance Delivery and received an amended clearance. I copied 'Cleared to LIH; heading 250; FIXIT1; RZS as filed. Maintain 3;000 feet; expect FL320 10 minutes after departure plus our squawk and departure frequency.' Apparently I missed the term 'radar vectors' as part of the clearance; as I didn't write it down on the FP when I listened to the clearance or when the First Officer read it back. This was the first time the First Officer or I had seen/flown the FIXIT1 RNAV Departure. It is strikingly similar to the HOLTZ9 RNAV Departure; and in our discussions about how to fly the departure; we fixated on the numerous maximum speed 250 knot notations on the SID. We talked ourselves into departing in LNAV after looking the SID over; and also due to the fact that LAX Tower had simultaneous 737 departing traffic off of 24L. Logically; we wanted to turn away from the 737; so the RNAV depiction of a left turn was further comfort to our situation. LAX Tower did not give us any specific instructions in our takeoff clearance. We contacted SOCAL Departure and turned to the southwest as per the SID. SOCAL did not query or correct our turn and we were cleared to 13;000 feet; then subsequently to limited to 7;000 feet due to a 777 departing ahead of us on the LOOP departure. SOCAL eventually gave us direct TRESE intersection on the SID; and handed us off to LA Center. Prior to clearing us to enroute frequency for the crossing; LA Center gave us the phone number for SOCAL and said they wanted us to call them upon landing in LIH. We did so; and the SOCAL shift Supervisor indicated there were no reports in the Safety Log they maintain. We contacted the SOCAL shift Supervisor a second time at his request after he had spoken with the afternoon shift Supervisor and again no reports/action was indicated against us. This is a new procedure which neither the First Officer nor I had seen/flown before. The SOCAL shift Supervisor I spoke to indicated that it is used only when the military takes airspace west of LAX; and that our experience/confusion as to the correct procedure was not an isolated/unique problem in the two weeks that SOCAL has been using the SID. Obviously there needs to be some form of communication/clarification issued to flight crews as to SOCAL expectations when the SID is issued.  Neither the First Officer nor I had ever heard; from Clearance Delivery; instructions that included 'Heading 250 for radar vectors to the FIXIT1 Departure.' Had the clearance indicated heading 250 for radar vectors to a specific fix on the SID; no confusion would have existed. 'Radar vectors to a SID' is; at best; vague and apparently causing a lot of confusion in the case of the FIXIT1 Departure. LAX Tower did not issue a 250 degree heading in its takeoff clearance. Had they done so; that would have eliminated any confusion. They did point out the 737 off the North complex with instructions to maintain visual separation; which again lent emphasis to follow the RNAV departure as opposed to a heading since we were virtually wing tip to wing tip on takeoff. That I did not hear 'radar vectors' in the clearance nor from the First Officer's readback emphasizes the need to verify what each of us heard and what that meant. Had we both articulated what we heard; any ambiguity would have been exposed and hopefully resolved. As it was; finding the SID and then reprogramming the FMC detracted from verifying what we heard and what that meant. There is a note on the top of the SID that indicates that radar vectors may be issued to one of three fixes on the departure. We did not catch that note until airborne. Had our clearance included one of those 3 fixes we would not have flown the RNAV procedure. I would suggest conversations with SOCAL Departure to include something more specific than simply radar vectors to the FIXIT1.
Unresolved confusion between Clearance Delivery and the flight crew of a B757-200 as to the track by which the flight was to arrive at FIXIT waypoint resulted in a deviation.