Date: 201812
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: SJC.Airport, CA
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 12
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Embraer Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Corporate
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Climb
Airspace: Class C SJC
ATC / advisory: TRACON NCT
Reporter organization: Corporate
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; First Officer
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument
Second reporter function: Pilot Not Flying; Captain
Anomaly: Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Contributing factors: Chart Or Publication; Procedure
Primary problem: Chart Or Publication

Narrative: I inputted the SJC2 Departure which has a transition point after MOONY of (PXN or AVE). However; since neither of these points were listed on our PDC; I deleted PXN from the flight plan; in order to match the specific routing in the PDC. Upon departure; approaching MOONY the FMS gave us a smart turn solution back to SJC which we followed. At this point; Departure gave us a heading of 120 degrees. In this turn; the Controller stated something to the effect of 'it looks like your FMS turned you early.' Then; something like; 'you do have MOONY in your flight plan; correct?' We did; so we replied 'yes.' Shortly thereafter; the controller gave us a turn further left to 350 and a further climb. During this turn; the Controller said something to the effect of; 'I have seen this situation before recently and we are working on fixing it.' Then he mentioned something about submitting a NASA Report; to which we agreed. The flight plan issuing authority did not include the transition point of (PXN or AVE) when issuing the PDC. We followed the routing as it was given. It appeared to me this was not what the Departure Controller was expecting us to do. So; I recommend ensuring PXE or AVE is specified in the clearances for all aircraft departing on the SJC2 Departure.


Second narrative: I inputted the SJC2 Departure which has a transition point after MOONY of (PXN or AVE). However; since neither of these points were listed on our PDC; I deleted PXN from the flight plan; in order to match the specific routing in the PDC. Upon departure; approaching MOONY the FMS gave us a smart turn solution back to SJC which we followed. At this point; Departure gave us a heading of 120 degrees. In this turn; the Controller stated something to the effect of 'it looks like your FMS turned you early.' Then; something like; 'you do have MOONY in your flight plan; correct?' We did; so we replied 'yes.' Shortly thereafter; the controller gave us a turn further left to 350 and a further climb. During this turn; the Controller said something to the effect of; 'I have seen this situation before recently and we are working on fixing it.' Then he mentioned something about submitting a report; to which we agreed. The flight plan issuing authority did not include the transition point of (PXN or AVE) when issuing the PDC. We followed the routing as it was given. It appeared to me this was not what the Departure Controller was expecting us to do. So; I recommend ensuring PXE or AVE is specified in the clearances for all aircraft departing on the SJC2 Departure.Clearance: Aircraft X was issued a PDC for an SJC2 Runway 30L Departure; specifically: -SJC2 MOONY SJC BMRNG TIPRE INSLO-. Remarks: CLEARED SJC2 Departure. The PDC included no departure transition. As part of pre-flight preparation; the First Officer (FO; who on this leg would be the Flying Pilot) input the SJC2 departure. Inputting the SJC2 departure requires an operator to choose a transition--PXN or AVE. The FO input the SJC2 departure; selected the PXN transition; then SJC BMRNG TIPRE INSLO as per the PDC. Critically; since no transition was referenced in the PDC; the FO then deleted the selected transition point -- PXN -- from the routing. Since the FO entered the routing exactly as noted in the PDC; when we briefed the departure we both felt comfortable with the routing. After takeoff and during the departure; the Flying Pilot (FP) precisely followed the flight director indications which included a 'smart' turn at waypoint MOONY and turning us right to the next waypoint SJC. At this point; Departure Control took us off route; giving us a heading of 120 degrees. The Controller did not specify left or right so I asked him. He said left turn 120 [heading]. We turned left to 120. During this; turn the Controller stated something to the effect of it looks like your FMS turned you early. Then he said; you do have MOONY in your flight plan; correct? We did; so I replied 'yes'. Shortly thereafter; the Controller gave us a turn further left (direction of turn specified this time) to 350. During this turn the controller stated two things. First of all; he said that he had seen this situation before recently and they are working on fixing it. Secondly; he asked (what seemed to be rhetorically) if we would be submitting a report. I replied; 'yes.'If either transition point - PXN or AVE -- is required in the departure routing; then either the PDC should include the transition point; or the transition point should be issued by the controller. We followed the routing indicated in the PDC which the Departure Controller was not expecting us to do. Recommend ensuring that either PXE or AVE is specified in the clearance for all aircraft departing on the SJC2 Departure.


Synopsis: Embraer aircraft flight crew reported confusion on the SJC2 SID; resulting in a deviation from clearance.