FLC OF AN LTT TURBOPROP FLEW THROUGH A SID DEP RADIAL DUE TO A MISINTERP OF THE SID INSTRUCTIONS CALLING FOR A VECTOR TO THE RADIAL THAT WAS NEVER GIVEN BY ATC.

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ALTHOUGH I HAVE FLOWN IN AND OUT OF LAS SEVERAL TIMES AS A TOUR PLT; IT WAS ALWAYS VFR. THIS WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE OF AN IFR DEP FROM LAS. WE WERE ASSIGNED THE 'RED ROCK 1' DEP (THE DEP PROC INCLUDED THE DAGGET TRANSITION). I STUDIED THE PROC AND THEN BRIEFED THE CAPT. THE PROC STATES; 'FLY HDG 180 DEGS FOR A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE LAS 211 DEG RADIAL.' WHILE ON A HDG OF 180 DEGS WE WAITED FOR A VECTOR FROM ATC. WHEN WE WERE PASSING THE LAS 211 DEG RADIAL; BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE CONFUSED AS TO WHETHER WE WERE SUPPOSED TO INTERCEPT THE LAS 211 DEG RADIAL EVEN THOUGH WE NEVER RECEIVED A 'VECTOR TO INTERCEPT.' WE QUESTIONED ATC WHILE ON THE 180 DEG HDG; AND WERE TOLD THAT WE WERE S OF THE 211 DEG RADIAL (WHICH WE KNEW); AND THAT WE SHOULD HAVE INTERCEPTED THE 211 DEG RADIAL (WHICH WE DID NOT KNOW). WE WERE TOLD TO TURN R TO INTERCEPT THE 211 DEG RADIAL AND WE PROMPTLY COMPLIED. THE CAPT QUESTIONED THE CTLR AS TO THE MEANING OF THE PROC. HE READ THE PROC TO HER VERBATIM FROM OUR COMMERCIAL CHART. SHE QUESTIONED HER SUPVR AND SEVERAL MINS LATER TOLD US THAT SHE 'DIDN'T QUITE KNOW THE MEANING OF THE PROC.' THE FLT CONTINUED TO SMX WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY PROB IS THIS: IF LAS DEP CTL WANTS US TO INTERCEPT THE LAS 211 DEG RADIAL; THEN OMIT THE PHRASE 'FOR A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT;' AND REPLACE IT WITH 'INTERCEPT.' IF LAS DEP FULLY INTENDS TO VECTOR ACFT ON TO THE LAS 211 DEG RADIAL; THE PHRASE 'FOR A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT' COULD STILL BE OMITTED; AND ATC COULD VECTOR US AS NEEDED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ACFT HE WAS OPERATING WAS A METRO SA227. HE REITERATED THAT THE WORDING OF 'FOR VECTOR TO INTERCEPT' CAUSED THEM TO BELIEVE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE FURTHER VECTOR INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC; OR AT LEAST TO VERIFY THAT THEY WERE TO INTERCEPT THE 211 DEG RADIAL; EVEN IF ANOTHER HEADING VECTOR WAS NOT NECESSARY. THE RPTR COMPARES THIS SIT TO VECTORS TO FINAL LOC COURSE AND NOT TURN ON COURSE UNTIL CLRED TO DO SO. HE AGAIN STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT THE 'FOR VECTOR' COULD BE ELIMINATED AND WORDED SIMILAR TO THE 'BEATTY TRANSITION INSTRUCTION WHICH SHOWS THE FOLLOWING: --- VIA HEADING --- TO INTERCEPT AND PROCEED VIA --- (RADIAL). THIS INSTRUCTION LEAVES NOTHING TO QUESTION AS TO WHAT IS INTENDED AND YET COULD BE MODIFIED AT ANY POINT BY A VECTOR FROM ATC IF UNDER RADAR CONTACT.