Flight crew of medium large transport deviated from heading assigned direct mgw.

Attributes
ACN	120705
Time
Date	198908
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : air
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	120705
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	120852
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route from cle to dca at FL290, I was PF and captain was PNF. Autoplt and and coupled to FMC for navigation. Captain and I had aircraft handbook out and troubleshooting minor fuel system warning light. ZOB cleared us, 'direct mgw esl bucko 2 arrival.' this was not part of our preprogrammed route of flight, so I had to type mgw into the FMC to go direct. I inadvertently entered mgm into the FMC, rather than mgw. Since the autoplt was coupled to the FMC, the aircraft turned toward mgm instead of mgw. The new heading was about 90 degrees off the correct heading. We immediately realized the heading didn't look right for dca and began to manually tune in the mgw VOR to verify the heading. ZOB then called us and said, 'I don't know what you've got tuned in, but that heading will never get you to morgantown (mgw).' we then turned to the correct heading for mgw. Some contributing factors to our error were the fuel system problem troubleshooting and the new ATC clearance, which was not in the active FMC route of flight and required manual typing. I hurriedly typed in the new fix (incorrectly) to get back to our fuel system problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG DEVIATED FROM HEADING ASSIGNED DIRECT MGW.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM CLE TO DCA AT FL290, I WAS PF AND CAPT WAS PNF. AUTOPLT AND AND COUPLED TO FMC FOR NAV. CAPT AND I HAD ACFT HANDBOOK OUT AND TROUBLESHOOTING MINOR FUEL SYS WARNING LIGHT. ZOB CLRED US, 'DIRECT MGW ESL BUCKO 2 ARR.' THIS WAS NOT PART OF OUR PREPROGRAMMED ROUTE OF FLT, SO I HAD TO TYPE MGW INTO THE FMC TO GO DIRECT. I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED MGM INTO THE FMC, RATHER THAN MGW. SINCE THE AUTOPLT WAS COUPLED TO THE FMC, THE ACFT TURNED TOWARD MGM INSTEAD OF MGW. THE NEW HDG WAS ABOUT 90 DEGS OFF THE CORRECT HDG. WE IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THE HDG DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT FOR DCA AND BEGAN TO MANUALLY TUNE IN THE MGW VOR TO VERIFY THE HDG. ZOB THEN CALLED US AND SAID, 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT TUNED IN, BUT THAT HDG WILL NEVER GET YOU TO MORGANTOWN (MGW).' WE THEN TURNED TO THE CORRECT HDG FOR MGW. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO OUR ERROR WERE THE FUEL SYS PROB TROUBLESHOOTING AND THE NEW ATC CLRNC, WHICH WAS NOT IN THE ACTIVE FMC ROUTE OF FLT AND REQUIRED MANUAL TYPING. I HURRIEDLY TYPED IN THE NEW FIX (INCORRECTLY) TO GET BACK TO OUR FUEL SYS PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.