Narrative:

Arrived in charleston late. In an attempt to turn the aircraft around as quickly as possible, I went inside to operations while the first officer set the cockpit us for departure to dca. When I arrived back into the cockpit we were already boarding. I quickly set my half of the cockpit up. I normally review what the first officer has entered into the FMC. Tonight I did not on this leg. This was a big mistake. We departed charleston. Departure control issued a clearance that stated 'turn left and cleared on course.' the first officer was flying. He pulled up direct to the first waypoint on his CDU and turned to proceed direct. Shortly after this departure handed us off to ZJX. At about the same time that I looked down to see where we were going direct to, ZJX asked if we were still on an assigned heading from chs departure. We then realized that the first officer had loaded charleston to charlotte into the FMC instead of charleston to washington. We were off the assigned arwy by 6 mi when we caught the mistake. We quickly coordinated with ZJX and got back on the proper course. We had been flying all day and were tired, but not really exhausted. The first officer made the programming mistake and then I failed to catch his mistake until we were airborne.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLT CREW CALLS UP WRONG FLT PLAN FROM NAVIGATION COMPUTER DATA BANK. TRACK ERROR RESULTS.

Narrative: ARRIVED IN CHARLESTON LATE. IN AN ATTEMPT TO TURN THE ACFT AROUND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, I WENT INSIDE TO OPS WHILE THE F/O SET THE COCKPIT US FOR DEP TO DCA. WHEN I ARRIVED BACK INTO THE COCKPIT WE WERE ALREADY BOARDING. I QUICKLY SET MY HALF OF THE COCKPIT UP. I NORMALLY REVIEW WHAT THE F/O HAS ENTERED INTO THE FMC. TONIGHT I DID NOT ON THIS LEG. THIS WAS A BIG MISTAKE. WE DEPARTED CHARLESTON. DEP CTL ISSUED A CLRNC THAT STATED 'TURN LEFT AND CLRED ON COURSE.' THE F/O WAS FLYING. HE PULLED UP DIRECT TO THE FIRST WAYPOINT ON HIS CDU AND TURNED TO PROCEED DIRECT. SHORTLY AFTER THIS DEP HANDED US OFF TO ZJX. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT I LOOKED DOWN TO SEE WHERE WE WERE GOING DIRECT TO, ZJX ASKED IF WE WERE STILL ON AN ASSIGNED HDG FROM CHS DEP. WE THEN REALIZED THAT THE F/O HAD LOADED CHARLESTON TO CHARLOTTE INTO THE FMC INSTEAD OF CHARLESTON TO WASHINGTON. WE WERE OFF THE ASSIGNED ARWY BY 6 MI WHEN WE CAUGHT THE MISTAKE. WE QUICKLY COORDINATED WITH ZJX AND GOT BACK ON THE PROPER COURSE. WE HAD BEEN FLYING ALL DAY AND WERE TIRED, BUT NOT REALLY EXHAUSTED. THE F/O MADE THE PROGRAMMING MISTAKE AND THEN I FAILED TO CATCH HIS MISTAKE UNTIL WE WERE AIRBORNE.

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.