Narrative:

I made a data error entry in a long range navigation system, did not verify the entries, and allowed a navigation error of 180 NM. During a quick turn at, an intermediate stop, the normal work flow was interrupted several times by ground service personnel. I entered, in error, N60.00.0 west 30.00.0 instead of N63.00.0 west 30.00.0. The trip was a subsvc charter on short notice and already late, therefore I was being encouraged to take minimum ground time. I opted not to verify and check the flight plan until we were in flight. This is not normal and consequently I forgot to do the check. After leaving landfall outbnd we experienced difficulty making the required position reports in a timely manner. We were operating in an area of extended range VHF coverage. Also, the HF radios wouldn't work. Passing N61.00.0 a discrepancy showed between the #1 and #2 navigation systems. I discounted the error indication because on the previous legs the #2 navigation system had wandered slightly but always came back in several mins. Again, I became distracted, trying to help make a position report. When the autoplt coupled to the #1 navigation system made an unnatural turn toward the next waypoint from 60N 30 west, I discovered the error and took appropriate action. I confessed our situation and mins later was in radar contact. The incident resulted from my own stupidity, allowing myself to be rushed by outside factors, not taking time to follow a normal work rhythm, and taking the computer for granted. Also, if I had not been distracted by the radio problems I may, out of curiosity, checked the minor deviation. Supplemental information from acn 143391: all 3 crew members had been up all day, the F/east had just arrived in ft wayne to relieve our previous F/east and had arrived at the aircraft in civilian clothes. After entering canadian airspace the captain took a nap to be fresh for the coast out point. Our #2 omega drifts badly during initial legs but I had updated it twice and by goose outbnd to leach it looked fine. The captain took over at this point and flight continued normally with the exception of the our HF's. After our initial HF SELCAL check we had to communicate on HF, so position reports were on UHF (58N, 50 west) arriving at 61N, 40W and with no communication on HF we relayed through other air carrier flight and he came back with VHF frequency for iceland radio which we used to pass our 61N, 40W report. Approaching 35W and after finally getting position report out I noticed our 2 navigation's were not close and that our bearing and direct track to 63N, 30W were quite different. Informing the captain of this, and after checking both systems, he decided #1 was correct. Only after reaching 60N, 30 west and the aircraft turning quite north did he realize there was indeed an error. We turned north, contacted iceland radio, told them our real position and proceeded to parallel 30W until we were vectored direct to kef. The problem happened because we were hurried to depart wri and did not check each navigation against the other after being individually entered. We could have done this airborne, but did not. We could have caught it at 61N, 40W with difference in direct track, we did not. Our company procedures cover all of this, but because we were all tired, our communication was poor at best and our #2 navigation was usually in error, we were led down the path to the stupidest of errors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GROSS NAVIGATION ERROR. OMEGA NAVIGATION OVER WATER.

Narrative: I MADE A DATA ERROR ENTRY IN A LONG RANGE NAV SYS, DID NOT VERIFY THE ENTRIES, AND ALLOWED A NAV ERROR OF 180 NM. DURING A QUICK TURN AT, AN INTERMEDIATE STOP, THE NORMAL WORK FLOW WAS INTERRUPTED SEVERAL TIMES BY GND SVC PERSONNEL. I ENTERED, IN ERROR, N60.00.0 W 30.00.0 INSTEAD OF N63.00.0 W 30.00.0. THE TRIP WAS A SUBSVC CHARTER ON SHORT NOTICE AND ALREADY LATE, THEREFORE I WAS BEING ENCOURAGED TO TAKE MINIMUM GND TIME. I OPTED NOT TO VERIFY AND CHK THE FLT PLAN UNTIL WE WERE IN FLT. THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND CONSEQUENTLY I FORGOT TO DO THE CHK. AFTER LEAVING LANDFALL OUTBND WE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY MAKING THE REQUIRED POS RPTS IN A TIMELY MANNER. WE WERE OPERATING IN AN AREA OF EXTENDED RANGE VHF COVERAGE. ALSO, THE HF RADIOS WOULDN'T WORK. PASSING N61.00.0 A DISCREPANCY SHOWED BTWN THE #1 AND #2 NAV SYSTEMS. I DISCOUNTED THE ERROR INDICATION BECAUSE ON THE PREVIOUS LEGS THE #2 NAV SYS HAD WANDERED SLIGHTLY BUT ALWAYS CAME BACK IN SEVERAL MINS. AGAIN, I BECAME DISTRACTED, TRYING TO HELP MAKE A POS RPT. WHEN THE AUTOPLT COUPLED TO THE #1 NAV SYS MADE AN UNNATURAL TURN TOWARD THE NEXT WAYPOINT FROM 60N 30 W, I DISCOVERED THE ERROR AND TOOK APPROPRIATE ACTION. I CONFESSED OUR SITUATION AND MINS LATER WAS IN RADAR CONTACT. THE INCIDENT RESULTED FROM MY OWN STUPIDITY, ALLOWING MYSELF TO BE RUSHED BY OUTSIDE FACTORS, NOT TAKING TIME TO FOLLOW A NORMAL WORK RHYTHM, AND TAKING THE COMPUTER FOR GRANTED. ALSO, IF I HAD NOT BEEN DISTRACTED BY THE RADIO PROBS I MAY, OUT OF CURIOSITY, CHKED THE MINOR DEV. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 143391: ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS HAD BEEN UP ALL DAY, THE F/E HAD JUST ARRIVED IN FT WAYNE TO RELIEVE OUR PREVIOUS F/E AND HAD ARRIVED AT THE ACFT IN CIVILIAN CLOTHES. AFTER ENTERING CANADIAN AIRSPACE THE CAPT TOOK A NAP TO BE FRESH FOR THE COAST OUT POINT. OUR #2 OMEGA DRIFTS BADLY DURING INITIAL LEGS BUT I HAD UPDATED IT TWICE AND BY GOOSE OUTBND TO LEACH IT LOOKED FINE. THE CAPT TOOK OVER AT THIS POINT AND FLT CONTINUED NORMALLY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE OUR HF'S. AFTER OUR INITIAL HF SELCAL CHK WE HAD TO COMMUNICATE ON HF, SO POS RPTS WERE ON UHF (58N, 50 W) ARRIVING AT 61N, 40W AND WITH NO COM ON HF WE RELAYED THROUGH OTHER ACR FLT AND HE CAME BACK WITH VHF FREQ FOR ICELAND RADIO WHICH WE USED TO PASS OUR 61N, 40W RPT. APCHING 35W AND AFTER FINALLY GETTING POS RPT OUT I NOTICED OUR 2 NAV'S WERE NOT CLOSE AND THAT OUR BEARING AND DIRECT TRACK TO 63N, 30W WERE QUITE DIFFERENT. INFORMING THE CAPT OF THIS, AND AFTER CHKING BOTH SYSTEMS, HE DECIDED #1 WAS CORRECT. ONLY AFTER REACHING 60N, 30 W AND THE ACFT TURNING QUITE N DID HE REALIZE THERE WAS INDEED AN ERROR. WE TURNED N, CONTACTED ICELAND RADIO, TOLD THEM OUR REAL POS AND PROCEEDED TO PARALLEL 30W UNTIL WE WERE VECTORED DIRECT TO KEF. THE PROB HAPPENED BECAUSE WE WERE HURRIED TO DEPART WRI AND DID NOT CHK EACH NAV AGAINST THE OTHER AFTER BEING INDIVIDUALLY ENTERED. WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS AIRBORNE, BUT DID NOT. WE COULD HAVE CAUGHT IT AT 61N, 40W WITH DIFFERENCE IN DIRECT TRACK, WE DID NOT. OUR COMPANY PROCS COVER ALL OF THIS, BUT BECAUSE WE WERE ALL TIRED, OUR COM WAS POOR AT BEST AND OUR #2 NAV WAS USUALLY IN ERROR, WE WERE LED DOWN THE PATH TO THE STUPIDEST OF ERRORS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.