Air carrier widebody transport track heading deviation when the clearance flight plan was different ...

Attributes
ACN	189746
Time
Date	199109
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme tower : mem
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other ground : preflight
Route In Use	enroute airway : j42
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9800 flight time type : 1150
ASRS Report	189746
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Normal procedure is to receive clearance by ACARS. Clearance was not available by ACARS so a call to clearance delivery was initiated. Communications was switched to airplane speaker so captain could hear clearance. Just as controller was issuing clearance maintenance entered cockpit and captain was distraction. Clearance was received and it included a change from the filed route. Omega navigation was loaded automatically from ACARS with the original and wrong clearance. Takeoff climb and cruise were normal about 50 past point where original clearance and new clearance diverged the controller informed us that we had missed the turn at which point the crew realized the mistake and the controller issued a clearance direct to the next fix to pick up the proper route. I believe the mistake occurred because of the following reasons. Deviation from normal procedure of receiving clearance by ACARS. Failure on first officer's part of not informing captain of change. Distraction of captain during readback of clearance. Failure to xchk omega route as loaded automatically by ACARS with clearance actually received. Because initial part of new clearance was the same as original clearance and because the crew was used to flying the route many times via the original clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB TRACK HDG DEV WHEN THE CLRNC FLT PLAN WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE ACARS FLT PLAN AND THE FLC ALLOWED THE ACARS TO AUTO LOAD THE OMEGA NAV SYS.

Narrative: NORMAL PROC IS TO RECEIVE CLRNC BY ACARS. CLRNC WAS NOT AVAILABLE BY ACARS SO A CALL TO CLRNC DELIVERY WAS INITIATED. COMS WAS SWITCHED TO AIRPLANE SPEAKER SO CAPT COULD HEAR CLRNC. JUST AS CTLR WAS ISSUING CLRNC MAINT ENTERED COCKPIT AND CAPT WAS DISTR. CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AND IT INCLUDED A CHANGE FROM THE FILED RTE. OMEGA NAV WAS LOADED AUTOMATICALLY FROM ACARS WITH THE ORIGINAL AND WRONG CLRNC. TKOF CLB AND CRUISE WERE NORMAL ABOUT 50 PAST POINT WHERE ORIGINAL CLRNC AND NEW CLRNC DIVERGED THE CTLR INFORMED US THAT WE HAD MISSED THE TURN AT WHICH POINT THE CREW REALIZED THE MISTAKE AND THE CTLR ISSUED A CLRNC DIRECT TO THE NEXT FIX TO PICK UP THE PROPER RTE. I BELIEVE THE MISTAKE OCCURRED BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING REASONS. DEV FROM NORMAL PROC OF RECEIVING CLRNC BY ACARS. FAILURE ON FO'S PART OF NOT INFORMING CAPT OF CHANGE. DISTR OF CAPT DURING READBACK OF CLRNC. FAILURE TO XCHK OMEGA RTE AS LOADED AUTOMATICALLY BY ACARS WITH CLRNC ACTUALLY RECEIVED. BECAUSE INITIAL PART OF NEW CLRNC WAS THE SAME AS ORIGINAL CLRNC AND BECAUSE THE CREW WAS USED TO FLYING THE RTE MANY TIMES VIA THE ORIGINAL CLRNC.

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.

Air carrier widebody transport track heading deviation when the clearance flight plan was different than the ACARS flight plan and the flight crew allowed the ACARS to automatic load the omega navigation system.