Narrative:

Departure clearance stated 'fly the dca 328 degree radial for vectors.' I programmed the mcdu and built a fix after the dca airport on the 328 degree radial at 20 mi. The flight plan then had a discontinuity between that fix (PBD04, in this case) and the first fix on the airway. I took off in managed navigation and arc mode. Immediately after liftoff, the 'to' point (PBD04) disappeared from my map and dropped out of the FMGC. I had hand-tuned the dca VOR and the 328 degree radial on the navigation rad page before departure and switched to rose VOR mode on my navigation display. By that time, I was already east of the 328 degree radial and uncertain at this point whether a restr zone was actually violated. I corrected left (west) to intercept the radial. The first officer and I had had some brief and harried discussion about the disappearance of the course, and he said 'I'll fix it.' he programmed the FMGC to go direct to PBD04 (incorrect, but I didn't see what he was doing, and he didn't tell me) and reached over and switched my navigation display to arc, thereby wiping out the only form of navigation we actually had at that point. I switched back to VOR and, for some reason, didn't have a CDI. I switched out of VOR, back again, and the CDI reappeared, indicating that we were considerably west of course by that time. ATC asked us where we were going (good question) and I told the first officer to tell them we had lost our primary navigation. The controller gave us a heading of 330 degree and a handoff to center. Nothing further was said by ATC about the occurrence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MLG CREW MISMANAGED THEIR NEW FANCY FMC AND GUIDANCE SYS TO THE POINT THAT THEY MAY HAVE VIOLATED A RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: DEP CLRNC STATED 'FLY THE DCA 328 DEG RADIAL FOR VECTORS.' I PROGRAMMED THE MCDU AND BUILT A FIX AFTER THE DCA ARPT ON THE 328 DEG RADIAL AT 20 MI. THE FLT PLAN THEN HAD A DISCONTINUITY BTWN THAT FIX (PBD04, IN THIS CASE) AND THE FIRST FIX ON THE AIRWAY. I TOOK OFF IN MANAGED NAV AND ARC MODE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LIFTOFF, THE 'TO' POINT (PBD04) DISAPPEARED FROM MY MAP AND DROPPED OUT OF THE FMGC. I HAD HAND-TUNED THE DCA VOR AND THE 328 DEG RADIAL ON THE NAV RAD PAGE BEFORE DEP AND SWITCHED TO ROSE VOR MODE ON MY NAV DISPLAY. BY THAT TIME, I WAS ALREADY E OF THE 328 DEG RADIAL AND UNCERTAIN AT THIS POINT WHETHER A RESTR ZONE WAS ACTUALLY VIOLATED. I CORRECTED L (W) TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL. THE FO AND I HAD HAD SOME BRIEF AND HARRIED DISCUSSION ABOUT THE DISAPPEARANCE OF THE COURSE, AND HE SAID 'I'LL FIX IT.' HE PROGRAMMED THE FMGC TO GO DIRECT TO PBD04 (INCORRECT, BUT I DIDN'T SEE WHAT HE WAS DOING, AND HE DIDN'T TELL ME) AND REACHED OVER AND SWITCHED MY NAV DISPLAY TO ARC, THEREBY WIPING OUT THE ONLY FORM OF NAV WE ACTUALLY HAD AT THAT POINT. I SWITCHED BACK TO VOR AND, FOR SOME REASON, DIDN'T HAVE A CDI. I SWITCHED OUT OF VOR, BACK AGAIN, AND THE CDI REAPPEARED, INDICATING THAT WE WERE CONSIDERABLY W OF COURSE BY THAT TIME. ATC ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING (GOOD QUESTION) AND I TOLD THE FO TO TELL THEM WE HAD LOST OUR PRIMARY NAV. THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 330 DEG AND A HDOF TO CTR. NOTHING FURTHER WAS SAID BY ATC ABOUT THE OCCURRENCE.

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.