Narrative:

Departure lga departure control altered route to direct col, direct white af vice rv white. First officer entered col into FMS navigation system and began following course information. Col in data base of FMS was later found to be colima mex VOR and not col colts neck. Departure control questioned 260 degree heading for colts neck. First officer selected #2 VOR 115.4 and found VOR needle turning and 000 DME and started turn 204 degree to white. Again departure control questioned our heading and reclred us direct col-white. Captain selected #1 VOR col 115.4 and found it to be 125 degree to col. So first officer used #1 VOR col 115.4 and found it to be 125 degree to col. So first officer used VOR #1 and flew direct col as filed. Investigation revealed FMS data base col to colima mex VOR. #2 DME inoperative without any at flag. After we found first officer DME indicator to read 000 DME all times. All VOR rec and DME on captain side work normally. Upon arrival fll on flight X, I, the captain, called chief pilots office in atlanta and advised them of the before mentioned. Captain X of the chief pilot's office called engineering for flight guidance. Item #122 in our data base was col, colima mex VOR and not col for colts neck, about 1900 NM and many many degree off course. I have now found out that my company will not and does not guarantee any information in the FMS data bank to be correct. I must insure via the latitude/long from a company map that they are correct. This system will not and does not with en route, route changes. So welcome to the back side of the electronic world, use at your risk or leave alone. We have 3 INS and 1 FMS per widebody transport. About 880000 dollars per plane. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The reporting captain in this incident is rather embarrassed about the reaction that he got from his company when he told management about his problem -- the problem being that col (colima, mex) comes up on the FMC when one asks for col (colts neck, nj). Both cols should come up, offering the pilot a choice of mexico or new jersey or any other col on the planet. His flight manager tried to get the company engineering to change the data base, but nothing has been done in 3 weeks. No altering or warning message has been put on the flight plans about this anomaly. Each crew must check latitude/long against the flight plan and the commercial chart before departure. This is fine, but why spend 1000000 dollars/aircraft, and then have to do all of this?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A WDB CREW FOUND THAT THEIR DATA BASE HAD THE WRONG 'COL' IN IT. THEY WERE NAVIGATING TO MEXICO VICE NEW JERSEY.

Narrative: DEP LGA DEP CTL ALTERED RTE TO DIRECT COL, DIRECT WHITE AF VICE RV WHITE. FO ENTERED COL INTO FMS NAV SYS AND BEGAN FOLLOWING COURSE INFO. COL IN DATA BASE OF FMS WAS LATER FOUND TO BE COLIMA MEX VOR AND NOT COL COLTS NECK. DEP CTL QUESTIONED 260 DEG HDG FOR COLTS NECK. FO SELECTED #2 VOR 115.4 AND FOUND VOR NEEDLE TURNING AND 000 DME AND STARTED TURN 204 DEG TO WHITE. AGAIN DEP CTL QUESTIONED OUR HDG AND RECLRED US DIRECT COL-WHITE. CAPT SELECTED #1 VOR COL 115.4 AND FOUND IT TO BE 125 DEG TO COL. SO FO USED #1 VOR COL 115.4 AND FOUND IT TO BE 125 DEG TO COL. SO FO USED VOR #1 AND FLEW DIRECT COL AS FILED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED FMS DATA BASE COL TO COLIMA MEX VOR. #2 DME INOP WITHOUT ANY AT FLAG. AFTER WE FOUND FO DME INDICATOR TO READ 000 DME ALL TIMES. ALL VOR REC AND DME ON CAPT SIDE WORK NORMALLY. UPON ARR FLL ON FLT X, I, THE CAPT, CALLED CHIEF PLTS OFFICE IN ATLANTA AND ADVISED THEM OF THE BEFORE MENTIONED. CAPT X OF THE CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE CALLED ENGINEERING FOR FLT GUIDANCE. ITEM #122 IN OUR DATA BASE WAS COL, COLIMA MEX VOR AND NOT COL FOR COLTS NECK, ABOUT 1900 NM AND MANY MANY DEG OFF COURSE. I HAVE NOW FOUND OUT THAT MY COMPANY WILL NOT AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY INFO IN THE FMS DATA BANK TO BE CORRECT. I MUST INSURE VIA THE LAT/LONG FROM A COMPANY MAP THAT THEY ARE CORRECT. THIS SYS WILL NOT AND DOES NOT WITH ENRTE, RTE CHANGES. SO WELCOME TO THE BACK SIDE OF THE ELECTRONIC WORLD, USE AT YOUR RISK OR LEAVE ALONE. WE HAVE 3 INS AND 1 FMS PER WDB. ABOUT 880000 DOLLARS PER PLANE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE RPTING CAPT IN THIS INCIDENT IS RATHER EMBARRASSED ABOUT THE REACTION THAT HE GOT FROM HIS COMPANY WHEN HE TOLD MGMNT ABOUT HIS PROBLEM -- THE PROBLEM BEING THAT COL (COLIMA, MEX) COMES UP ON THE FMC WHEN ONE ASKS FOR COL (COLTS NECK, NJ). BOTH COLS SHOULD COME UP, OFFERING THE PLT A CHOICE OF MEXICO OR NEW JERSEY OR ANY OTHER COL ON THE PLANET. HIS FLT MGR TRIED TO GET THE COMPANY ENGINEERING TO CHANGE THE DATA BASE, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE IN 3 WKS. NO ALTERING OR WARNING MESSAGE HAS BEEN PUT ON THE FLT PLANS ABOUT THIS ANOMALY. EACH CREW MUST CHK LAT/LONG AGAINST THE FLT PLAN AND THE COMMERCIAL CHART BEFORE DEP. THIS IS FINE, BUT WHY SPEND 1000000 DOLLARS/ACFT, AND THEN HAVE TO DO ALL OF THIS?

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.