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Flight crew of a widebody transport flight test aircraft inadvertently entered a military MOA special airspace due to an uncertified FMC error.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 256342 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199311 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hqm |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 20000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zse |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 60 |
| ASRS Report | 256342 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While operating in a special use airspace 'albacore' over the pacific ocean off the coast of washington, a clearance was received as follows: direct to hoquiam (hqm) olympia (olm) for the olympia 1 arrival. The clearance was entered in the FMC. This computer was a test article which is not yet certified, though it is similar in design to the unit normally used in this airplane. This computer had been showing some reluctance to format flight plans after they were entered. The flight plan in question did not format correctly and it quickly sequenced the active waypoint, hqm, causing the airplane to turn toward olm with a wide radius turn. This turn was based on 500 KT ground speed. The resulting flight path caused the airplane to cross the beach about 9 mi north of hqm and barely enter the 'olympic' military airspace, located over the olympic peninsula, which was active at the time before the airplane turned south to overfly hqm with another wide radius turn. At the same time ATC issued an instruction to turn south. The estimated penetration of the 'olympic' airspace was 2-3 mi.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A WDB FLT TEST ACFT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A MIL MOA SPECIAL AIRSPACE DUE TO AN UNCERTIFIED FMC ERROR.
Narrative: WHILE OPERATING IN A SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE 'ALBACORE' OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN OFF THE COAST OF WASHINGTON, A CLRNC WAS RECEIVED AS FOLLOWS: DIRECT TO HOQUIAM (HQM) OLYMPIA (OLM) FOR THE OLYMPIA 1 ARR. THE CLRNC WAS ENTERED IN THE FMC. THIS COMPUTER WAS A TEST ARTICLE WHICH IS NOT YET CERTIFIED, THOUGH IT IS SIMILAR IN DESIGN TO THE UNIT NORMALLY USED IN THIS AIRPLANE. THIS COMPUTER HAD BEEN SHOWING SOME RELUCTANCE TO FORMAT FLT PLANS AFTER THEY WERE ENTERED. THE FLT PLAN IN QUESTION DID NOT FORMAT CORRECTLY AND IT QUICKLY SEQUENCED THE ACTIVE WAYPOINT, HQM, CAUSING THE AIRPLANE TO TURN TOWARD OLM WITH A WIDE RADIUS TURN. THIS TURN WAS BASED ON 500 KT GND SPD. THE RESULTING FLT PATH CAUSED THE AIRPLANE TO CROSS THE BEACH ABOUT 9 MI N OF HQM AND BARELY ENTER THE 'OLYMPIC' MIL AIRSPACE, LOCATED OVER THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA, WHICH WAS ACTIVE AT THE TIME BEFORE THE AIRPLANE TURNED S TO OVERFLY HQM WITH ANOTHER WIDE RADIUS TURN. AT THE SAME TIME ATC ISSUED AN INSTRUCTION TO TURN S. THE ESTIMATED PENETRATION OF THE 'OLYMPIC' AIRSPACE WAS 2-3 MI.
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.