Narrative:

Crew was starting last flight segment of a 13.45 scheduled crew day. There was a 2 hour situation between flts earlier in the day and a 3 hour situation in dca prior to final flight to chs. Outgoing aircraft arrived late. Performing cockpit duties during preflight, a jumpseat rider from another airline, arrived on deck and was involved in extensive conversation with captain until near departure. Copilot could have loaded FMC for dca-clt instead of dca-chs, then retreated outside for preflight. Captain for once, did not verify FMC routing. We built departure and briefed south river departure. On taxi clearance we were changed to northwest noise abatement. We reloaded departure runway, radial, and briefed northwest departure. On departure copilot hand flew aircraft to 14000 ft due to 210 degree turn after takeoff. Departure cleared us to 'daily' which was not in computer but a 'gve__' (have many such points in FMC). Assumed that was same as daily. At this time, for first time, flight attendant came in about cabin write-ups for overnight maintenance. Controller gave us a vector but no indication why. We typed in daily, now after reclred. Autoplt was engaged and aircraft went to 'daily' then turned to direct gve as loaded in FMC instead of J-61. Almost at the same time we noticed the ACARS had clt for destination (while checking WX) the controller vectored us back on course after admonishing us for not turning on to airway. Seems like classic breaks in habit patterns, the obvious result of aircraft going to where it was told to go was due to incorrect input. Fatigue, late arriving aircraft, jumpseat rider present during cockpit preflight, runway and departure change at last min, tricky dca departures and engine out briefs, turn from 328 degree radial to approximately 150 degrees while hand flying aircraft, assuming common FMC intersection of 'gve--' (can't remember DME) was daily, flight attendant entering cockpit (we were out of 10000 ft), and controller giving vectors on departure with no reason given. ATC supervisor noted we did not turn once over 'daily intersection.' we had several hints with no daily in FMC, the vectoring not making sense and ACARS WX request pulling up clt instead of chs. As much briefing as we did on this departure, it is still possible to get off the route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HDG TRACK DEV DURING A NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: CREW WAS STARTING LAST FLT SEGMENT OF A 13.45 SCHEDULED CREW DAY. THERE WAS A 2 HR SIT BTWN FLTS EARLIER IN THE DAY AND A 3 HR SIT IN DCA PRIOR TO FINAL FLT TO CHS. OUTGOING ACFT ARRIVED LATE. PERFORMING COCKPIT DUTIES DURING PREFLT, A JUMPSEAT RIDER FROM ANOTHER AIRLINE, ARRIVED ON DECK AND WAS INVOLVED IN EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION WITH CAPT UNTIL NEAR DEP. COPLT COULD HAVE LOADED FMC FOR DCA-CLT INSTEAD OF DCA-CHS, THEN RETREATED OUTSIDE FOR PREFLT. CAPT FOR ONCE, DID NOT VERIFY FMC ROUTING. WE BUILT DEP AND BRIEFED S RIVER DEP. ON TAXI CLRNC WE WERE CHANGED TO NW NOISE ABATEMENT. WE RELOADED DEP RWY, RADIAL, AND BRIEFED NW DEP. ON DEP COPLT HAND FLEW ACFT TO 14000 FT DUE TO 210 DEG TURN AFTER TKOF. DEP CLRED US TO 'DAILY' WHICH WAS NOT IN COMPUTER BUT A 'GVE__' (HAVE MANY SUCH POINTS IN FMC). ASSUMED THAT WAS SAME AS DAILY. AT THIS TIME, FOR FIRST TIME, FLT ATTENDANT CAME IN ABOUT CABIN WRITE-UPS FOR OVERNIGHT MAINT. CTLR GAVE US A VECTOR BUT NO INDICATION WHY. WE TYPED IN DAILY, NOW AFTER RECLRED. AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED AND ACFT WENT TO 'DAILY' THEN TURNED TO DIRECT GVE AS LOADED IN FMC INSTEAD OF J-61. ALMOST AT THE SAME TIME WE NOTICED THE ACARS HAD CLT FOR DEST (WHILE CHKING WX) THE CTLR VECTORED US BACK ON COURSE AFTER ADMONISHING US FOR NOT TURNING ON TO AIRWAY. SEEMS LIKE CLASSIC BREAKS IN HABIT PATTERNS, THE OBVIOUS RESULT OF ACFT GOING TO WHERE IT WAS TOLD TO GO WAS DUE TO INCORRECT INPUT. FATIGUE, LATE ARRIVING ACFT, JUMPSEAT RIDER PRESENT DURING COCKPIT PREFLT, RWY AND DEP CHANGE AT LAST MIN, TRICKY DCA DEPS AND ENG OUT BRIEFS, TURN FROM 328 DEG RADIAL TO APPROX 150 DEGS WHILE HAND FLYING ACFT, ASSUMING COMMON FMC INTXN OF 'GVE--' (CAN'T REMEMBER DME) WAS DAILY, FLT ATTENDANT ENTERING COCKPIT (WE WERE OUT OF 10000 FT), AND CTLR GIVING VECTORS ON DEP WITH NO REASON GIVEN. ATC SUPVR NOTED WE DID NOT TURN ONCE OVER 'DAILY INTXN.' WE HAD SEVERAL HINTS WITH NO DAILY IN FMC, THE VECTORING NOT MAKING SENSE AND ACARS WX REQUEST PULLING UP CLT INSTEAD OF CHS. AS MUCH BRIEFING AS WE DID ON THIS DEP, IT IS STILL POSSIBLE TO GET OFF THE RTE.

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.