Narrative:

Far part 135 trip from rjnn to phog. The captain loaded all waypoints from the universal flight plan into each global 1000 individually. I checked and verified all coordinates in each FMS. These were checked against the master document. When leaving rjnn the FMS was checked against VOR/VOR DME and found to be accurate. Japan/tokyo departure vectored our aircraft to score waypoint, which was our coast out point. All appeared normal with both FMS and departure never denied our position when we reported over score fix. After crossing 34N/180E the aircraft turned approximately 15 degrees right then shortly turned back to 10 degrees to the left. I checked the FMS and plotted our course twice and all showed that we were still on our plot to phog. The captain and myself became concerned because of the 2 turns and checked the global 1000 system. We found that IRS 1, IRS 2, IRS 3 and VLF all were showing 99S which is maximum drift, or dead reckoning. The afm supplement for the global GNS 1000 FMS states that during periods of dead reckoning that navigation shall not be predicated on the use of the GNS 1000 for RNAV operations. But in the middle of the pacific there were no other navaids to use. The FMS was tracking a heading that was close to the flight plan heading and was acceptable taking into account the winds. As we approached danno fix, our coast in point to hnl/phog, we were unable to contact ZHN on VHF, and we could not pick up sok VOR or any other VOR or ADF. The captain continued to talk to honolulu commercial radio on HF while I attempted to use VHF. After the FMS ran out all the legs, and we were not within range of land, I declared an emergency due to our inability to determine our position. ZHN suggested a turn from 115 degrees to 230 degrees and asked to tune in an ADF 870 and also molokai VOR. We began to pick up a weak signal on the ADF and shortly the VOR locked in at 230 NM northeast of molokai. We remained at FL450 till 90 mi from phog and landed straight in on runway 20. Taxied in with 1400 pounds of fuel. I feel that at some point after crossing 34N/180E all system were in error due to software or other interference. On the ramp in phog both system showed within 1.2 mi. This was because they had received VOR/VOR DME signals to update themselves. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter first officer says last minute confusion when departing rjnn contributed to the captain initializing present position incorrectly. Inserted wrong longitude. Normally when the position is crosschecked by the IRS's, the error is displayed on the prompt screen identifying the problem, but if the prompt is erased (inadvertently) the only way to recall it is to go to the specific page. That wasn't done. After months of 'soul searching,' FAA investigation, extra navigation training reporter says it won't happen again. Also, his company training programs have been improved. Additionally, the FAA found a position on the flight plan which was in error. The longitude was east and should have been west. Fuel was dangerously low, the flight crew had no navigation to the hawaiian islands and declared an emergency. Commercial radio recommended a heading change and when finally receiving an ADF signal, it took a 90 degree turn to the right. They had been paralleling the correct course, but 350 mi off.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INCORRECT PROGRAMMING/INITIALIZING POS CAUSED MAJOR NAV ERROR ON TRANSOCEANIC FLT.

Narrative: FAR PART 135 TRIP FROM RJNN TO PHOG. THE CAPT LOADED ALL WAYPOINTS FROM THE UNIVERSAL FLT PLAN INTO EACH GLOBAL 1000 INDIVIDUALLY. I CHKED AND VERIFIED ALL COORDINATES IN EACH FMS. THESE WERE CHKED AGAINST THE MASTER DOCUMENT. WHEN LEAVING RJNN THE FMS WAS CHKED AGAINST VOR/VOR DME AND FOUND TO BE ACCURATE. JAPAN/TOKYO DEP VECTORED OUR ACFT TO SCORE WAYPOINT, WHICH WAS OUR COAST OUT POINT. ALL APPEARED NORMAL WITH BOTH FMS AND DEP NEVER DENIED OUR POS WHEN WE RPTED OVER SCORE FIX. AFTER XING 34N/180E THE ACFT TURNED APPROX 15 DEGS R THEN SHORTLY TURNED BACK TO 10 DEGS TO THE L. I CHKED THE FMS AND PLOTTED OUR COURSE TWICE AND ALL SHOWED THAT WE WERE STILL ON OUR PLOT TO PHOG. THE CAPT AND MYSELF BECAME CONCERNED BECAUSE OF THE 2 TURNS AND CHKED THE GLOBAL 1000 SYS. WE FOUND THAT IRS 1, IRS 2, IRS 3 AND VLF ALL WERE SHOWING 99S WHICH IS MAX DRIFT, OR DEAD RECKONING. THE AFM SUPPLEMENT FOR THE GLOBAL GNS 1000 FMS STATES THAT DURING PERIODS OF DEAD RECKONING THAT NAV SHALL NOT BE PREDICATED ON THE USE OF THE GNS 1000 FOR RNAV OPS. BUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACIFIC THERE WERE NO OTHER NAVAIDS TO USE. THE FMS WAS TRACKING A HDG THAT WAS CLOSE TO THE FLT PLAN HDG AND WAS ACCEPTABLE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE WINDS. AS WE APCHED DANNO FIX, OUR COAST IN POINT TO HNL/PHOG, WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT ZHN ON VHF, AND WE COULD NOT PICK UP SOK VOR OR ANY OTHER VOR OR ADF. THE CAPT CONTINUED TO TALK TO HONOLULU COMMERCIAL RADIO ON HF WHILE I ATTEMPTED TO USE VHF. AFTER THE FMS RAN OUT ALL THE LEGS, AND WE WERE NOT WITHIN RANGE OF LAND, I DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO OUR INABILITY TO DETERMINE OUR POS. ZHN SUGGESTED A TURN FROM 115 DEGS TO 230 DEGS AND ASKED TO TUNE IN AN ADF 870 AND ALSO MOLOKAI VOR. WE BEGAN TO PICK UP A WEAK SIGNAL ON THE ADF AND SHORTLY THE VOR LOCKED IN AT 230 NM NE OF MOLOKAI. WE REMAINED AT FL450 TILL 90 MI FROM PHOG AND LANDED STRAIGHT IN ON RWY 20. TAXIED IN WITH 1400 LBS OF FUEL. I FEEL THAT AT SOME POINT AFTER XING 34N/180E ALL SYS WERE IN ERROR DUE TO SOFTWARE OR OTHER INTERFERENCE. ON THE RAMP IN PHOG BOTH SYS SHOWED WITHIN 1.2 MI. THIS WAS BECAUSE THEY HAD RECEIVED VOR/VOR DME SIGNALS TO UPDATE THEMSELVES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR FO SAYS LAST MINUTE CONFUSION WHEN DEPARTING RJNN CONTRIBUTED TO THE CAPT INITIALIZING PRESENT POS INCORRECTLY. INSERTED WRONG LONGITUDE. NORMALLY WHEN THE POS IS XCHKED BY THE IRS'S, THE ERROR IS DISPLAYED ON THE PROMPT SCREEN IDENTIFYING THE PROB, BUT IF THE PROMPT IS ERASED (INADVERTENTLY) THE ONLY WAY TO RECALL IT IS TO GO TO THE SPECIFIC PAGE. THAT WASN'T DONE. AFTER MONTHS OF 'SOUL SEARCHING,' FAA INVESTIGATION, EXTRA NAV TRAINING RPTR SAYS IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. ALSO, HIS COMPANY TRAINING PROGRAMS HAVE BEEN IMPROVED. ADDITIONALLY, THE FAA FOUND A POS ON THE FLT PLAN WHICH WAS IN ERROR. THE LONGITUDE WAS E AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN W. FUEL WAS DANGEROUSLY LOW, THE FLC HAD NO NAV TO THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS AND DECLARED AN EMER. COMMERCIAL RADIO RECOMMENDED A HDG CHANGE AND WHEN FINALLY RECEIVING AN ADF SIGNAL, IT TOOK A 90 DEG TURN TO THE R. THEY HAD BEEN PARALLELING THE CORRECT COURSE, BUT 350 MI OFF.

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.