Narrative:

I was the PNF on this particular leg of flight (pit-sea) and was picking up the sea ATIS at 70 NM east of sea. We were in a descent at the time on the glasr 3 arrival. I noticed the first officer had gone to flight level change mode and extended the speed brake. When I inquired as to our status he said we were going to be high on crossing jaksn fix and shortly after ZSE reclred us for a 360 degree right turn and then direct jaksn to cross at 250 KTS 12000 ft MSL. Clearance was direct mlp, cleared for glasr 3 arrival to cross jaksn at 250 KTS 12000 ft. FMC was programmed as follows: 1) STAR 'glasr 3' from sea arrival page was selected. 2) trans 'mlp' was selected. 3) ILS runway 16R was selected. 4) trans 'jaksn' was selected last. After ATC questioned whether we could make the crossing restr we checked the legs page and discovered two 'jaksn' fixes -- the 2 fixes being 50+ mi apart. The legs sequence was jaksn-hethr-jaksn and the FMC was looking at the last jaksn fix for the 250 KTS 12000 ft. We did some follow-up the next day and it seems the problem starts with item 3 above. When ILS runway 16R is selected, 3 trans also come up, with jaksn being one of those. When this combination is entered (ILS runway 16R, jaksn trans) you end up with a jaksn FMS transition to runway 16R in the FMC, as well as a glasr 3 arrival. With the programming we had, the FMC wanted to take the aircraft to jaksn then hethr, then jaksn again to begin the inadvertently programmed jaksn FMS transition. The problem/confusion, I believe, is that jaksn is involved in 2 different approachs -- one as a fix/intersection with a crossing restr (glasr 3) and the other as a transition for an approach (jaksn FMS runway 16R). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter captain was off the radios obtaining sea ATIS when he noted the flying first officer commenced a descent and then was questioned by ATC if they could make the crossing restr at jaksn. The first officer replied 'yes' after looking at the progress on the FMC. But, after becoming suspicious because of the ATC query, he looked at the 'legs' page and saw that there were 2 'jaksns.' so, the FMC was computing the descent from en route to jaksn, then hethr and back to jaksn. Apparently, after the glasr arrival was set in the FMC with the jaksn speed and altitude restr, and inserting the ILS runway 16R approach on the approach page, the prompt asked for a transition, of which jaksn was one of the possibilities. When selecting the jaksn transition for the ILS runway 16R, the FMC then rted the legs to jaksn, hethr, and back to jaksn. The captain reporter says that it was very confusing to both he and his first officer to have more than one jaksn depicted on the FMC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MODE CONFUSION BTWN FLC AND FIX INFO ON THE ARR PAGE VICE THE APCH PAGE.

Narrative: I WAS THE PNF ON THIS PARTICULAR LEG OF FLT (PIT-SEA) AND WAS PICKING UP THE SEA ATIS AT 70 NM E OF SEA. WE WERE IN A DSCNT AT THE TIME ON THE GLASR 3 ARR. I NOTICED THE FO HAD GONE TO FLT LEVEL CHANGE MODE AND EXTENDED THE SPD BRAKE. WHEN I INQUIRED AS TO OUR STATUS HE SAID WE WERE GOING TO BE HIGH ON XING JAKSN FIX AND SHORTLY AFTER ZSE RECLRED US FOR A 360 DEG R TURN AND THEN DIRECT JAKSN TO CROSS AT 250 KTS 12000 FT MSL. CLRNC WAS DIRECT MLP, CLRED FOR GLASR 3 ARR TO CROSS JAKSN AT 250 KTS 12000 FT. FMC WAS PROGRAMMED AS FOLLOWS: 1) STAR 'GLASR 3' FROM SEA ARR PAGE WAS SELECTED. 2) TRANS 'MLP' WAS SELECTED. 3) ILS RWY 16R WAS SELECTED. 4) TRANS 'JAKSN' WAS SELECTED LAST. AFTER ATC QUESTIONED WHETHER WE COULD MAKE THE XING RESTR WE CHKED THE LEGS PAGE AND DISCOVERED TWO 'JAKSN' FIXES -- THE 2 FIXES BEING 50+ MI APART. THE LEGS SEQUENCE WAS JAKSN-HETHR-JAKSN AND THE FMC WAS LOOKING AT THE LAST JAKSN FIX FOR THE 250 KTS 12000 FT. WE DID SOME FOLLOW-UP THE NEXT DAY AND IT SEEMS THE PROB STARTS WITH ITEM 3 ABOVE. WHEN ILS RWY 16R IS SELECTED, 3 TRANS ALSO COME UP, WITH JAKSN BEING ONE OF THOSE. WHEN THIS COMBINATION IS ENTERED (ILS RWY 16R, JAKSN TRANS) YOU END UP WITH A JAKSN FMS TRANSITION TO RWY 16R IN THE FMC, AS WELL AS A GLASR 3 ARR. WITH THE PROGRAMMING WE HAD, THE FMC WANTED TO TAKE THE ACFT TO JAKSN THEN HETHR, THEN JAKSN AGAIN TO BEGIN THE INADVERTENTLY PROGRAMMED JAKSN FMS TRANSITION. THE PROB/CONFUSION, I BELIEVE, IS THAT JAKSN IS INVOLVED IN 2 DIFFERENT APCHS -- ONE AS A FIX/INTXN WITH A XING RESTR (GLASR 3) AND THE OTHER AS A TRANSITION FOR AN APCH (JAKSN FMS RWY 16R). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CAPT WAS OFF THE RADIOS OBTAINING SEA ATIS WHEN HE NOTED THE FLYING FO COMMENCED A DSCNT AND THEN WAS QUESTIONED BY ATC IF THEY COULD MAKE THE XING RESTR AT JAKSN. THE FO REPLIED 'YES' AFTER LOOKING AT THE PROGRESS ON THE FMC. BUT, AFTER BECOMING SUSPICIOUS BECAUSE OF THE ATC QUERY, HE LOOKED AT THE 'LEGS' PAGE AND SAW THAT THERE WERE 2 'JAKSNS.' SO, THE FMC WAS COMPUTING THE DSCNT FROM ENRTE TO JAKSN, THEN HETHR AND BACK TO JAKSN. APPARENTLY, AFTER THE GLASR ARR WAS SET IN THE FMC WITH THE JAKSN SPD AND ALT RESTR, AND INSERTING THE ILS RWY 16R APCH ON THE APCH PAGE, THE PROMPT ASKED FOR A TRANSITION, OF WHICH JAKSN WAS ONE OF THE POSSIBILITIES. WHEN SELECTING THE JAKSN TRANSITION FOR THE ILS RWY 16R, THE FMC THEN RTED THE LEGS TO JAKSN, HETHR, AND BACK TO JAKSN. THE CAPT RPTR SAYS THAT IT WAS VERY CONFUSING TO BOTH HE AND HIS FO TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE JAKSN DEPICTED ON THE FMC.

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.