Narrative:

I was acting as captain in an MD11 on a cargo flight on jun/xy/96, from mem to anc. In the blocks during preflight at mem I discovered the database for the FMS expired jun/xx/96. Since we were past the expiration date I called maintenance to see what they wanted to do. Based on the MEL, the flight was already delayed and with the time it takes to update the FMS databases it was decided to use the provision in the MEL that states we can continue to fly for 2 more days after a database expires. Prior to this flight I updated my charts which included the commercial chart canada-alaska high altitude en route chart # 5/6 which covered a portion of the flight from mem to anc. This updated chart package was dated jun/xx/96 and new commercial chart canada-alaska high altitude en route chart # 5/6 was dated jun/xx/96. The last commercial chart canada- alaska high altitude en route chart # 5/6 was dated feb/xx/96. One of the changes made to the 5/6 chart was the waypoint position on airway NCA11 going west and the airway itself. While waypoints binga and arius on the new NCA11 had changed location (latitude/long) their names had stayed the same. Additionally, the old NCA11 ended at yakutat going west while the new NCA11 now ends at yeska going west. Our flight was flight planned on NCA11 going west to anc. Neither I, nor my fellow crew member on the flight knew that the waypoints or airway NCA11 had changed location since the FMS had programmed the plane's flight plan as usual. However, since the old database in the FMS had waypoints binga and arius at their old locations we flew to the old locations even though we thought we were on course. At reflex (N52 42.0 west 109 59.3) heading west we ended radar contact by ATC and were told to contact edmonton center at 125 west (binga). When we got to binga and gave our position report to edmonton the estimated time in the next waypoint arius was questioned by the controller. The controller requested that we rechk our estimate for arius. At this point I realized that there was a difference of 11 mins between what the FMS (30 mins from binga to arius) and the paper flight plan (41 mins from binga to arius) were telling us for times. Checking the latitude/longs at this point we realized that the location of the waypoints was different and that we were off course. The reason we got off course was that the location of the waypoints we used in the outdated database were of the old waypoint locations. However, even if we were one day earlier (june xx instead of june xy) we still would have had the wrong waypoint locations. Our procedures do not require us to check latitude/longs when we insert and program waypoints and airways into the FMS. I believe the solution to the problem we ran into is to make sure that any time a waypoint location is moved that the names be changed and that FMS databases should be updated each 30 days instead of 60. For the safety of flight I highly recommend that both of this procedures be started at commercial chart company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXPIRED FMS DATABASE. MEL ALLOWS ADDITIONAL 2 DAYS OF OLD DATABASE, BUT WAYPOINTS ON AIRWAY COORDINATES WERE CHANGED AND FLC WAS OFF COURSE.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS CAPT IN AN MD11 ON A CARGO FLT ON JUN/XY/96, FROM MEM TO ANC. IN THE BLOCKS DURING PREFLT AT MEM I DISCOVERED THE DATABASE FOR THE FMS EXPIRED JUN/XX/96. SINCE WE WERE PAST THE EXPIRATION DATE I CALLED MAINT TO SEE WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO. BASED ON THE MEL, THE FLT WAS ALREADY DELAYED AND WITH THE TIME IT TAKES TO UPDATE THE FMS DATABASES IT WAS DECIDED TO USE THE PROVISION IN THE MEL THAT STATES WE CAN CONTINUE TO FLY FOR 2 MORE DAYS AFTER A DATABASE EXPIRES. PRIOR TO THIS FLT I UPDATED MY CHARTS WHICH INCLUDED THE COMMERCIAL CHART CANADA-ALASKA HIGH ALT ENRTE CHART # 5/6 WHICH COVERED A PORTION OF THE FLT FROM MEM TO ANC. THIS UPDATED CHART PACKAGE WAS DATED JUN/XX/96 AND NEW COMMERCIAL CHART CANADA-ALASKA HIGH ALT ENRTE CHART # 5/6 WAS DATED JUN/XX/96. THE LAST COMMERCIAL CHART CANADA- ALASKA HIGH ALT ENRTE CHART # 5/6 WAS DATED FEB/XX/96. ONE OF THE CHANGES MADE TO THE 5/6 CHART WAS THE WAYPOINT POS ON AIRWAY NCA11 GOING W AND THE AIRWAY ITSELF. WHILE WAYPOINTS BINGA AND ARIUS ON THE NEW NCA11 HAD CHANGED LOCATION (LAT/LONG) THEIR NAMES HAD STAYED THE SAME. ADDITIONALLY, THE OLD NCA11 ENDED AT YAKUTAT GOING W WHILE THE NEW NCA11 NOW ENDS AT YESKA GOING W. OUR FLT WAS FLT PLANNED ON NCA11 GOING W TO ANC. NEITHER I, NOR MY FELLOW CREW MEMBER ON THE FLT KNEW THAT THE WAYPOINTS OR AIRWAY NCA11 HAD CHANGED LOCATION SINCE THE FMS HAD PROGRAMMED THE PLANE'S FLT PLAN AS USUAL. HOWEVER, SINCE THE OLD DATABASE IN THE FMS HAD WAYPOINTS BINGA AND ARIUS AT THEIR OLD LOCATIONS WE FLEW TO THE OLD LOCATIONS EVEN THOUGH WE THOUGHT WE WERE ON COURSE. AT REFLEX (N52 42.0 W 109 59.3) HEADING W WE ENDED RADAR CONTACT BY ATC AND WERE TOLD TO CONTACT EDMONTON CTR AT 125 W (BINGA). WHEN WE GOT TO BINGA AND GAVE OUR POS RPT TO EDMONTON THE ESTIMATED TIME IN THE NEXT WAYPOINT ARIUS WAS QUESTIONED BY THE CTLR. THE CTLR REQUESTED THAT WE RECHK OUR ESTIMATE FOR ARIUS. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE OF 11 MINS BTWN WHAT THE FMS (30 MINS FROM BINGA TO ARIUS) AND THE PAPER FLT PLAN (41 MINS FROM BINGA TO ARIUS) WERE TELLING US FOR TIMES. CHKING THE LAT/LONGS AT THIS POINT WE REALIZED THAT THE LOCATION OF THE WAYPOINTS WAS DIFFERENT AND THAT WE WERE OFF COURSE. THE REASON WE GOT OFF COURSE WAS THAT THE LOCATION OF THE WAYPOINTS WE USED IN THE OUTDATED DATABASE WERE OF THE OLD WAYPOINT LOCATIONS. HOWEVER, EVEN IF WE WERE ONE DAY EARLIER (JUNE XX INSTEAD OF JUNE XY) WE STILL WOULD HAVE HAD THE WRONG WAYPOINT LOCATIONS. OUR PROCS DO NOT REQUIRE US TO CHK LAT/LONGS WHEN WE INSERT AND PROGRAM WAYPOINTS AND AIRWAYS INTO THE FMS. I BELIEVE THE SOLUTION TO THE PROB WE RAN INTO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY TIME A WAYPOINT LOCATION IS MOVED THAT THE NAMES BE CHANGED AND THAT FMS DATABASES SHOULD BE UPDATED EACH 30 DAYS INSTEAD OF 60. FOR THE SAFETY OF FLT I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT BOTH OF THIS PROCS BE STARTED AT COMMERCIAL CHART COMPANY.

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.