Narrative:

This aircraft, B757 newly acquired from factory, was out of date of fmcs. Last date feb/xx/97 (flight occurred in mar/97) the program necessary to update the computer was unavailable at the time. Upon discussion with check pilot and checking MEL, it was decided that since we both had current manuals for xchk purposes, we could proceed with the flight (jfk-sju). When maintenance placed inoperative stickers on both fmcs's we were unaware that the whole system was placarded inoperative. We proceeded with the flight to sju overwater and upon our return flight, we were advised by our flight operations that due to the placards on the fmcs we had to operate the land route on return trip. To our knowledge, we did not feel we operated in an unsafe manner since we crosschecked all our waypoints and information with our current charts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 WAS DISPATCHED OVERWATER WITH BOTH FMS'S DEFERRED AND PLACARDED INOP DUE TO SOFTWARE DATA TAPES OUT OF DATE.

Narrative: THIS ACFT, B757 NEWLY ACQUIRED FROM FACTORY, WAS OUT OF DATE OF FMCS. LAST DATE FEB/XX/97 (FLT OCCURRED IN MAR/97) THE PROGRAM NECESSARY TO UPDATE THE COMPUTER WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME. UPON DISCUSSION WITH CHK PLT AND CHKING MEL, IT WAS DECIDED THAT SINCE WE BOTH HAD CURRENT MANUALS FOR XCHK PURPOSES, WE COULD PROCEED WITH THE FLT (JFK-SJU). WHEN MAINT PLACED INOP STICKERS ON BOTH FMCS'S WE WERE UNAWARE THAT THE WHOLE SYS WAS PLACARDED INOP. WE PROCEEDED WITH THE FLT TO SJU OVERWATER AND UPON OUR RETURN FLT, WE WERE ADVISED BY OUR FLT OPS THAT DUE TO THE PLACARDS ON THE FMCS WE HAD TO OPERATE THE LAND RTE ON RETURN TRIP. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, WE DID NOT FEEL WE OPERATED IN AN UNSAFE MANNER SINCE WE XCHKED ALL OUR WAYPOINTS AND INFO WITH OUR CURRENT CHARTS.

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.