MD88 flight crew fails to catch their FMS program error while en route on a STAR arrival. ATC catche...

Attributes
ACN	364030
Time
Date	199703
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bwg
State Reference	KY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 25000 msl bound upper : 25000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 123 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2519
ASRS Report	364030
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 6600 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	364184
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Flight departed ind via the dawnn 1 departure/bwg transition and was flight planned to atl via the rome 8 arrival from bwg. Shortly after passing bwg ZME requested our next navigation fix, we responded rmg and center stated he showed our position east of course. We were now 20-40 NM south of bwg heading 160 degrees to rmg. FMS was operational and being tracked by autoplt. At this point we determined the transition over bwg had not taken us via the rome 8 bwg transition but directly to rmg (heading approximately 15 degrees east of course). As we were xrefing our position, center stated no problem and just proceed direct rmg. Flight continued without incident. 2 possible causes were discussed by flight crew. 1) on initial FMS programming the arrival transition which shared a common fix with the departure transition accepted the common fix of bwg but was entered in such a manner the FMS took the entry as a request for direct bwg-rmg and not the bwg transition to rmg. 2) the FMS was programmed as flight planned and a subsequent entry changed the transition to a direct leg. Both pilots had reviewed the data entry on preflight. Route and flight plan were verified. Crew believes they would have noticed the difference in heading/route as change from departure chart to arrival chart was made. This was in process of happening after passing common point of bwg and about the time center contacted the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLC FAILS TO CATCH THEIR FMS PROGRAM ERROR WHILE ENRTE ON A STAR ARR. ATC CATCHES THE OFF COURSE DEV AND SENDS THEM DIRECT TO THEIR NEXT POINT.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED IND VIA THE DAWNN 1 DEP/BWG TRANSITION AND WAS FLT PLANNED TO ATL VIA THE ROME 8 ARR FROM BWG. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING BWG ZME REQUESTED OUR NEXT NAV FIX, WE RESPONDED RMG AND CTR STATED HE SHOWED OUR POS E OF COURSE. WE WERE NOW 20-40 NM S OF BWG HDG 160 DEGS TO RMG. FMS WAS OPERATIONAL AND BEING TRACKED BY AUTOPLT. AT THIS POINT WE DETERMINED THE TRANSITION OVER BWG HAD NOT TAKEN US VIA THE ROME 8 BWG TRANSITION BUT DIRECTLY TO RMG (HDG APPROX 15 DEGS E OF COURSE). AS WE WERE XREFING OUR POS, CTR STATED NO PROB AND JUST PROCEED DIRECT RMG. FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. 2 POSSIBLE CAUSES WERE DISCUSSED BY FLC. 1) ON INITIAL FMS PROGRAMMING THE ARR TRANSITION WHICH SHARED A COMMON FIX WITH THE DEP TRANSITION ACCEPTED THE COMMON FIX OF BWG BUT WAS ENTERED IN SUCH A MANNER THE FMS TOOK THE ENTRY AS A REQUEST FOR DIRECT BWG-RMG AND NOT THE BWG TRANSITION TO RMG. 2) THE FMS WAS PROGRAMMED AS FLT PLANNED AND A SUBSEQUENT ENTRY CHANGED THE TRANSITION TO A DIRECT LEG. BOTH PLTS HAD REVIEWED THE DATA ENTRY ON PREFLT. RTE AND FLT PLAN WERE VERIFIED. CREW BELIEVES THEY WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE DIFFERENCE IN HEADING/RTE AS CHANGE FROM DEP CHART TO ARR CHART WAS MADE. THIS WAS IN PROCESS OF HAPPENING AFTER PASSING COMMON POINT OF BWG AND ABOUT THE TIME CTR CONTACTED THE FLT.

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.

MD88 flight crew fails to catch their FMS program error while en route on a STAR arrival. ATC catches the off course deviation and sends them direct to their next point.