Narrative:

I flew leg as captain. I did not follow properly the vally transition on the mia 7 SID. After takeoff, departure control gave us 090 degree heading to intercept vally transition. I set 090 degrees in heading window and pressed heading select. I armed LNAV. HSI/flight director engaged LNAV a few seconds later. I observed that course line on HSI connected with vally intersection. I followed the flight director commands. Departure control then asked for verification of our heading. We realized then that we had failed to correct the LNAV route to reflect the SID course from vkz to vally, but had flown instead the mia direct vally course that had been downloaded to the FMS. Captain and first officer had verified that ACARS pre departure clearance matched flight plan and that flight plan fixes matched FMC downloaded route fixes. These actions alone did not catch the error in the LNAV route related to the SID. I suspect that ours was not an uncommon error. Perhaps placing the SID above and adjacent to the ACARS pre departure clearance route, instead of in the text at the bottom of the message, would help prevent this type of mistake. Also, a message advising crews to be alert for this particular mistake might help, since the potential error is built into the downloaded FMC route. Of course, bottom line is that my inadequate attention to detail caused the deviation. Contributing factors were fatigue from short layover and pickup and confusion in the cockpit related to maintenance and passenger problems, both before and after we left the gate.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B757 FLC FLEW THE WRONG COURSE ON DEP FROM MIA. ALERT DEP CTLR CORRECTED THEM.

Narrative: I FLEW LEG AS CAPT. I DID NOT FOLLOW PROPERLY THE VALLY TRANSITION ON THE MIA 7 SID. AFTER TKOF, DEP CTL GAVE US 090 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT VALLY TRANSITION. I SET 090 DEGS IN HDG WINDOW AND PRESSED HDG SELECT. I ARMED LNAV. HSI/FLT DIRECTOR ENGAGED LNAV A FEW SECONDS LATER. I OBSERVED THAT COURSE LINE ON HSI CONNECTED WITH VALLY INTXN. I FOLLOWED THE FLT DIRECTOR COMMANDS. DEP CTL THEN ASKED FOR VERIFICATION OF OUR HDG. WE REALIZED THEN THAT WE HAD FAILED TO CORRECT THE LNAV RTE TO REFLECT THE SID COURSE FROM VKZ TO VALLY, BUT HAD FLOWN INSTEAD THE MIA DIRECT VALLY COURSE THAT HAD BEEN DOWNLOADED TO THE FMS. CAPT AND FO HAD VERIFIED THAT ACARS PDC MATCHED FLT PLAN AND THAT FLT PLAN FIXES MATCHED FMC DOWNLOADED RTE FIXES. THESE ACTIONS ALONE DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR IN THE LNAV RTE RELATED TO THE SID. I SUSPECT THAT OURS WAS NOT AN UNCOMMON ERROR. PERHAPS PLACING THE SID ABOVE AND ADJACENT TO THE ACARS PDC RTE, INSTEAD OF IN THE TEXT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MESSAGE, WOULD HELP PREVENT THIS TYPE OF MISTAKE. ALSO, A MESSAGE ADVISING CREWS TO BE ALERT FOR THIS PARTICULAR MISTAKE MIGHT HELP, SINCE THE POTENTIAL ERROR IS BUILT INTO THE DOWNLOADED FMC RTE. OF COURSE, BOTTOM LINE IS THAT MY INADEQUATE ATTN TO DETAIL CAUSED THE DEV. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE FATIGUE FROM SHORT LAYOVER AND PICKUP AND CONFUSION IN THE COCKPIT RELATED TO MAINT AND PAX PROBS, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER WE LEFT THE GATE.

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.