Narrative:

This is a classic case of how to have an accident with the glass cockpit. I was the regular pilot, but flying as relief. The copilot was flying, lax to lhr flight on jan/sat/98. The captain was under stress. He just committed his close relative to a mental institution. He stated he thought something was wrong with his heart. He told me to keep an eye on the copilot because on previous trips he would lose his situation awareness. There was a lot of confusion on cockpit setup. Two mechanics had to clear two status messages. The fueler was having trouble balancing the fuel. Then the data mode defaulted to the #2 radio. But finally we got going. We departed on the loop departure out of lax. The copilot missed the left turn at 2 mi and had to be directed to turn by the captain. At this point the captain realized that the departure was not installed. He put in lax and hit (navigation) and asked the copilot to fly the SID while he tried to figure out what was wrong with the computer. The copilot flew straight to the VOR and then kept going straight. I told him he had to turn right. He asked if he could put on the autoplt, the captain said no, just fly the plane. He turned back right and then turned outbound. At this point ZLA told us to climb to FL260 and traffic at 3 O'clock position. The next thing we got was TCASII 'descend now.' we saw the other aircraft pass in front. The copilot did not react to the TCASII RA and had to be told by both of us to descend. It appeared ZLA was never aware of the conflict. The problem was that the captain installed lax as destination instead of lhr. As a result, the previous flight's inbound arrival was still showing to lax. This is what the copilot thought was the outbound course. This put him south of the outbound radial and caused the traffic conflict. Why ZLA did not catch it is beyond me. Lessons: 1) the pilot who installs information into the computer, must have each page checked by the other pilot. 2) the PF should always back up with raw data. 3) do not do computer work that's complicated below 18000 ft. 4) if you are stressed out and not feeling well, go on sick leave.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777B DEPARTS LAX, CA, WITH THE FMS NOT PROGRAMMED. DURING CLBOUT IT SUFFERS LOSS OF SEPARATION BECAUSE THE FLC IS BUSY TRYING TO PROGRAM THE FMS PROPERLY. FLC IS DISTRACTED WITH PERSONAL PROBS.

Narrative: THIS IS A CLASSIC CASE OF HOW TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT WITH THE GLASS COCKPIT. I WAS THE REGULAR PLT, BUT FLYING AS RELIEF. THE COPLT WAS FLYING, LAX TO LHR FLT ON JAN/SAT/98. THE CAPT WAS UNDER STRESS. HE JUST COMMITTED HIS CLOSE RELATIVE TO A MENTAL INSTITUTION. HE STATED HE THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH HIS HEART. HE TOLD ME TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE COPLT BECAUSE ON PREVIOUS TRIPS HE WOULD LOSE HIS SIT AWARENESS. THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION ON COCKPIT SETUP. TWO MECHS HAD TO CLR TWO STATUS MESSAGES. THE FUELER WAS HAVING TROUBLE BALANCING THE FUEL. THEN THE DATA MODE DEFAULTED TO THE #2 RADIO. BUT FINALLY WE GOT GOING. WE DEPARTED ON THE LOOP DEP OUT OF LAX. THE COPLT MISSED THE L TURN AT 2 MI AND HAD TO BE DIRECTED TO TURN BY THE CAPT. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT REALIZED THAT THE DEP WAS NOT INSTALLED. HE PUT IN LAX AND HIT (NAV) AND ASKED THE COPLT TO FLY THE SID WHILE HE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE COMPUTER. THE COPLT FLEW STRAIGHT TO THE VOR AND THEN KEPT GOING STRAIGHT. I TOLD HIM HE HAD TO TURN R. HE ASKED IF HE COULD PUT ON THE AUTOPLT, THE CAPT SAID NO, JUST FLY THE PLANE. HE TURNED BACK R AND THEN TURNED OUTBOUND. AT THIS POINT ZLA TOLD US TO CLB TO FL260 AND TFC AT 3 O'CLOCK POS. THE NEXT THING WE GOT WAS TCASII 'DSND NOW.' WE SAW THE OTHER ACFT PASS IN FRONT. THE COPLT DID NOT REACT TO THE TCASII RA AND HAD TO BE TOLD BY BOTH OF US TO DSND. IT APPEARED ZLA WAS NEVER AWARE OF THE CONFLICT. THE PROB WAS THAT THE CAPT INSTALLED LAX AS DEST INSTEAD OF LHR. AS A RESULT, THE PREVIOUS FLT'S INBOUND ARR WAS STILL SHOWING TO LAX. THIS IS WHAT THE COPLT THOUGHT WAS THE OUTBOUND COURSE. THIS PUT HIM S OF THE OUTBOUND RADIAL AND CAUSED THE TFC CONFLICT. WHY ZLA DID NOT CATCH IT IS BEYOND ME. LESSONS: 1) THE PLT WHO INSTALLS INFO INTO THE COMPUTER, MUST HAVE EACH PAGE CHKED BY THE OTHER PLT. 2) THE PF SHOULD ALWAYS BACK UP WITH RAW DATA. 3) DO NOT DO COMPUTER WORK THAT'S COMPLICATED BELOW 18000 FT. 4) IF YOU ARE STRESSED OUT AND NOT FEELING WELL, GO ON SICK LEAVE.

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.