Narrative:

Inbound to cyyc from sfo our clearance since takeoff had been 'opale direct yyc.' we listened to the ATIS at about 10 mins prior to start of descent and they were using runway 34. About 10 NM prior to opale, edmonton center cleared us for the 'opale 4 arrival.' we tried to load the arrival from the FMC database, but found it was not available. We both reached for our charts and the first officer began reading the arrival fixes and I typed them into the FMC without error. He told me the plate said not to expect lower than 10000 ft until east of mogot. I did not back up his review of the chart myself, although I glanced at the arrival fixes. I was then distraction for several mins by turbulence, icing and preparing for the approach. When we got to mogot, he did not turn the aircraft and I looked at the aeronautical page and saw 100 degree heading off of mogot and told him to turn to 100 degrees. A few seconds later, calgary approach called us to tell us we were flying the arrival for runway 28! Like many incidents, there was a string of events that led to the navigation deviation. The main issue is the charting chart maker uses for the arrs to cyyc. I believe chart maker should print in large bold type 'runway 10' above 'albro,' 'runway 34' above 'hansi,' and 'runway 16/runway 28' above 'mogot' to better alert the pilot to the different runway transitions! Also, the practice of placing notes vertically (ie, runway 34/16 notes) on a page when everything else is left to right horizontally oriented does not catch your eye when you are hurried! As pilots, we don't read the text descriptions when we are hurried! Also contributing, we had far minimum rest after a tough day previously and we were not physiologically at a peak. The first officer was new to our airline. And ATC should have given us the clearance more than 1 min before they expected us to fly it! Also contributing: the fact that the arrival was not in the FMC database which greatly increased our workload.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLC COMPLAINS OF THE DESIGN FEATURES OF THE OPALE 4 ARR STAR CHART. THEY SUFFERED A HDG TRACK POS DEV ON APCH TO YYC.

Narrative: INBOUND TO CYYC FROM SFO OUR CLRNC SINCE TKOF HAD BEEN 'OPALE DIRECT YYC.' WE LISTENED TO THE ATIS AT ABOUT 10 MINS PRIOR TO START OF DSCNT AND THEY WERE USING RWY 34. ABOUT 10 NM PRIOR TO OPALE, EDMONTON CTR CLRED US FOR THE 'OPALE 4 ARR.' WE TRIED TO LOAD THE ARR FROM THE FMC DATABASE, BUT FOUND IT WAS NOT AVAILABLE. WE BOTH REACHED FOR OUR CHARTS AND THE FO BEGAN READING THE ARR FIXES AND I TYPED THEM INTO THE FMC WITHOUT ERROR. HE TOLD ME THE PLATE SAID NOT TO EXPECT LOWER THAN 10000 FT UNTIL E OF MOGOT. I DID NOT BACK UP HIS REVIEW OF THE CHART MYSELF, ALTHOUGH I GLANCED AT THE ARR FIXES. I WAS THEN DISTR FOR SEVERAL MINS BY TURB, ICING AND PREPARING FOR THE APCH. WHEN WE GOT TO MOGOT, HE DID NOT TURN THE ACFT AND I LOOKED AT THE AERO PAGE AND SAW 100 DEG HDG OFF OF MOGOT AND TOLD HIM TO TURN TO 100 DEGS. A FEW SECONDS LATER, CALGARY APCH CALLED US TO TELL US WE WERE FLYING THE ARR FOR RWY 28! LIKE MANY INCIDENTS, THERE WAS A STRING OF EVENTS THAT LED TO THE NAV DEV. THE MAIN ISSUE IS THE CHARTING CHART MAKER USES FOR THE ARRS TO CYYC. I BELIEVE CHART MAKER SHOULD PRINT IN LARGE BOLD TYPE 'RWY 10' ABOVE 'ALBRO,' 'RWY 34' ABOVE 'HANSI,' AND 'RWY 16/RWY 28' ABOVE 'MOGOT' TO BETTER ALERT THE PLT TO THE DIFFERENT RWY TRANSITIONS! ALSO, THE PRACTICE OF PLACING NOTES VERTLY (IE, RWY 34/16 NOTES) ON A PAGE WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE IS L TO R HORIZLY ORIENTED DOES NOT CATCH YOUR EYE WHEN YOU ARE HURRIED! AS PLTS, WE DON'T READ THE TEXT DESCRIPTIONS WHEN WE ARE HURRIED! ALSO CONTRIBUTING, WE HAD FAR MINIMUM REST AFTER A TOUGH DAY PREVIOUSLY AND WE WERE NOT PHYSIOLOGICALLY AT A PEAK. THE FO WAS NEW TO OUR AIRLINE. AND ATC SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US THE CLRNC MORE THAN 1 MIN BEFORE THEY EXPECTED US TO FLY IT! ALSO CONTRIBUTING: THE FACT THAT THE ARR WAS NOT IN THE FMC DATABASE WHICH GREATLY INCREASED OUR WORKLOAD.

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.