Narrative:

Conditions were cavu when we took off from an uncontrolled airport (greenville, nc), after having received an IFR clearance via local FSS frequency. I was the captain, but the PNF on this leg. As I loaded bags and boarded and briefed the passenger, the PF obtained the clearance through flight service, and as I entered the cockpit, he was finishing entering the route into the FMS. As I glanced at the FMS screen I saw rdu as our first waypoint, and as that was a common first waypoint for us leaving this airport, I did not question it. In retrospect, this is where we had a breakdown in communication, because although we did discuss initial altitude and squawk code, I did not ask about the route, nor did PF volunteer it. This trip is one we fly quite often and are therefore very familiar with the general route, so there was probably a fair amount of complacency. Also worth noting is the fact that we normally -- under good VFR conditions -- depart this airport VFR and obtain the clearance in the air from center, so getting the clearance on the ground through FSS was somewhat of a departure from the norm for us. Runway 1 had been used by most airplanes that afternoon. The wind had generally been out of the nnw. As PF had called for the clearance, he had given runway 1 as the intended runway of departure, and received the following initial routing: 'direct alwood, direct rdu.' alwood is an NDB approximately 3 mi off the departure end of runway 1, straight out. As I indicated earlier, I was not aware of alwood being our first fix in the clearance. The thing that complicated matters, and more or less caused our predicament, was that by the time we taxied out, the wind had changed considerably, and was now blowing from due west at 12-14 KTS, clearly favoring runway 25. Since the WX was good VFR and no airplanes were showing on our TCASII within 40 mi, we did not see a problem with switching runways and using runway 25. We actually thought it was prudent from a safety standpoint as we were at near gross weight for takeoff. We took off on runway 25, which was close to in line with our direction of flight, and proceeded westward towards rdu. Again, I was not aware of alwood being in the picture, and by now, because of the distraction from the runway change, and maybe because this felt just like a VFR departure, it had completely slipped my partner's mind. I contacted ZDC as soon as possible (roughly 2000 ft) and the controller questioned our location and mentioned something about alwood, which confused me since I was unaware of alwood being in our clearance. We had a couple more exchanges where he questioned whether we had gone over alwood, and for some unexplainable reason, probably because of all the confusion, at that moment I was thinking that alwood NDB was on the field at greenville and gave him an answer something to the effect of: 'well, we've been there, but we're heading west now towards raleigh.' after that, the controller gave us another squawk code, a higher altitude and cleared us direct rdu. That was the end of that as far as we know.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C560 CREW SELECTED IMPROPER FIRST FIX IN FMC.

Narrative: CONDITIONS WERE CAVU WHEN WE TOOK OFF FROM AN UNCTLED ARPT (GREENVILLE, NC), AFTER HAVING RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC VIA LCL FSS FREQ. I WAS THE CAPT, BUT THE PNF ON THIS LEG. AS I LOADED BAGS AND BOARDED AND BRIEFED THE PAX, THE PF OBTAINED THE CLRNC THROUGH FLT SVC, AND AS I ENTERED THE COCKPIT, HE WAS FINISHING ENTERING THE RTE INTO THE FMS. AS I GLANCED AT THE FMS SCREEN I SAW RDU AS OUR FIRST WAYPOINT, AND AS THAT WAS A COMMON FIRST WAYPOINT FOR US LEAVING THIS ARPT, I DID NOT QUESTION IT. IN RETROSPECT, THIS IS WHERE WE HAD A BREAKDOWN IN COM, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH WE DID DISCUSS INITIAL ALT AND SQUAWK CODE, I DID NOT ASK ABOUT THE RTE, NOR DID PF VOLUNTEER IT. THIS TRIP IS ONE WE FLY QUITE OFTEN AND ARE THEREFORE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE GENERAL RTE, SO THERE WAS PROBABLY A FAIR AMOUNT OF COMPLACENCY. ALSO WORTH NOTING IS THE FACT THAT WE NORMALLY -- UNDER GOOD VFR CONDITIONS -- DEPART THIS ARPT VFR AND OBTAIN THE CLRNC IN THE AIR FROM CTR, SO GETTING THE CLRNC ON THE GND THROUGH FSS WAS SOMEWHAT OF A DEP FROM THE NORM FOR US. RWY 1 HAD BEEN USED BY MOST AIRPLANES THAT AFTERNOON. THE WIND HAD GENERALLY BEEN OUT OF THE NNW. AS PF HAD CALLED FOR THE CLRNC, HE HAD GIVEN RWY 1 AS THE INTENDED RWY OF DEP, AND RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING INITIAL ROUTING: 'DIRECT ALWOOD, DIRECT RDU.' ALWOOD IS AN NDB APPROX 3 MI OFF THE DEP END OF RWY 1, STRAIGHT OUT. AS I INDICATED EARLIER, I WAS NOT AWARE OF ALWOOD BEING OUR FIRST FIX IN THE CLRNC. THE THING THAT COMPLICATED MATTERS, AND MORE OR LESS CAUSED OUR PREDICAMENT, WAS THAT BY THE TIME WE TAXIED OUT, THE WIND HAD CHANGED CONSIDERABLY, AND WAS NOW BLOWING FROM DUE W AT 12-14 KTS, CLRLY FAVORING RWY 25. SINCE THE WX WAS GOOD VFR AND NO AIRPLANES WERE SHOWING ON OUR TCASII WITHIN 40 MI, WE DID NOT SEE A PROB WITH SWITCHING RWYS AND USING RWY 25. WE ACTUALLY THOUGHT IT WAS PRUDENT FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT AS WE WERE AT NEAR GROSS WT FOR TKOF. WE TOOK OFF ON RWY 25, WHICH WAS CLOSE TO IN LINE WITH OUR DIRECTION OF FLT, AND PROCEEDED WESTWARD TOWARDS RDU. AGAIN, I WAS NOT AWARE OF ALWOOD BEING IN THE PICTURE, AND BY NOW, BECAUSE OF THE DISTR FROM THE RWY CHANGE, AND MAYBE BECAUSE THIS FELT JUST LIKE A VFR DEP, IT HAD COMPLETELY SLIPPED MY PARTNER'S MIND. I CONTACTED ZDC ASAP (ROUGHLY 2000 FT) AND THE CTLR QUESTIONED OUR LOCATION AND MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT ALWOOD, WHICH CONFUSED ME SINCE I WAS UNAWARE OF ALWOOD BEING IN OUR CLRNC. WE HAD A COUPLE MORE EXCHANGES WHERE HE QUESTIONED WHETHER WE HAD GONE OVER ALWOOD, AND FOR SOME UNEXPLAINABLE REASON, PROBABLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE CONFUSION, AT THAT MOMENT I WAS THINKING THAT ALWOOD NDB WAS ON THE FIELD AT GREENVILLE AND GAVE HIM AN ANSWER SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF: 'WELL, WE'VE BEEN THERE, BUT WE'RE HDG W NOW TOWARDS RALEIGH.' AFTER THAT, THE CTLR GAVE US ANOTHER SQUAWK CODE, A HIGHER ALT AND CLRED US DIRECT RDU. THAT WAS THE END OF THAT AS FAR AS WE KNOW.

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.