Narrative:

Flight departed hnl for nrt. Track 'B' was used. The first officer loaded the INS computers. He incorrectly loaded 1 waypoint. It should have been 30-00N/160-00E, but he inserted 36-00N/160-00E. He did not perform the required check of all waypoints afterward. The captain also checked the waypoints (on the ground), but failed to notice the error. The flight proceeded normally to 28-00N/170-00E and captain checked the 160E position again, but still failed to notice the error. The aircraft deviated approximately 240 mi north of track before corrective action was taken. An immediate left turn was taken to return to track within 200 mi. Tokyo radio was notified and they cleared us direct lotus (the subsequent chkpoint). We had been cleared in block altitude FL330-FL350, so we descended to FL340. We regained track and flight continued normally. To the best of my knowledge, there was no conflict with other traffic. The gross navigation error seems to have been caused by partial failure of crew to follow sops. When the erroneous waypoint was checked, captain saw what he 'expected to see,' instead of the actual coordinates that were loaded. Supplemental information from acn 433808: after finishing the flight planning, I proceeded to the airplane. The captain wanted to go to the flight office and would meet me on board 'shortly.' I arrived at my seat about 35 mins before scheduled departure time. The sops call for the captain to do the preflight checks on INS units #1 and #3 and the first officer to do them on INS unit #2. I knew we were going to be rushed as it was, and I completed all the sops for all 3 INS units. I then loaded the route into the #2 INS using the data off the 'master flight plan.' after loading, I 'xfiled' the other 2 INS units with the route per SOP. It was now about 15-20 mins before departure time, and I had not been able to do my normal cockpit setup. The captain arrived in his seat about this time. I told him I had loaded the route using the flight plan, and he needed to verify the 'latitude, longitude, and mileage.' I personally did not verify the route after loading as I felt I didn't have the time and felt the captain would verify it. This was not SOP. I should have loaded and verified the latitude, longitude and mileage between waypoints. The latitude/longitude entered was 36N/160E vice 30N/160E.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B747-200 FLC HAD A GROSS NAV ERROR WHEN THEY ENTERED THE WRONG COORDINATES IN THEIR INS.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED HNL FOR NRT. TRACK 'B' WAS USED. THE FO LOADED THE INS COMPUTERS. HE INCORRECTLY LOADED 1 WAYPOINT. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 30-00N/160-00E, BUT HE INSERTED 36-00N/160-00E. HE DID NOT PERFORM THE REQUIRED CHK OF ALL WAYPOINTS AFTERWARD. THE CAPT ALSO CHKED THE WAYPOINTS (ON THE GND), BUT FAILED TO NOTICE THE ERROR. THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY TO 28-00N/170-00E AND CAPT CHKED THE 160E POS AGAIN, BUT STILL FAILED TO NOTICE THE ERROR. THE ACFT DEVIATED APPROX 240 MI N OF TRACK BEFORE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN. AN IMMEDIATE L TURN WAS TAKEN TO RETURN TO TRACK WITHIN 200 MI. TOKYO RADIO WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY CLRED US DIRECT LOTUS (THE SUBSEQUENT CHKPOINT). WE HAD BEEN CLRED IN BLOCK ALT FL330-FL350, SO WE DSNDED TO FL340. WE REGAINED TRACK AND FLT CONTINUED NORMALLY. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC. THE GROSS NAV ERROR SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY PARTIAL FAILURE OF CREW TO FOLLOW SOPS. WHEN THE ERRONEOUS WAYPOINT WAS CHKED, CAPT SAW WHAT HE 'EXPECTED TO SEE,' INSTEAD OF THE ACTUAL COORDINATES THAT WERE LOADED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 433808: AFTER FINISHING THE FLT PLANNING, I PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPLANE. THE CAPT WANTED TO GO TO THE FLT OFFICE AND WOULD MEET ME ON BOARD 'SHORTLY.' I ARRIVED AT MY SEAT ABOUT 35 MINS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP TIME. THE SOPS CALL FOR THE CAPT TO DO THE PREFLT CHKS ON INS UNITS #1 AND #3 AND THE FO TO DO THEM ON INS UNIT #2. I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO BE RUSHED AS IT WAS, AND I COMPLETED ALL THE SOPS FOR ALL 3 INS UNITS. I THEN LOADED THE RTE INTO THE #2 INS USING THE DATA OFF THE 'MASTER FLT PLAN.' AFTER LOADING, I 'XFILED' THE OTHER 2 INS UNITS WITH THE RTE PER SOP. IT WAS NOW ABOUT 15-20 MINS BEFORE DEP TIME, AND I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO MY NORMAL COCKPIT SETUP. THE CAPT ARRIVED IN HIS SEAT ABOUT THIS TIME. I TOLD HIM I HAD LOADED THE RTE USING THE FLT PLAN, AND HE NEEDED TO VERIFY THE 'LATITUDE, LONGITUDE, AND MILEAGE.' I PERSONALLY DID NOT VERIFY THE RTE AFTER LOADING AS I FELT I DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME AND FELT THE CAPT WOULD VERIFY IT. THIS WAS NOT SOP. I SHOULD HAVE LOADED AND VERIFIED THE LATITUDE, LONGITUDE AND MILEAGE BTWN WAYPOINTS. THE LATITUDE/LONGITUDE ENTERED WAS 36N/160E VICE 30N/160E.

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.