Narrative:

Told to go direct to leese from ugene on the leese 9 arrival. Pilot picked up ATIS but didn't recognize it was for a different airport since the runways matched. At leese (maybe 5 NM prior) orl approach mentioned runway 36. We were set up for runway 18 due to errant ATIS. I pulled the runway 36 ILS approach out for the captain (PF) and then looked for my copy. He looked down and started to program his FMS for the new approach. When he did this, the FMS wiped out all information after leese (ie, the 129 degree inbound to orl was wiped out). The aircraft continued on the heading it previously had inbound to leese (not sure of heading but about 160 degrees). We continued on this heading for maybe a couple of mins until orl approach queried us on where we were going and gave us a vector of about 060 degrees. He (orl) was concerned due to departing traffic. The error is obvious -- both heads down. Thus we didn't recognize that the routing into orl (from leese) was no longer in the flight plan and the plane was now in basic autoplt and not on the arrival. We were pressed for time due to having the wrong transition in so close to the airport but even so, we need to follow flight safety taught procedures where both pilots do not look down at the same time. Setting up the box is not that critical. Sometimes it is hard for the captain not to want to help program the box when there is a less experienced FMS copilot but that wasn't the case here.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX LJ60 FLC FLYING INTO MCO BECOMES DISTR TRYING TO PROGRAM THEIR FMS RESULTING IN A TRACK DEV AND INTERVENTION FROM ATC.

Narrative: TOLD TO GO DIRECT TO LEESE FROM UGENE ON THE LEESE 9 ARR. PLT PICKED UP ATIS BUT DIDN'T RECOGNIZE IT WAS FOR A DIFFERENT ARPT SINCE THE RWYS MATCHED. AT LEESE (MAYBE 5 NM PRIOR) ORL APCH MENTIONED RWY 36. WE WERE SET UP FOR RWY 18 DUE TO ERRANT ATIS. I PULLED THE RWY 36 ILS APCH OUT FOR THE CAPT (PF) AND THEN LOOKED FOR MY COPY. HE LOOKED DOWN AND STARTED TO PROGRAM HIS FMS FOR THE NEW APCH. WHEN HE DID THIS, THE FMS WIPED OUT ALL INFO AFTER LEESE (IE, THE 129 DEG INBOUND TO ORL WAS WIPED OUT). THE ACFT CONTINUED ON THE HDG IT PREVIOUSLY HAD INBOUND TO LEESE (NOT SURE OF HDG BUT ABOUT 160 DEGS). WE CONTINUED ON THIS HDG FOR MAYBE A COUPLE OF MINS UNTIL ORL APCH QUERIED US ON WHERE WE WERE GOING AND GAVE US A VECTOR OF ABOUT 060 DEGS. HE (ORL) WAS CONCERNED DUE TO DEPARTING TFC. THE ERROR IS OBVIOUS -- BOTH HEADS DOWN. THUS WE DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THAT THE ROUTING INTO ORL (FROM LEESE) WAS NO LONGER IN THE FLT PLAN AND THE PLANE WAS NOW IN BASIC AUTOPLT AND NOT ON THE ARR. WE WERE PRESSED FOR TIME DUE TO HAVING THE WRONG TRANSITION IN SO CLOSE TO THE ARPT BUT EVEN SO, WE NEED TO FOLLOW FLT SAFETY TAUGHT PROCS WHERE BOTH PLTS DO NOT LOOK DOWN AT THE SAME TIME. SETTING UP THE BOX IS NOT THAT CRITICAL. SOMETIMES IT IS HARD FOR THE CAPT NOT TO WANT TO HELP PROGRAM THE BOX WHEN THERE IS A LESS EXPERIENCED FMS COPLT BUT THAT WASN'T THE CASE HERE.

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.