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An air carrier flight crew flying a B757 near vhp fails to properly enter the route as cleared by ATC into the FMC resulting in a track deviation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 457350 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199912 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : vhp.vor |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl single value : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j110.airway |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 457350 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : multi engine pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 457511 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fmc other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While programming route into FMC during preflight, part of the route was vhp, J110, J30, bucko. Our FMC does not take 2 airways between stations, so I left a 'discontinuity' between vhp and bucko, and continued my preflight duties for an on-time departure. I conferred with my first officer and told him I would look up the route once we got underway. The discontinuity was left in as a reminder. While executing other information on another page of the FMC, the computer defaulted to 'direct' and closed the discontinuity. Without the reminder at vhp on autoplt, we proceeded outbound from vhp direct to bucko. ATC caught it and cleared us direct bucko from that point and there were no conflicts. I feel that there should be a named intersection where airways cross. That would make both planning and execution of the route more foolproof. Also, our FMC should not have closed the discontinuity without our input. I don't know if the program is designed this way or if it was the result of a fault, but not noticing the change was clearly my fault!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR FLC FLYING A B757 NEAR VHP FAILS TO PROPERLY ENTER THE RTE AS CLRED BY ATC INTO THE FMC RESULTING IN A TRACK DEV.
Narrative: WHILE PROGRAMMING RTE INTO FMC DURING PREFLT, PART OF THE RTE WAS VHP, J110, J30, BUCKO. OUR FMC DOES NOT TAKE 2 AIRWAYS BTWN STATIONS, SO I LEFT A 'DISCONTINUITY' BTWN VHP AND BUCKO, AND CONTINUED MY PREFLT DUTIES FOR AN ON-TIME DEP. I CONFERRED WITH MY FO AND TOLD HIM I WOULD LOOK UP THE RTE ONCE WE GOT UNDERWAY. THE DISCONTINUITY WAS LEFT IN AS A REMINDER. WHILE EXECUTING OTHER INFO ON ANOTHER PAGE OF THE FMC, THE COMPUTER DEFAULTED TO 'DIRECT' AND CLOSED THE DISCONTINUITY. WITHOUT THE REMINDER AT VHP ON AUTOPLT, WE PROCEEDED OUTBOUND FROM VHP DIRECT TO BUCKO. ATC CAUGHT IT AND CLRED US DIRECT BUCKO FROM THAT POINT AND THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS. I FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD BE A NAMED INTXN WHERE AIRWAYS CROSS. THAT WOULD MAKE BOTH PLANNING AND EXECUTION OF THE RTE MORE FOOLPROOF. ALSO, OUR FMC SHOULD NOT HAVE CLOSED THE DISCONTINUITY WITHOUT OUR INPUT. I DON'T KNOW IF THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED THIS WAY OR IF IT WAS THE RESULT OF A FAULT, BUT NOT NOTICING THE CHANGE WAS CLRLY MY FAULT!
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.