Narrative:

Navigation error. The first thing I would like to say is I made a mistake. I do not want to make any excuses for my error. We were inbound to sea on the chins two arrival. I was given several descent clrncs until finally ZSE cleared me to cross snomy intersection at 12000 ft and 250 KTS. I had verified the arrival was properly programmed in the GPS and I was using it to fly the inbound course. At 8 DME aubrn intersection I was to turn to a 340 degree heading for the ILS runway 16R approach. Ice protection was on and the visibility and ceiling were going down. I had briefed the arrival and terrain. I was getting the runway 16R plate out to brief it. I looked at the map display and noticed I was 2 mi from the end of the magenta line and the discontinuity message was blinking. I did not want to overshoot the downwind turn. As I hit the end of the map line I pulled the heading select and began the turn to 340 degrees. 2 mins later ZSE asked us if we could read him then he gave us a right turn to 180 degrees. I was puzzled by this radical turn. Then it suddenly dawned on us that I had made the turn at snomy intersection not at aubrn. I had turned 27 mi too soon. I was sure that I had verified all the intxns on the arrival. By selecting ILS runway 16R on the GPS this will delete aubrn intersection leaving snomy the last intersection on the arrival. I don't know if this is what tripped me up but the discontinuity message and the end of the arrival on the GPS map was the cue I used to begin my turn. I called sea TRACON when I got on the ground to let them know I was the twit in command. TRACON told me terrain was not a problem. But I did turn into the outbound corridor causing more than a little consternation among the controllers in that sector. I apologized and told him I would leave quietly in the morning. Now I am always the first person to use the off switch on all the magic stuff and just fly the airplane. This makes me doubly mad at the mistake I made. This magic is designed to reduce the workload so we as pilots can concentrate on the job at hand. It seems the more you need to rely on the automation the more dangerous it is.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD TRACK DEV IN ZSE CLASS E.

Narrative: NAV ERROR. THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS I MADE A MISTAKE. I DO NOT WANT TO MAKE ANY EXCUSES FOR MY ERROR. WE WERE INBOUND TO SEA ON THE CHINS TWO ARR. I WAS GIVEN SEVERAL DSCNT CLRNCS UNTIL FINALLY ZSE CLRED ME TO CROSS SNOMY INTXN AT 12000 FT AND 250 KTS. I HAD VERIFIED THE ARR WAS PROPERLY PROGRAMMED IN THE GPS AND I WAS USING IT TO FLY THE INBOUND COURSE. AT 8 DME AUBRN INTXN I WAS TO TURN TO A 340 DEG HDG FOR THE ILS RWY 16R APCH. ICE PROTECTION WAS ON AND THE VISIBILITY AND CEILING WERE GOING DOWN. I HAD BRIEFED THE ARR AND TERRAIN. I WAS GETTING THE RWY 16R PLATE OUT TO BRIEF IT. I LOOKED AT THE MAP DISPLAY AND NOTICED I WAS 2 MI FROM THE END OF THE MAGENTA LINE AND THE DISCONTINUITY MESSAGE WAS BLINKING. I DID NOT WANT TO OVERSHOOT THE DOWNWIND TURN. AS I HIT THE END OF THE MAP LINE I PULLED THE HEADING SELECT AND BEGAN THE TURN TO 340 DEGS. 2 MINS LATER ZSE ASKED US IF WE COULD READ HIM THEN HE GAVE US A R TURN TO 180 DEGS. I WAS PUZZLED BY THIS RADICAL TURN. THEN IT SUDDENLY DAWNED ON US THAT I HAD MADE THE TURN AT SNOMY INTXN NOT AT AUBRN. I HAD TURNED 27 MI TOO SOON. I WAS SURE THAT I HAD VERIFIED ALL THE INTXNS ON THE ARR. BY SELECTING ILS RWY 16R ON THE GPS THIS WILL DELETE AUBRN INTXN LEAVING SNOMY THE LAST INTXN ON THE ARR. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS WHAT TRIPPED ME UP BUT THE DISCONTINUITY MESSAGE AND THE END OF THE ARR ON THE GPS MAP WAS THE CUE I USED TO BEGIN MY TURN. I CALLED SEA TRACON WHEN I GOT ON THE GND TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS THE TWIT IN COMMAND. TRACON TOLD ME TERRAIN WAS NOT A PROB. BUT I DID TURN INTO THE OUTBOUND CORRIDOR CAUSING MORE THAN A LITTLE CONSTERNATION AMONG THE CTLRS IN THAT SECTOR. I APOLOGIZED AND TOLD HIM I WOULD LEAVE QUIETLY IN THE MORNING. NOW I AM ALWAYS THE FIRST PERSON TO USE THE OFF SWITCH ON ALL THE MAGIC STUFF AND JUST FLY THE AIRPLANE. THIS MAKES ME DOUBLY MAD AT THE MISTAKE I MADE. THIS MAGIC IS DESIGNED TO REDUCE THE WORKLOAD SO WE AS PLTS CAN CONCENTRATE ON THE JOB AT HAND. IT SEEMS THE MORE YOU NEED TO RELY ON THE AUTOMATION THE MORE DANGEROUS IT IS.

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.