MD88 crew had track deviation when dispatched with the FMC inoperative and an autoplt that would not...

Attributes
ACN	514635
Time
Date	200106
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : dall6.uim
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	514635
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The FMS was inoperative, so we were navigating the 'old fashioned way.' this is nearly an emergency in the MD88. During the climb, I tried to engage the autoplt but it would not engage. The captain was now the main navigation 'device.' approaching vim on the dalls departure, I failed to notice station passage and therefore missed the 'dogleg' turn on the way to mie VOR. Center asked if we were direct mie and then cleared us to go direct mie realizing that we had missed our turn and were basically already going direct mie anyway. Complacency and loss of situational awareness were the main factors. Being used to the FMS, we often forget about the basics of our navigation. When the autoplt failed to engage, the captain took over the job of navigation and didn't do such a great job. Being distracted from my charts by flying the airplane, I lost situational awareness and missed my turn. We were both distracted by trying to get the autoplt working. I should have not taken myself away from the flying/navigation duties by trying to help troubleshooting the autoplt. Even though it wasn't a critical point of our flight, distractions and loss of situational awareness can still produce a 'sticky' situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 CREW HAD TRACK DEV WHEN DISPATCHED WITH THE FMC INOP AND AN AUTOPLT THAT WOULD NOT ENGAGE.

Narrative: THE FMS WAS INOP, SO WE WERE NAVING THE 'OLD FASHIONED WAY.' THIS IS NEARLY AN EMER IN THE MD88. DURING THE CLB, I TRIED TO ENGAGE THE AUTOPLT BUT IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE CAPT WAS NOW THE MAIN NAV 'DEVICE.' APCHING VIM ON THE DALLS DEP, I FAILED TO NOTICE STATION PASSAGE AND THEREFORE MISSED THE 'DOGLEG' TURN ON THE WAY TO MIE VOR. CTR ASKED IF WE WERE DIRECT MIE AND THEN CLRED US TO GO DIRECT MIE REALIZING THAT WE HAD MISSED OUR TURN AND WERE BASICALLY ALREADY GOING DIRECT MIE ANYWAY. COMPLACENCY AND LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WERE THE MAIN FACTORS. BEING USED TO THE FMS, WE OFTEN FORGET ABOUT THE BASICS OF OUR NAV. WHEN THE AUTOPLT FAILED TO ENGAGE, THE CAPT TOOK OVER THE JOB OF NAV AND DIDN'T DO SUCH A GREAT JOB. BEING DISTRACTED FROM MY CHARTS BY FLYING THE AIRPLANE, I LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND MISSED MY TURN. WE WERE BOTH DISTRACTED BY TRYING TO GET THE AUTOPLT WORKING. I SHOULD HAVE NOT TAKEN MYSELF AWAY FROM THE FLYING/NAV DUTIES BY TRYING TO HELP TROUBLESHOOTING THE AUTOPLT. EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T A CRITICAL POINT OF OUR FLT, DISTRACTIONS AND LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS CAN STILL PRODUCE A 'STICKY' SIT.

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.

MD88 crew had track deviation when dispatched with the FMC inoperative and an autoplt that would not engage.