Narrative:

On our 4TH leg of the day of our 4TH day of a 4 day trip, we were finally heading home to our domicile. Our crew encountered difficulty getting out of our gate in pittsburg due to ground crew delays. I was upset that we took another delay due to the ground crew's lack of staffing or whatever they call it. My captain was filling out a trip report, as I was the PF. We were engaged in a conversation regarding the delays when ZOB asked if we were direct montebello? My captain replied yes. The controller responded well that is not what your flight plan reads. I looked at the clearance I had copied down and, sure enough, we were not going where we were supposed to be going. We then checked our FMS and it was missing the assigned flight plan fix. My captain apologized, and the center controller was very nice and said that's ok. You're cleared direct montebello. How did this happen? 2 very qualified, professional pilots onboard. I'm flying the aircraft, the autoplt is engaged and doing exactly what was programmed into the FMS. I am certain that we both, meaning my captain and I, fell into the trap of the 'get there 'itis.' I can't tell you how many times I used to tell my students of this danger and how you need to step back and slow down: be methodical, break the chain, be vigilant. If only I would have listened to my own advice, I would not be writing this.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 FO ADMITTED THAT HE IMPROPERLY PROGRAMMED THE FMS, CAUSING A HEADING DEV IN ZOB AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON OUR 4TH LEG OF THE DAY OF OUR 4TH DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP, WE WERE FINALLY HEADING HOME TO OUR DOMICILE. OUR CREW ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTY GETTING OUT OF OUR GATE IN PITTSBURG DUE TO GND CREW DELAYS. I WAS UPSET THAT WE TOOK ANOTHER DELAY DUE TO THE GND CREW'S LACK OF STAFFING OR WHATEVER THEY CALL IT. MY CAPT WAS FILLING OUT A TRIP RPT, AS I WAS THE PF. WE WERE ENGAGED IN A CONVERSATION REGARDING THE DELAYS WHEN ZOB ASKED IF WE WERE DIRECT MONTEBELLO? MY CAPT REPLIED YES. THE CTLR RESPONDED WELL THAT IS NOT WHAT YOUR FLT PLAN READS. I LOOKED AT THE CLRNC I HAD COPIED DOWN AND, SURE ENOUGH, WE WERE NOT GOING WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING. WE THEN CHKED OUR FMS AND IT WAS MISSING THE ASSIGNED FLT PLAN FIX. MY CAPT APOLOGIZED, AND THE CTR CTLR WAS VERY NICE AND SAID THAT'S OK. YOU'RE CLRED DIRECT MONTEBELLO. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? 2 VERY QUALIFIED, PROFESSIONAL PLTS ONBOARD. I'M FLYING THE ACFT, THE AUTOPLT IS ENGAGED AND DOING EXACTLY WHAT WAS PROGRAMMED INTO THE FMS. I AM CERTAIN THAT WE BOTH, MEANING MY CAPT AND I, FELL INTO THE TRAP OF THE 'GET THERE 'ITIS.' I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I USED TO TELL MY STUDENTS OF THIS DANGER AND HOW YOU NEED TO STEP BACK AND SLOW DOWN: BE METHODICAL, BREAK THE CHAIN, BE VIGILANT. IF ONLY I WOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MY OWN ADVICE, I WOULD NOT BE WRITING THIS.

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.