Narrative:

We were cleared the hapie 2 departure out of jfk, and after takeoff we were told to intercept the 124 degree radial to hapie. I went to put it in the box (FMC) and although we both knew it was there on preflight, hapie was now missing. I had it in manual, however, so I went manual and told the apt to follow/intercept that radial. He didn't, and went straight as I was feverishly trying to put hapie in the FMC. Meanwhile, we're cleaning up the airplane, running checklist, etc, because it's right after takeoff. Finally, the controller cleared us direct yahoo, and the rest of the departure was uneventful. But it was very uncomfortable. We talked and bantered around ideas of why hapie disappeared. But what was odd to me was that the captain wouldn't believe the manual data. He just followed the magenta line. Most of my flying was on the B727, so flying manually is easy. I'm surprised how the pilots who have spent most of their time on a glass airplane are so hesitant to deviate from the magenta line. This was the second time something like this happened (though not at new york) and that captain refused to follow the manual data. I think we should practice manual departures occasionally, just to keep pilots comfortable that VOR radials and DME really work. I'll be suggesting this to the company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767ER CAPT FAILED TO TURN AND INTERCEPT THE RADIAL FOR THE NEXT SID DEP FIX AFTER TKOF DUE TO THE FMC DROPPING OUT THE FIX AND THE CAPT NOT MANUALLY TURNING TO THE INTERCEPT RADIAL.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED THE HAPIE 2 DEP OUT OF JFK, AND AFTER TKOF WE WERE TOLD TO INTERCEPT THE 124 DEG RADIAL TO HAPIE. I WENT TO PUT IT IN THE BOX (FMC) AND ALTHOUGH WE BOTH KNEW IT WAS THERE ON PREFLT, HAPIE WAS NOW MISSING. I HAD IT IN MANUAL, HOWEVER, SO I WENT MANUAL AND TOLD THE APT TO FOLLOW/INTERCEPT THAT RADIAL. HE DIDN'T, AND WENT STRAIGHT AS I WAS FEVERISHLY TRYING TO PUT HAPIE IN THE FMC. MEANWHILE, WE'RE CLEANING UP THE AIRPLANE, RUNNING CHKLIST, ETC, BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT AFTER TKOF. FINALLY, THE CTLR CLRED US DIRECT YAHOO, AND THE REST OF THE DEP WAS UNEVENTFUL. BUT IT WAS VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. WE TALKED AND BANTERED AROUND IDEAS OF WHY HAPIE DISAPPEARED. BUT WHAT WAS ODD TO ME WAS THAT THE CAPT WOULDN'T BELIEVE THE MANUAL DATA. HE JUST FOLLOWED THE MAGENTA LINE. MOST OF MY FLYING WAS ON THE B727, SO FLYING MANUALLY IS EASY. I'M SURPRISED HOW THE PLTS WHO HAVE SPENT MOST OF THEIR TIME ON A GLASS AIRPLANE ARE SO HESITANT TO DEVIATE FROM THE MAGENTA LINE. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED (THOUGH NOT AT NEW YORK) AND THAT CAPT REFUSED TO FOLLOW THE MANUAL DATA. I THINK WE SHOULD PRACTICE MANUAL DEPS OCCASIONALLY, JUST TO KEEP PLTS COMFORTABLE THAT VOR RADIALS AND DME REALLY WORK. I'LL BE SUGGESTING THIS TO THE COMPANY.

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.