Narrative:

Departed ewr on the selby 1 RNAV departure. After flying over fisla intersection, we started to fly directly to the white intersection. We failed to fly over elvae intersection, or the col VOR. It wasn't until ZNY informed us that we were off course that we realized what had happened. Even then it took us a couple of mins to figure what had happened. ATC vectored us back onto the departure, and gave us a climb clearance. ATC also pointed out traffic, but we never saw him. We are not sure if our error caused, or would have caused, a conflict. It was not mentioned. It was the first officer's leg, and he programmed the FMS. The first officer has only about 40 hours since IOE, but we flew together the previous week, and he had no problems in this area. I did check the route page to see if it matched our pre departure clearance, and it did. It showed the selby 1 departure with the white transition. I did not check the legs pages to see if all the fixes were there. I will next! I do not know how those 2 fixes (elvae and col) got dropped, but they did, and as a result we got off course. Although not the cause of this situation, we were distraction by potable water not working, a cockpit PA microphone not working, and no accuload being available. All these issues were resolved before we pushed back, but because we had to deal with them we had no extra time where we might have caught this problem. We failed to check the waypoints on the legs pages to the actual departure route, and once airborne, still did not doublechk the legs page. We made an error programming the FMS, then became complacent. We assumed that once we selected LNAV once airborne that the aircraft would fly the correct route. Unfortunately the old saying applies, 'garbage in, garbage out.' the airplane did exactly what we told it to do. After further reflection on this previously reported incident, it is my belief that while programming the FMS a discontinuity appeared somewhere in the selby departure. When it was closed some waypoints were dropped. This is how we got off course. Although the first officer programmed the FMS for this flight, he is new to the airplane, and I should have done a more complete check of his programming.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 FLC GETS AN UPDATE FROM ZNY WHEN THEY ARE FLYING OFF COURSE, NOT ON THE SID RTE, ON DEP FROM EWR, NJ.

Narrative: DEPARTED EWR ON THE SELBY 1 RNAV DEP. AFTER FLYING OVER FISLA INTXN, WE STARTED TO FLY DIRECTLY TO THE WHITE INTXN. WE FAILED TO FLY OVER ELVAE INTXN, OR THE COL VOR. IT WASN'T UNTIL ZNY INFORMED US THAT WE WERE OFF COURSE THAT WE REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. EVEN THEN IT TOOK US A COUPLE OF MINS TO FIGURE WHAT HAD HAPPENED. ATC VECTORED US BACK ONTO THE DEP, AND GAVE US A CLB CLRNC. ATC ALSO POINTED OUT TFC, BUT WE NEVER SAW HIM. WE ARE NOT SURE IF OUR ERROR CAUSED, OR WOULD HAVE CAUSED, A CONFLICT. IT WAS NOT MENTIONED. IT WAS THE FO'S LEG, AND HE PROGRAMMED THE FMS. THE FO HAS ONLY ABOUT 40 HRS SINCE IOE, BUT WE FLEW TOGETHER THE PREVIOUS WK, AND HE HAD NO PROBS IN THIS AREA. I DID CHK THE RTE PAGE TO SEE IF IT MATCHED OUR PDC, AND IT DID. IT SHOWED THE SELBY 1 DEP WITH THE WHITE TRANSITION. I DID NOT CHK THE LEGS PAGES TO SEE IF ALL THE FIXES WERE THERE. I WILL NEXT! I DO NOT KNOW HOW THOSE 2 FIXES (ELVAE AND COL) GOT DROPPED, BUT THEY DID, AND AS A RESULT WE GOT OFF COURSE. ALTHOUGH NOT THE CAUSE OF THIS SIT, WE WERE DISTR BY POTABLE WATER NOT WORKING, A COCKPIT PA MIKE NOT WORKING, AND NO ACCULOAD BEING AVAILABLE. ALL THESE ISSUES WERE RESOLVED BEFORE WE PUSHED BACK, BUT BECAUSE WE HAD TO DEAL WITH THEM WE HAD NO EXTRA TIME WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT THIS PROB. WE FAILED TO CHK THE WAYPOINTS ON THE LEGS PAGES TO THE ACTUAL DEP RTE, AND ONCE AIRBORNE, STILL DID NOT DOUBLECHK THE LEGS PAGE. WE MADE AN ERROR PROGRAMMING THE FMS, THEN BECAME COMPLACENT. WE ASSUMED THAT ONCE WE SELECTED LNAV ONCE AIRBORNE THAT THE ACFT WOULD FLY THE CORRECT RTE. UNFORTUNATELY THE OLD SAYING APPLIES, 'GARBAGE IN, GARBAGE OUT.' THE AIRPLANE DID EXACTLY WHAT WE TOLD IT TO DO. AFTER FURTHER REFLECTION ON THIS PREVIOUSLY RPTED INCIDENT, IT IS MY BELIEF THAT WHILE PROGRAMMING THE FMS A DISCONTINUITY APPEARED SOMEWHERE IN THE SELBY DEP. WHEN IT WAS CLOSED SOME WAYPOINTS WERE DROPPED. THIS IS HOW WE GOT OFF COURSE. ALTHOUGH THE FO PROGRAMMED THE FMS FOR THIS FLT, HE IS NEW TO THE AIRPLANE, AND I SHOULD HAVE DONE A MORE COMPLETE CHK OF HIS PROGRAMMING.

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.