ZDV controller suggests that a pilot's flight planning service provider is 'creating its own waypoin...

Narrative:

On several occasions, we get IFR flight plans that pilots have filed through duats. Frequently, the pilot has filed a direct route and the route of flight the pilot has entered in his flight plan is not the route of flight that ATC sees printed on the flight strip. Evidently, duats is operating its own waypoints and inserting them into the flight plan. One recent example is a GPS equipped aircraft filed from cma direct to 00V. The route that is given to ATC is: cma./.gcn 330 022..pga 150017..dul 150015..etl 150015..hbu 150015..3856/10434.00V. The pilot is not familiar with any of the waypoints in his route of flight. This has the potential to create a dangerous situation plus the pilot has not received a valid clearance. If fixes are entered into the route of flight, then the pilot should have received a 'full route clearance' -- which he did not get. If we should need to turn this aircraft for traffic or WX, then tell him to resume own navigation to his etl waypoint, he won't have any idea where he is to go. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: ATP-320 states that a commercial service provider cannot, and is not authority/authorized to, make independent changes to a flight plan without the knowledge and approval from the requester. The commercial provider software rejects segment elements that do not conform to FAA flight planning guidelines or flight planning procedures. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the submitter to resolve flight planning rejects.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZDV CTLR SUGGESTS THAT A PLT'S FLT PLANNING SVC PROVIDER IS 'CREATING ITS OWN WAYPOINTS' BECAUSE THE PLT SAYS HE IS UNFAMILIAR WITH A ROUTING ASSIGNED BY ATC.

Narrative: ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WE GET IFR FLT PLANS THAT PLTS HAVE FILED THROUGH DUATS. FREQUENTLY, THE PLT HAS FILED A DIRECT RTE AND THE RTE OF FLT THE PLT HAS ENTERED IN HIS FLT PLAN IS NOT THE RTE OF FLT THAT ATC SEES PRINTED ON THE FLT STRIP. EVIDENTLY, DUATS IS OPERATING ITS OWN WAYPOINTS AND INSERTING THEM INTO THE FLT PLAN. ONE RECENT EXAMPLE IS A GPS EQUIPPED ACFT FILED FROM CMA DIRECT TO 00V. THE RTE THAT IS GIVEN TO ATC IS: CMA./.GCN 330 022..PGA 150017..DUL 150015..ETL 150015..HBU 150015..3856/10434.00V. THE PLT IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH ANY OF THE WAYPOINTS IN HIS RTE OF FLT. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SIT PLUS THE PLT HAS NOT RECEIVED A VALID CLRNC. IF FIXES ARE ENTERED INTO THE RTE OF FLT, THEN THE PLT SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED A 'FULL RTE CLRNC' -- WHICH HE DID NOT GET. IF WE SHOULD NEED TO TURN THIS ACFT FOR TFC OR WX, THEN TELL HIM TO RESUME OWN NAV TO HIS ETL WAYPOINT, HE WON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE HE IS TO GO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ATP-320 STATES THAT A COMMERCIAL SVC PROVIDER CANNOT, AND IS NOT AUTH TO, MAKE INDEPENDENT CHANGES TO A FLT PLAN WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND APPROVAL FROM THE REQUESTER. THE COMMERCIAL PROVIDER SOFTWARE REJECTS SEGMENT ELEMENTS THAT DO NOT CONFORM TO FAA FLT PLANNING GUIDELINES OR FLT PLANNING PROCS. THEREFORE, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SUBMITTER TO RESOLVE FLT PLANNING REJECTS.

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.

Attributes
ACN	546706
Time
Date	200206
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zdv.artcc
State Reference	CO
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

ZDV controller suggests that a pilot's flight planning service provider is 'creating its own waypoints' because the pilot says he is unfamiliar with a routing assigned by ATC.