MD80 flight crew has wrong route loaded in the GPS and doesn't realize the mistake until airborne.

Attributes
ACN	558256
Time
Date	200208
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mmtz.artcc
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute airway : uj3.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	558256
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	558255
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Matzatlan queried us as to our clearance. When we confirmed it, we noticed that we were on the wrong airway. Upon investigation, we found that the route printed in the clearance strip on the computer flight plan was our 'cleared route of flight.' the route on the computer flight plan, though, had us load 'route 01' in the GPS. We were flying that route. When we looked into the commercial chart standard routes, we found that the route 01 was just what we were flying, however, it wasn't what we were cleared for, and wasn't what was on the clearance strip of the computer flight plan! By the way, the return routing wasn't right either. My suggestion is to correct this error in the en route pages and to warn other aircrews to be ever vigilant as to what we are loading into the 'box.' center had no problem with us 'scooting' over to our assigned airway, but this could be a big problem in the USA airspace!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLC HAS WRONG RTE LOADED IN THE GPS AND DOESN'T REALIZE THE MISTAKE UNTIL AIRBORNE.

Narrative: MATZATLAN QUERIED US AS TO OUR CLRNC. WHEN WE CONFIRMED IT, WE NOTICED THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG AIRWAY. UPON INVESTIGATION, WE FOUND THAT THE RTE PRINTED IN THE CLRNC STRIP ON THE COMPUTER FLT PLAN WAS OUR 'CLRED RTE OF FLT.' THE RTE ON THE COMPUTER FLT PLAN, THOUGH, HAD US LOAD 'RTE 01' IN THE GPS. WE WERE FLYING THAT RTE. WHEN WE LOOKED INTO THE COMMERCIAL CHART STANDARD ROUTES, WE FOUND THAT THE RTE 01 WAS JUST WHAT WE WERE FLYING, HOWEVER, IT WASN'T WHAT WE WERE CLRED FOR, AND WASN'T WHAT WAS ON THE CLRNC STRIP OF THE COMPUTER FLT PLAN! BY THE WAY, THE RETURN ROUTING WASN'T RIGHT EITHER. MY SUGGESTION IS TO CORRECT THIS ERROR IN THE ENRTE PAGES AND TO WARN OTHER AIRCREWS TO BE EVER VIGILANT AS TO WHAT WE ARE LOADING INTO THE 'BOX.' CTR HAD NO PROB WITH US 'SCOOTING' OVER TO OUR ASSIGNED AIRWAY, BUT THIS COULD BE A BIG PROB IN THE USA AIRSPACE!

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.