Narrative:

We were cleared from las to ont via the idale 1 departure, hec transition, ziggy arrival, ont. The FMC was programmed. The aircraft was set up for the RNAV departure. After takeoff, LNAV was engaged and then the autoplt was engaged. The aircraft proceeded normally on the departure. We were cleared direct boach and the FMC was programmed as such. The aircraft proceeded direct boach and continued to fly the departure normally, when the aircraft approached hector (hec VOR), the last fix of the SID, I noticed that the course needle was pointing to the rear of the aircraft at hec, the aircraft began a turn to the right appearing to reverse course. I recognized this right away, dialed in the hec VOR and set the course needle on 211 degrees, the proper outbound course and the beginning of the ziggy arrival. The aircraft turned 30 degrees before the captain disengaged the LNAV and turned back on course. ATC queried us about our course deviation. We advised them that we had a navigation equipment problem and that we were returning to proper course. I believe that our problem was due to improper programming of the FMC. This could have been done either when I originally set up the FMC at las or when the captain programmed an altitude restraint during flight. After crossing hec, the FMC showed las as the destination and runway 25R as the runway. Contributing factors were: the FMC was programmed by the previous crew and I may have not checked it thoroughly. I did not check the FMC after the captain made his input because I was doing an engine log at that time. We allowed the aircraft to veer off course too long without making a correction. To prevent this problem from occurring again, I: 1) will be more vigilant when setting up the FMC. I always place a 'DOT' under the fix on the release when I verify the flight plan on the release with that on the FMC. (This particular time I had done so.) 2) avoid doing engine logs on such short flts. 3) pay particular attention to the FMC when crossing fixes to ensure that the next fix is the proper fix. 4) pay particular attention to the FMC when crossing fixes to ensure that the next fix is the proper fix. 5) check the FMC closely when it has been programmed by the previous crew. (I will not program the FMC for subsequent crews.) supplemental information from acn 565651: from now on, I will check and doublechk the arrival routing, restrs, and runway. I will also always make sure the PNF checks the PF inputs and insist the PNF monitors all course changes/turns. 1 contributing factor to our lack of alertness was 2 hours of airport appreciation time followed by a very short, busy, fast, and last leg of the day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW SUSPECTS THAT A TRACK DEV AFTER XING THE LAST FIX ON THE IDALE RNAV 1 DEP FROM LAS, NV, IS CAUSED BY THEIR FAULTY FMS PROGRAMMING AND MONITORING.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FROM LAS TO ONT VIA THE IDALE 1 DEP, HEC TRANSITION, ZIGGY ARR, ONT. THE FMC WAS PROGRAMMED. THE ACFT WAS SET UP FOR THE RNAV DEP. AFTER TKOF, LNAV WAS ENGAGED AND THEN THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED. THE ACFT PROCEEDED NORMALLY ON THE DEP. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT BOACH AND THE FMC WAS PROGRAMMED AS SUCH. THE ACFT PROCEEDED DIRECT BOACH AND CONTINUED TO FLY THE DEP NORMALLY, WHEN THE ACFT APCHED HECTOR (HEC VOR), THE LAST FIX OF THE SID, I NOTICED THAT THE COURSE NEEDLE WAS POINTING TO THE REAR OF THE ACFT AT HEC, THE ACFT BEGAN A TURN TO THE R APPEARING TO REVERSE COURSE. I RECOGNIZED THIS RIGHT AWAY, DIALED IN THE HEC VOR AND SET THE COURSE NEEDLE ON 211 DEGS, THE PROPER OUTBOUND COURSE AND THE BEGINNING OF THE ZIGGY ARR. THE ACFT TURNED 30 DEGS BEFORE THE CAPT DISENGAGED THE LNAV AND TURNED BACK ON COURSE. ATC QUERIED US ABOUT OUR COURSE DEV. WE ADVISED THEM THAT WE HAD A NAV EQUIP PROB AND THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO PROPER COURSE. I BELIEVE THAT OUR PROB WAS DUE TO IMPROPER PROGRAMMING OF THE FMC. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE EITHER WHEN I ORIGINALLY SET UP THE FMC AT LAS OR WHEN THE CAPT PROGRAMMED AN ALT RESTRAINT DURING FLT. AFTER XING HEC, THE FMC SHOWED LAS AS THE DEST AND RWY 25R AS THE RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: THE FMC WAS PROGRAMMED BY THE PREVIOUS CREW AND I MAY HAVE NOT CHKED IT THOROUGHLY. I DID NOT CHK THE FMC AFTER THE CAPT MADE HIS INPUT BECAUSE I WAS DOING AN ENG LOG AT THAT TIME. WE ALLOWED THE ACFT TO VEER OFF COURSE TOO LONG WITHOUT MAKING A CORRECTION. TO PREVENT THIS PROB FROM OCCURRING AGAIN, I: 1) WILL BE MORE VIGILANT WHEN SETTING UP THE FMC. I ALWAYS PLACE A 'DOT' UNDER THE FIX ON THE RELEASE WHEN I VERIFY THE FLT PLAN ON THE RELEASE WITH THAT ON THE FMC. (THIS PARTICULAR TIME I HAD DONE SO.) 2) AVOID DOING ENG LOGS ON SUCH SHORT FLTS. 3) PAY PARTICULAR ATTN TO THE FMC WHEN XING FIXES TO ENSURE THAT THE NEXT FIX IS THE PROPER FIX. 4) PAY PARTICULAR ATTN TO THE FMC WHEN XING FIXES TO ENSURE THAT THE NEXT FIX IS THE PROPER FIX. 5) CHK THE FMC CLOSELY WHEN IT HAS BEEN PROGRAMMED BY THE PREVIOUS CREW. (I WILL NOT PROGRAM THE FMC FOR SUBSEQUENT CREWS.) SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 565651: FROM NOW ON, I WILL CHK AND DOUBLECHK THE ARR ROUTING, RESTRS, AND RWY. I WILL ALSO ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE PNF CHKS THE PF INPUTS AND INSIST THE PNF MONITORS ALL COURSE CHANGES/TURNS. 1 CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO OUR LACK OF ALERTNESS WAS 2 HRS OF ARPT APPRECIATION TIME FOLLOWED BY A VERY SHORT, BUSY, FAST, AND LAST LEG OF THE DAY.

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.