Narrative:

Aware of the problems with the skebr arrival into las, the first officer manually built, and we both confirmed the arrival in the CDU. Approaching skebr, I went off to make a PA to the passenger, xferring control to the first officer. When I came back, I noticed we were going direct to shand. I asked the first officer (he had said 'no change' when I reported back up.) why we were going to shand. At that point, ATC gave us a heading toward kepec. The only changes we made to the CDU was when I input the landing runway, 25L, after kimme while doing the initial descent into las. I don't know how, nor does the first officer, we went from skebr to shand. I called las TRACON and spoke to supervisor. He told me he had learned that we needed to reselect the arrival in the CDU while airborne. We did it (reselected the arrival) on the ground. The dispatch release said to 'reselect the STAR and the transition.' it doesn't say when to do it, nor does the hot, read-before-fly. Supervisor told me just yesterday 10 consecutive company planes made the same mistake. Communication chart company must fix the database as soon as possible. In the future, I will be much more careful while doing FMC approachs. Supplemental information from acn 573173: due to the problems in the FMC database, I manually built the route and verified the route. I had been talking to las operations getting a gate and returned to be given the aircraft. The captain went to make a PA. Passing clarr, the aircraft went to shand, not to skebr! ATC called and gave us heading 310 degrees for a vector. Landed in las. FMC has an internal database error, the one we thought we had fixed, and missed the initial intercept turn towards shand. High workload -- thought we had fixed the error. This could have been avoided if the database was corrected. Will work to pay closer attention over the FMC and arrival. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft was delivered with 2 FMC units. The air carrier removes one so there is only one in the aircraft positioned on the left side. The aircraft is not equipped with a navigation display, moving map. The reporter taught FMC operation in his air carrier ground school. Reporter said there is no convenient way for the pilot to see readily the FMC track without a moving map. Apparently, there is a database error from the commercial database supplier. It will take a month to correct. In the meantime, the reporter stated that the air carrier is unwilling to restrict the RNAV STAR use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-500 CREW HAD A TRACK DEV ON THE SKEBR ARR INTO LAS.

Narrative: AWARE OF THE PROBS WITH THE SKEBR ARR INTO LAS, THE FO MANUALLY BUILT, AND WE BOTH CONFIRMED THE ARR IN THE CDU. APCHING SKEBR, I WENT OFF TO MAKE A PA TO THE PAX, XFERRING CTL TO THE FO. WHEN I CAME BACK, I NOTICED WE WERE GOING DIRECT TO SHAND. I ASKED THE FO (HE HAD SAID 'NO CHANGE' WHEN I RPTED BACK UP.) WHY WE WERE GOING TO SHAND. AT THAT POINT, ATC GAVE US A HDG TOWARD KEPEC. THE ONLY CHANGES WE MADE TO THE CDU WAS WHEN I INPUT THE LNDG RWY, 25L, AFTER KIMME WHILE DOING THE INITIAL DSCNT INTO LAS. I DON'T KNOW HOW, NOR DOES THE FO, WE WENT FROM SKEBR TO SHAND. I CALLED LAS TRACON AND SPOKE TO SUPVR. HE TOLD ME HE HAD LEARNED THAT WE NEEDED TO RESELECT THE ARR IN THE CDU WHILE AIRBORNE. WE DID IT (RESELECTED THE ARR) ON THE GND. THE DISPATCH RELEASE SAID TO 'RESELECT THE STAR AND THE TRANSITION.' IT DOESN'T SAY WHEN TO DO IT, NOR DOES THE HOT, READ-BEFORE-FLY. SUPVR TOLD ME JUST YESTERDAY 10 CONSECUTIVE COMPANY PLANES MADE THE SAME MISTAKE. COM CHART COMPANY MUST FIX THE DATABASE ASAP. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE MUCH MORE CAREFUL WHILE DOING FMC APCHS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 573173: DUE TO THE PROBS IN THE FMC DATABASE, I MANUALLY BUILT THE RTE AND VERIFIED THE RTE. I HAD BEEN TALKING TO LAS OPS GETTING A GATE AND RETURNED TO BE GIVEN THE ACFT. THE CAPT WENT TO MAKE A PA. PASSING CLARR, THE ACFT WENT TO SHAND, NOT TO SKEBR! ATC CALLED AND GAVE US HDG 310 DEGS FOR A VECTOR. LANDED IN LAS. FMC HAS AN INTERNAL DATABASE ERROR, THE ONE WE THOUGHT WE HAD FIXED, AND MISSED THE INITIAL INTERCEPT TURN TOWARDS SHAND. HIGH WORKLOAD -- THOUGHT WE HAD FIXED THE ERROR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE DATABASE WAS CORRECTED. WILL WORK TO PAY CLOSER ATTN OVER THE FMC AND ARR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT WAS DELIVERED WITH 2 FMC UNITS. THE ACR REMOVES ONE SO THERE IS ONLY ONE IN THE ACFT POSITIONED ON THE L SIDE. THE ACFT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A NAV DISPLAY, MOVING MAP. THE RPTR TAUGHT FMC OP IN HIS ACR GND SCHOOL. RPTR SAID THERE IS NO CONVENIENT WAY FOR THE PLT TO SEE READILY THE FMC TRACK WITHOUT A MOVING MAP. APPARENTLY, THERE IS A DATABASE ERROR FROM THE COMMERCIAL DATABASE SUPPLIER. IT WILL TAKE A MONTH TO CORRECT. IN THE MEANTIME, THE RPTR STATED THAT THE ACR IS UNWILLING TO RESTRICT THE RNAV STAR USE.

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.