Flight crew of B737 turned at 6 DME vice 8 DME while flying runway 34 mountain departure from sea. Procedure was manually entered into FMC account not in air carrier's database.

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Attributes
ACN	587694
Time
Date	200307
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : sea.vortac
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : mountain five
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure : on vectors departure sid : n/s
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 214 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2200
ASRS Report	587700
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12200 flight time type : 5600
ASRS Report	587700
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : separated traffic controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overrode automation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared sea to ZZZ on mountain 5 departure, which flies sea 341 degree radial to 8 DME right turn 070 degree heading. This departure is not in the FMC. I manually entered the sea 341 degree radial/8 mi fix as 341 degree radial at 6 DME. Mistake #1. Because of the sharp turn, the autoplt, with LNAV engaged, started the turn a touch too early. When we turned early departure brought it to our attention (we were still in the turn and told us to roll out as heading 050 degrees and stop climb at 8 DME. No unusual maneuvers were required. I learned a few things: don't program your own departure. Watch out for automation dependence. We need this departure in the database, if FMC/LNAV can fly a heading on an arrival and have fly over points, why not on a departure? Supplemental information from acn 587700: we departed behind company who was climbing much faster than we were. Departure control advised us that company ahead would be turning right, and climbing out over us (we were departing on runway 34R). While watching company ahead, I engaged the autoplt and LNAV, using our manually inputted waypoint. I missed the waypoint entry at 6.0 instead of 8.0 on preflight and was concentrating on remaining clear of company turning into us during his climb. I should have caught the early turn, but was distraction by departure's call about company turning towards us during climb out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B737 TURNED AT 6 DME VICE 8 DME WHILE FLYING RWY 34 MOUNTAIN DEP FROM SEA. PROC WAS MANUALLY ENTERED INTO FMC ACCOUNT NOT IN ACR'S DATABASE.

Narrative: CLRED SEA TO ZZZ ON MOUNTAIN 5 DEP, WHICH FLIES SEA 341 DEG RADIAL TO 8 DME R TURN 070 DEG HDG. THIS DEP IS NOT IN THE FMC. I MANUALLY ENTERED THE SEA 341 DEG RADIAL/8 MI FIX AS 341 DEG RADIAL AT 6 DME. MISTAKE #1. BECAUSE OF THE SHARP TURN, THE AUTOPLT, WITH LNAV ENGAGED, STARTED THE TURN A TOUCH TOO EARLY. WHEN WE TURNED EARLY DEP BROUGHT IT TO OUR ATTN (WE WERE STILL IN THE TURN AND TOLD US TO ROLL OUT AS HDG 050 DEGS AND STOP CLB AT 8 DME. NO UNUSUAL MANEUVERS WERE REQUIRED. I LEARNED A FEW THINGS: DON'T PROGRAM YOUR OWN DEP. WATCH OUT FOR AUTOMATION DEPENDENCE. WE NEED THIS DEP IN THE DATABASE, IF FMC/LNAV CAN FLY A HDG ON AN ARR AND HAVE FLY OVER POINTS, WHY NOT ON A DEP? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 587700: WE DEPARTED BEHIND COMPANY WHO WAS CLBING MUCH FASTER THAN WE WERE. DEP CTL ADVISED US THAT COMPANY AHEAD WOULD BE TURNING R, AND CLBING OUT OVER US (WE WERE DEPARTING ON RWY 34R). WHILE WATCHING COMPANY AHEAD, I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND LNAV, USING OUR MANUALLY INPUTTED WAYPOINT. I MISSED THE WAYPOINT ENTRY AT 6.0 INSTEAD OF 8.0 ON PREFLT AND WAS CONCENTRATING ON REMAINING CLR OF COMPANY TURNING INTO US DURING HIS CLB. I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE EARLY TURN, BUT WAS DISTR BY DEP'S CALL ABOUT COMPANY TURNING TOWARDS US DURING CLBOUT.

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.