Narrative:

The captain and I both reviewed the departure together on the company provided commerical chart viewing program. Both of us missed the routing section at the very bottom of the chart. Just above the routing box, was the box that described the routing that should be flown, depending on which runway was departed. The line depicting the bottom of this box was mistaken as the line depicting the bottom of the chart. Because the chart could not be viewed in its entirety, the crews must drag on the screen to move it around to view the chart. After departure the captain flew the routing for the runway, which was correct. But once we reached the end of the routing, we continued to the last fix depicited on the plan view portion of the chart. The controller queried us and told us we were not cleared to the fix yet. We then referred back to the chart and dragged to the bottom of the page. We then found the rest of the routing. We promptly told the controller we had made a mistake. He responded by saying that it was ok. There were no loss of separation issues. I think this error would have not occurred if the commerical provider was not used to view the chart. The commercial provider design is more difficult to use than paper charts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the charted display was on the laptop computer. Only the PNF uses it and is placed on the PNF lap during use. There are no parer sids, stars, or apches in the cockpit. Reporter said that the chart can be shrunk to fit the entire chart on the computer screen, however, the pilots can't read the information because it is too small. The reporter would prefer there be a yoke or side mounted display that would fit a readable chart.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE-40 FLT CREW USING AN ELECTRIC CHART VIEWER, FAIL TO SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE TO SEE THE ENTIRE DEPARTURE OUT OF SJC RESULTING IN A TRACK DEVIATION.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND I BOTH REVIEWED THE DEP TOGETHER ON THE COMPANY PROVIDED COMMERICAL CHART VIEWING PROGRAM. BOTH OF US MISSED THE ROUTING SECTION AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE CHART. JUST ABOVE THE ROUTING BOX, WAS THE BOX THAT DESCRIBED THE ROUTING THAT SHOULD BE FLOWN, DEPENDING ON WHICH RUNWAY WAS DEPARTED. THE LINE DEPICTING THE BOTTOM OF THIS BOX WAS MISTAKEN AS THE LINE DEPICTING THE BOTTOM OF THE CHART. BECAUSE THE CHART COULD NOT BE VIEWED IN ITS ENTIRETY, THE CREWS MUST DRAG ON THE SCREEN TO MOVE IT AROUND TO VIEW THE CHART. AFTER DEPARTURE THE CAPT FLEW THE ROUTING FOR THE RUNWAY, WHICH WAS CORRECT. BUT ONCE WE REACHED THE END OF THE ROUTING, WE CONTINUED TO THE LAST FIX DEPICITED ON THE PLAN VIEW PORTION OF THE CHART. THE CONTROLLER QUERIED US AND TOLD US WE WERE NOT CLEARED TO THE FIX YET. WE THEN REFERRED BACK TO THE CHART AND DRAGGED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE. WE THEN FOUND THE REST OF THE ROUTING. WE PROMPTLY TOLD THE CTLR WE HAD MADE A MISTAKE. HE RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT IT WAS OK. THERE WERE NO LOSS OF SEPARATION ISSUES. I THINK THIS ERROR WOULD HAVE NOT OCCURRED IF THE COMMERICAL PROVIDER WAS NOT USED TO VIEW THE CHART. THE COMMERCIAL PROVIDER DESIGN IS MORE DIFFICULT TO USE THAN PAPER CHARTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CHARTED DISPLAY WAS ON THE LAPTOP COMPUTER. ONLY THE PNF USES IT AND IS PLACED ON THE PNF LAP DURING USE. THERE ARE NO PARER SIDS, STARS, OR APCHES IN THE COCKPIT. RPTR SAID THAT THE CHART CAN BE SHRUNK TO FIT THE ENTIRE CHART ON THE COMPUTER SCREEN, HOWEVER, THE PLTS CAN'T READ THE INFORMATION BECAUSE IT IS TOO SMALL. THE RPTR WOULD PREFER THERE BE A YOKE OR SIDE MOUNTED DISPLAY THAT WOULD FIT A READABLE CHART.

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.