Narrative:

Assigned papas 8 fairy transition. There are two transitions that are similar: cupid and fairy. The difference is the fairy transition cuts the corner and omits going to cupid. On the ground I had difficulty finding the fairy transition in the FMC database. There are four transitions; two of them are labeled farct and farft. There is no indication on the 20-3G page what the database name of the transition is. Since they both somewhat resemble the word 'fairy' I selected the first one; farct and compared what was in the CDU and with the 20-3G SID page. It looked like the correct procedure. After about 3-5 mi passing papas; the controller said we should be going direct to apple at that point (that is; cutting the corner and not going to cupid first). We turned toward apple; then I rechked the procedure and realized I had entered the wrong transition; it should have been farft. (Get it? Ft=fairy transition; ct=cupid transition? I didn't.) I recommend the following. 1) that some thought be given to renaming these two transitions in the database so that they resemble the actual name of the transition; such as cupidd or fairy rather than the confusing farct and farft transitions. 2) that; if possible; the database name transition be shown on the 20-3G page like it is on many other departures. The only other contributing factors I can think of is the traditionally late clearance given in rjaa; right at push back. Perhaps more time would have enabled me to give more care to comparing what was in the box with what was on the 20-3G. Supplemental information from acn 661783: I was PF . On the ground I programmed the FMC; the captain later checked the FMC and told me that he believed that the SID was PAPAS8 with fairy transition. It was my first time ever to fly to nrt to sin. He showed me the SID and entered it into the FMC as PAPAS8 and selected farct which later we found out we should have selected the farft ... There was no separation or incident. We may have deviated about 3 miles or so from the flight track but ATC gave us a heading and we realized the problem ourselves. The FMC is very confusing the way some of the departures and arrivals are programmed and the names are hard to demystify! We learned from this and I hope others can learn as well through this report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B747 RPT THAT DATABASE NOMENCLATURE FOR DEP TRANSITION RTES ON THE PAPAS SID RJAA ARE CONFUSING AND BEAR LITTLE RELATIONSHIP TO THE NOMENCLATURE OF THE TRANSITIONS ON THE PAPER VERSION OF THE SID.

Narrative: ASSIGNED PAPAS 8 FAIRY TRANSITION. THERE ARE TWO TRANSITIONS THAT ARE SIMILAR: CUPID AND FAIRY. THE DIFFERENCE IS THE FAIRY TRANSITION CUTS THE CORNER AND OMITS GOING TO CUPID. ON THE GND I HAD DIFFICULTY FINDING THE FAIRY TRANSITION IN THE FMC DATABASE. THERE ARE FOUR TRANSITIONS; TWO OF THEM ARE LABELED FARCT AND FARFT. THERE IS NO INDICATION ON THE 20-3G PAGE WHAT THE DATABASE NAME OF THE TRANSITION IS. SINCE THEY BOTH SOMEWHAT RESEMBLE THE WORD 'FAIRY' I SELECTED THE FIRST ONE; FARCT AND COMPARED WHAT WAS IN THE CDU AND WITH THE 20-3G SID PAGE. IT LOOKED LIKE THE CORRECT PROC. AFTER ABOUT 3-5 MI PASSING PAPAS; THE CTLR SAID WE SHOULD BE GOING DIRECT TO APPLE AT THAT POINT (THAT IS; CUTTING THE CORNER AND NOT GOING TO CUPID FIRST). WE TURNED TOWARD APPLE; THEN I RECHKED THE PROC AND REALIZED I HAD ENTERED THE WRONG TRANSITION; IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN FARFT. (GET IT? FT=FAIRY TRANSITION; CT=CUPID TRANSITION? I DIDN'T.) I RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING. 1) THAT SOME THOUGHT BE GIVEN TO RENAMING THESE TWO TRANSITIONS IN THE DATABASE SO THAT THEY RESEMBLE THE ACTUAL NAME OF THE TRANSITION; SUCH AS CUPIDD OR FAIRY RATHER THAN THE CONFUSING FARCT AND FARFT TRANSITIONS. 2) THAT; IF POSSIBLE; THE DATABASE NAME TRANSITION BE SHOWN ON THE 20-3G PAGE LIKE IT IS ON MANY OTHER DEPS. THE ONLY OTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTORS I CAN THINK OF IS THE TRADITIONALLY LATE CLRNC GIVEN IN RJAA; RIGHT AT PUSH BACK. PERHAPS MORE TIME WOULD HAVE ENABLED ME TO GIVE MORE CARE TO COMPARING WHAT WAS IN THE BOX WITH WHAT WAS ON THE 20-3G. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 661783: I WAS PF . ON THE GND I PROGRAMMED THE FMC; THE CAPT LATER CHKED THE FMC AND TOLD ME THAT HE BELIEVED THAT THE SID WAS PAPAS8 WITH FAIRY TRANSITION. IT WAS MY FIRST TIME EVER TO FLY TO NRT TO SIN. HE SHOWED ME THE SID AND ENTERED IT INTO THE FMC AS PAPAS8 AND SELECTED FARCT WHICH LATER WE FOUND OUT WE SHOULD HAVE SELECTED THE FARFT ... THERE WAS NO SEPARATION OR INCIDENT. WE MAY HAVE DEVIATED ABOUT 3 MILES OR SO FROM THE FLT TRACK BUT ATC GAVE US A HDG AND WE REALIZED THE PROB OURSELVES. THE FMC IS VERY CONFUSING THE WAY SOME OF THE DEPS AND ARRIVALS ARE PROGRAMMED AND THE NAMES ARE HARD TO DEMYSTIFY! WE LEARNED FROM THIS AND I HOPE OTHERS CAN LEARN AS WELL THROUGH THIS RPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.