Narrative:

Cleared to 10000 ft; went 300 ft above to 10300 ft. Crstl one departure after initial turn to 350 degree heading we were reclred to 10000 ft and a southwest bound heading to intercept the departure. This had us turning over the center of the island where there were multiple large buildups above 10000 ft. Departure was very busy and my goal was to get the route into the FMC quickly so we could see if a request for a route deviation would be needed. As PNF; I fiddled with the FMC to enter this and first officer was distracted by my repeated attempts to get this in; and we were still climbing to our assigned altitude. The crstl one was entered on preflight via the departure mode. On climb out I had a 350 degree heading on line one; and on line two clayo with a 239 degree intercept to. When I make clayo the active waypoint; the FMC keeps the 239 intercept; which it should. However; the navigation display which had been displaying a route which; while not anchored on the sju VOR; did in fact have a line right through; it suddenly redraws a route no longer outbound over the sju VOR. So I erase and try a couple of other options; including at least one typo; and was about to give up on the FMC departure and enter direct to sju then clayo then intercept that line; when I feel the first officer level off suddenly and look up to see us at 10300 ft and descending. At the gate I had dialed in sju and preset 239 degrees; but I never considered leaving the map mode. This is my second or third time in a pegasus airplane with over just 100 hours in the 767. There are no pegasus simulators and my entire training consisted of being told that it's just like the 737. It is a poor workman who blames his tools; but then I don't get to chose my tools. I'm trying to get good with them. I'm new on the airplane and I'm working hard to be able to understand all of its quirks and nuances so that I can be a safe and effective operator. When something isn't working properly I attempt to learn what I'm doing wrong. I'm the PNF/monitoring; but I'm also the FMC operator when the PF is hand flying. That's what I was doing to the best of my ability. Why do we have different FMC's on the same fleet? Pilots have been wrestling with FMC's for a while now. The buggier they are; the more different models there are in the same fleet; if we don't train on certain models; the more likely there will be operational errors. There is a reproducible bug in the 757 pegasus FMC. After takeoff and established on a 350 degree heading; ATC frequently turns the aircraft to a 200 degree heading to intercept the crstl one. At this point; the legs page shows the 350 degree heading on line one; and on line two 239 degrees into clayo. On a non pegasus FMC selecting direct takeoff and placing clayo into the direct intercept box on the lower right will accurately retain a track from over sju into clayo; which is labeled 239 degrees. This cannot be done on a pegasus FMC. On a pegasus FMC selecting clayo up to runway 1L puts 239 degrees into the lower right for selection as a direct intercept; but when runway 6R is selected; the pink line on the navigation display shifts to an incorrect inbound course north of the previously displayed sju-clayo track. Supplemental information from acn 664175: lessons learned: use the autoplt earlier when facing possible task saturation; more training for pegasus and check in on a new frequency as soon as possible. Callback conversation with reporter acn 664336: the captain commented strongly regarding the lack of facilities at this air carrier for training on this particular FMC CDU. He stressed that comments such as 'it's just like the one on fleet XXX' were misleading; often inaccurate and failed to prepare him properly to use the equipment on the rare occasion that he was assigned an aircraft so equipped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B757-200 OVERSHOOT CLEARED ALT WHEN PNF GETS DISTRACTED BY UNFAMILIAR PROGRAMMING OF FMC ON DEP FROM SJU.

Narrative: CLRED TO 10000 FT; WENT 300 FT ABOVE TO 10300 FT. CRSTL ONE DEP AFTER INITIAL TURN TO 350 DEG HDG WE WERE RECLRED TO 10000 FT AND A SW BOUND HDG TO INTERCEPT THE DEP. THIS HAD US TURNING OVER THE CENTER OF THE ISLAND WHERE THERE WERE MULTIPLE LARGE BUILDUPS ABOVE 10000 FT. DEP WAS VERY BUSY AND MY GOAL WAS TO GET THE RTE INTO THE FMC QUICKLY SO WE COULD SEE IF A REQUEST FOR A RTE DEV WOULD BE NEEDED. AS PNF; I FIDDLED WITH THE FMC TO ENTER THIS AND FO WAS DISTRACTED BY MY REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO GET THIS IN; AND WE WERE STILL CLBING TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT. THE CRSTL ONE WAS ENTERED ON PREFLT VIA THE DEP MODE. ON CLBOUT I HAD A 350 DEG HDG ON LINE ONE; AND ON LINE TWO CLAYO WITH A 239 DEG INTERCEPT TO. WHEN I MAKE CLAYO THE ACTIVE WAYPOINT; THE FMC KEEPS THE 239 INTERCEPT; WHICH IT SHOULD. HOWEVER; THE NAV DISPLAY WHICH HAD BEEN DISPLAYING A RTE WHICH; WHILE NOT ANCHORED ON THE SJU VOR; DID IN FACT HAVE A LINE RIGHT THROUGH; IT SUDDENLY REDRAWS A RTE NO LONGER OUTBOUND OVER THE SJU VOR. SO I ERASE AND TRY A COUPLE OF OTHER OPTIONS; INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE TYPO; AND WAS ABOUT TO GIVE UP ON THE FMC DEP AND ENTER DIRECT TO SJU THEN CLAYO THEN INTERCEPT THAT LINE; WHEN I FEEL THE FO LEVEL OFF SUDDENLY AND LOOK UP TO SEE US AT 10300 FT AND DSNDING. AT THE GATE I HAD DIALED IN SJU AND PRESET 239 DEGS; BUT I NEVER CONSIDERED LEAVING THE MAP MODE. THIS IS MY SECOND OR THIRD TIME IN A PEGASUS AIRPLANE WITH OVER JUST 100 HRS IN THE 767. THERE ARE NO PEGASUS SIMULATORS AND MY ENTIRE TRAINING CONSISTED OF BEING TOLD THAT IT'S JUST LIKE THE 737. IT IS A POOR WORKMAN WHO BLAMES HIS TOOLS; BUT THEN I DON'T GET TO CHOSE MY TOOLS. I'M TRYING TO GET GOOD WITH THEM. I'M NEW ON THE AIRPLANE AND I'M WORKING HARD TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF ITS QUIRKS AND NUANCES SO THAT I CAN BE A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE OPERATOR. WHEN SOMETHING ISN'T WORKING PROPERLY I ATTEMPT TO LEARN WHAT I'M DOING WRONG. I'M THE PNF/MONITORING; BUT I'M ALSO THE FMC OPERATOR WHEN THE PF IS HAND FLYING. THAT'S WHAT I WAS DOING TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. WHY DO WE HAVE DIFFERENT FMC'S ON THE SAME FLEET? PLTS HAVE BEEN WRESTLING WITH FMC'S FOR A WHILE NOW. THE BUGGIER THEY ARE; THE MORE DIFFERENT MODELS THERE ARE IN THE SAME FLEET; IF WE DON'T TRAIN ON CERTAIN MODELS; THE MORE LIKELY THERE WILL BE OPERATIONAL ERRORS. THERE IS A REPRODUCIBLE BUG IN THE 757 PEGASUS FMC. AFTER TKOF AND ESTABLISHED ON A 350 DEG HDG; ATC FREQUENTLY TURNS THE ACFT TO A 200 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE CRSTL ONE. AT THIS POINT; THE LEGS PAGE SHOWS THE 350 DEG HDG ON LINE ONE; AND ON LINE TWO 239 DEGS INTO CLAYO. ON A NON PEGASUS FMC SELECTING DIRECT TKOF AND PLACING CLAYO INTO THE DIRECT INTERCEPT BOX ON THE LOWER RIGHT WILL ACCURATELY RETAIN A TRACK FROM OVER SJU INTO CLAYO; WHICH IS LABELED 239 DEGS. THIS CANNOT BE DONE ON A PEGASUS FMC. ON A PEGASUS FMC SELECTING CLAYO UP TO RWY 1L PUTS 239 DEGS INTO THE LOWER RIGHT FOR SELECTION AS A DIRECT INTERCEPT; BUT WHEN RWY 6R IS SELECTED; THE PINK LINE ON THE NAV DISPLAY SHIFTS TO AN INCORRECT INBND COURSE N OF THE PREVIOUSLY DISPLAYED SJU-CLAYO TRACK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 664175: LESSONS LEARNED: USE THE AUTOPLT EARLIER WHEN FACING POSSIBLE TASK SATURATION; MORE TRAINING FOR PEGASUS AND CHK IN ON A NEW FREQ AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 664336: THE CAPT COMMENTED STRONGLY REGARDING THE LACK OF FACILITIES AT THIS ACR FOR TRAINING ON THIS PARTICULAR FMC CDU. HE STRESSED THAT COMMENTS SUCH AS 'IT'S JUST LIKE THE ONE ON FLEET XXX' WERE MISLEADING; OFTEN INACCURATE AND FAILED TO PREPARE HIM PROPERLY TO USE THE EQUIP ON THE RARE OCCASION THAT HE WAS ASSIGNED AN ACFT SO EQUIPPED.

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.