Narrative:

The incident occurred at night arriving into eddf while being sequenced for an ILS approach to runway 25L. As we approached frankfurt; I asked frankfurt approach what we could expect for our arrival clearance. The controller told me to go direct rokim which was at the beginning of the osmax RNAV transition runway 25L. We were not cleared or given that transition. As we approached that fix; the controller gave us a clearance to DF012. This fix was on the RNAV transition but was not in the preloaded database for the transition. (We had loaded the transition even though we were not given it in a clearance.) we found the fix and loaded it and proceeded direct to it. The controller gave us a clearance to proceed to DF022 after DF012 and cleared us for the approach. Again the fix was on the transition but not a fix preloaded into the transition database. What we discovered was that when we were given the clearance direct; we looked in the FMS for the fix and could not find it. We then had to look on the STAR transition and determine where to place it for proper sequencing. The amount of time this takes was lengthened by the fact that the first officer was not using the paper charts provided to him but rather was trying to use the charts on EFIS. I was the PF and had my paper chart but I was trying to follow our company procedure of letting all FMS inputs be accomplished by the PNF. We experienced the same problem when loading the second fix. We were not able to configure the FMS in a timely manner as we approached DF012; so I asked for a vector to final after passing DF012. The controller gave us a heading but decided the heading would not work. We were vectored out of the approach corridor for a manual vector to the final approach. Landing was uneventful. Factors to this include: this was our first trip in a new type of aircraft. Other pilot was having difficulties in working with the onboard charting display. I suggest in these aircraft that the charts be available in printed format for reference. Paper charts are quicker to reference because you don't have to interact with a machine to examine them. Also; the transitions/sids/stars should be able to show aircraft position on the chart (they do not in this current release). Also; it is probably better not to load a transition if not given it in a clearance. This caused us to look in the FMS for the cleared fix and try to sequence it in the FMS once we found it rather than just type it in the box. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter advised that the aircraft database display of the arrival transitions include only waypoints that establish track changes. Fixes between such waypoints; such as those addressed in the narrative; are not in the database and clrncs to them require manual input of the latitude/longitude and subsequent activation and execution in order to navigation to them. He feels that if these fixes cannot be included in the aircraft database; the flight crew should be advised of the planned track as early as possible so as to be able to either pre-enter them or; at the very least; to be prepared in advance with the necessary latitude/longitude information. He feels this is particularly important on the 'base leg' where the time/distance between fixes is small and the possibility for error in inserting 15 keystroke waypoint definitions is great.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GLF4 FLT CREW EXPERIENCE TRACK DEV ON OSMAX RWY 25L TRANSITION ROUTING TO EDDF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS ARE INCOMPLETE WAYPOINT CODING OF TRANSITIONS IN THE ACFT DATABASE AND THE DIFFICULTY OF ACCESSING RTE INFO ON THE EFIS CHART DISPLAY VICE PAPER CHARTS.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT NIGHT ARRIVING INTO EDDF WHILE BEING SEQUENCED FOR AN ILS APCH TO RWY 25L. AS WE APCHED FRANKFURT; I ASKED FRANKFURT APCH WHAT WE COULD EXPECT FOR OUR ARR CLRNC. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO GO DIRECT ROKIM WHICH WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE OSMAX RNAV TRANSITION RWY 25L. WE WERE NOT CLRED OR GIVEN THAT TRANSITION. AS WE APCHED THAT FIX; THE CTLR GAVE US A CLRNC TO DF012. THIS FIX WAS ON THE RNAV TRANSITION BUT WAS NOT IN THE PRELOADED DATABASE FOR THE TRANSITION. (WE HAD LOADED THE TRANSITION EVEN THOUGH WE WERE NOT GIVEN IT IN A CLRNC.) WE FOUND THE FIX AND LOADED IT AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO IT. THE CTLR GAVE US A CLRNC TO PROCEED TO DF022 AFTER DF012 AND CLRED US FOR THE APCH. AGAIN THE FIX WAS ON THE TRANSITION BUT NOT A FIX PRELOADED INTO THE TRANSITION DATABASE. WHAT WE DISCOVERED WAS THAT WHEN WE WERE GIVEN THE CLRNC DIRECT; WE LOOKED IN THE FMS FOR THE FIX AND COULD NOT FIND IT. WE THEN HAD TO LOOK ON THE STAR TRANSITION AND DETERMINE WHERE TO PLACE IT FOR PROPER SEQUENCING. THE AMOUNT OF TIME THIS TAKES WAS LENGTHENED BY THE FACT THAT THE FO WAS NOT USING THE PAPER CHARTS PROVIDED TO HIM BUT RATHER WAS TRYING TO USE THE CHARTS ON EFIS. I WAS THE PF AND HAD MY PAPER CHART BUT I WAS TRYING TO FOLLOW OUR COMPANY PROC OF LETTING ALL FMS INPUTS BE ACCOMPLISHED BY THE PNF. WE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROB WHEN LOADING THE SECOND FIX. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CONFIGURE THE FMS IN A TIMELY MANNER AS WE APCHED DF012; SO I ASKED FOR A VECTOR TO FINAL AFTER PASSING DF012. THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG BUT DECIDED THE HDG WOULD NOT WORK. WE WERE VECTORED OUT OF THE APCH CORRIDOR FOR A MANUAL VECTOR TO THE FINAL APCH. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. FACTORS TO THIS INCLUDE: THIS WAS OUR FIRST TRIP IN A NEW TYPE OF ACFT. OTHER PLT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTIES IN WORKING WITH THE ONBOARD CHARTING DISPLAY. I SUGGEST IN THESE ACFT THAT THE CHARTS BE AVAILABLE IN PRINTED FORMAT FOR REF. PAPER CHARTS ARE QUICKER TO REF BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO INTERACT WITH A MACHINE TO EXAMINE THEM. ALSO; THE TRANSITIONS/SIDS/STARS SHOULD BE ABLE TO SHOW ACFT POS ON THE CHART (THEY DO NOT IN THIS CURRENT RELEASE). ALSO; IT IS PROBABLY BETTER NOT TO LOAD A TRANSITION IF NOT GIVEN IT IN A CLRNC. THIS CAUSED US TO LOOK IN THE FMS FOR THE CLRED FIX AND TRY TO SEQUENCE IT IN THE FMS ONCE WE FOUND IT RATHER THAN JUST TYPE IT IN THE BOX. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR ADVISED THAT THE ACFT DATABASE DISPLAY OF THE ARR TRANSITIONS INCLUDE ONLY WAYPOINTS THAT ESTABLISH TRACK CHANGES. FIXES BTWN SUCH WAYPOINTS; SUCH AS THOSE ADDRESSED IN THE NARRATIVE; ARE NOT IN THE DATABASE AND CLRNCS TO THEM REQUIRE MANUAL INPUT OF THE LATITUDE/LONGITUDE AND SUBSEQUENT ACTIVATION AND EXECUTION IN ORDER TO NAV TO THEM. HE FEELS THAT IF THESE FIXES CANNOT BE INCLUDED IN THE ACFT DATABASE; THE FLT CREW SHOULD BE ADVISED OF THE PLANNED TRACK AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE SO AS TO BE ABLE TO EITHER PRE-ENTER THEM OR; AT THE VERY LEAST; TO BE PREPARED IN ADVANCE WITH THE NECESSARY LATITUDE/LONGITUDE INFO. HE FEELS THIS IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT ON THE 'BASE LEG' WHERE THE TIME/DISTANCE BTWN FIXES IS SMALL AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR ERROR IN INSERTING 15 KEYSTROKE WAYPOINT DEFINITIONS IS GREAT.

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.