Narrative:

We were filed and cleared via den....irk cap J80 J30 bucko.BUCKO6.dca. However; during the loading of the FMGC; I noticed the following comment from the dispatcher: (fmcs alert: use APE26 to define J90/J30 intersection.) I realized dispatcher made a mistake in typing J90 -- should have been J80; and after looking at the hi altitude chart; inserted APE26 after cap. This was a mistake since we were cleared via cap J80 then intercept J30. ZID called us in-flight and told us we were 6 NM north off course; and asked us to verify our routing. Then he said there were no conflicts; just wanted to verify our routing. I called dispatcher upon arrival to tell dispatcher that note in parenthesis was a distraction to me; but dispatcher had already left for the day. So; I advised the dispatcher that replaced previous dispatcher to relay the message; and to the supervisor to remove the note; or to make it clearer to the crews. This type of a routing should be removed from the clrncs; as they are very likely to cause navigation errors. In our case; there was no named fix that idented the intersection of these 2 airways for us to enter. That's why APE26 (which is really a latitude/longitude point) was created. In some FMGC's it is easy to enter jet airway intxns; in others -- like airbus -- the opposite. Again; there was no conflict and the controller seemed very friendly and ok with it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter clarified that the track deviation occurred as the result of programming the route direct from cap to the waypoint suggested in the dispatcher's note; APE26. The result was that rather than flying J80 from cap to ape 26; a slight southerly dogleg; they went in a direct great circle track. In this fleet at this air carrier; all rtes are manually installed in the FMC for each individual flight; thus; the opportunity for errors such as this are much greater than in system where rtes are either uploaded directly via data link or are stored in the FMC memory. Reporter just called back to report that the dispatcher's note has; in fact; been corrected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV RESULTS WHEN FLT CREW OF A320 MISPROGRAMS FMC RTE.

Narrative: WE WERE FILED AND CLRED VIA DEN....IRK CAP J80 J30 BUCKO.BUCKO6.DCA. HOWEVER; DURING THE LOADING OF THE FMGC; I NOTICED THE FOLLOWING COMMENT FROM THE DISPATCHER: (FMCS ALERT: USE APE26 TO DEFINE J90/J30 INTXN.) I REALIZED DISPATCHER MADE A MISTAKE IN TYPING J90 -- SHOULD HAVE BEEN J80; AND AFTER LOOKING AT THE HI ALT CHART; INSERTED APE26 AFTER CAP. THIS WAS A MISTAKE SINCE WE WERE CLRED VIA CAP J80 THEN INTERCEPT J30. ZID CALLED US INFLT AND TOLD US WE WERE 6 NM N OFF COURSE; AND ASKED US TO VERIFY OUR ROUTING. THEN HE SAID THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS; JUST WANTED TO VERIFY OUR ROUTING. I CALLED DISPATCHER UPON ARR TO TELL DISPATCHER THAT NOTE IN PARENTHESIS WAS A DISTR TO ME; BUT DISPATCHER HAD ALREADY LEFT FOR THE DAY. SO; I ADVISED THE DISPATCHER THAT REPLACED PREVIOUS DISPATCHER TO RELAY THE MESSAGE; AND TO THE SUPVR TO REMOVE THE NOTE; OR TO MAKE IT CLEARER TO THE CREWS. THIS TYPE OF A ROUTING SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE CLRNCS; AS THEY ARE VERY LIKELY TO CAUSE NAV ERRORS. IN OUR CASE; THERE WAS NO NAMED FIX THAT IDENTED THE INTXN OF THESE 2 AIRWAYS FOR US TO ENTER. THAT'S WHY APE26 (WHICH IS REALLY A LATITUDE/LONGITUDE POINT) WAS CREATED. IN SOME FMGC'S IT IS EASY TO ENTER JET AIRWAY INTXNS; IN OTHERS -- LIKE AIRBUS -- THE OPPOSITE. AGAIN; THERE WAS NO CONFLICT AND THE CTLR SEEMED VERY FRIENDLY AND OK WITH IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CLARIFIED THAT THE TRACK DEV OCCURRED AS THE RESULT OF PROGRAMMING THE RTE DIRECT FROM CAP TO THE WAYPOINT SUGGESTED IN THE DISPATCHER'S NOTE; APE26. THE RESULT WAS THAT RATHER THAN FLYING J80 FROM CAP TO APE 26; A SLIGHT SOUTHERLY DOGLEG; THEY WENT IN A DIRECT GREAT CIRCLE TRACK. IN THIS FLEET AT THIS ACR; ALL RTES ARE MANUALLY INSTALLED IN THE FMC FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL FLT; THUS; THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ERRORS SUCH AS THIS ARE MUCH GREATER THAN IN SYS WHERE RTES ARE EITHER UPLOADED DIRECTLY VIA DATA LINK OR ARE STORED IN THE FMC MEMORY. RPTR JUST CALLED BACK TO RPT THAT THE DISPATCHER'S NOTE HAS; IN FACT; BEEN CORRECTED.

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.