An A319 departing atl changed FMGS databases 1 day early. This inserted an incorrect departure fix a...

Narrative:

We were cleared into position and hold on runway 26L in atl. Controller asked for first fix after departure. First officer stated snufy from the geetk SID. Controller said this was wrong; call clearance delivery to verify routing. First officer went to second communication to call clearance delivery. In retrospect; this was a bad idea. We are on the runway in position; were getting rushed to get things done; traffic is backing up behind us. First officer was having some trouble with the controller on clearance delivery. I am getting very nervous about being on the runway. I decided to call the tower and tell him we want to taxi off the runway and sort this out. The first officer returns as I am calling him to hear air carrier cleared for takeoff; fly heading of 285 degrees at middle marker expect radar vectors to vuz. I went ahead and departed just to get out of here and off the runway. After departure the first officer and I went over the event to sort out the problem. As it turns out the navigation database cycle was 8 hours too early dec/yy was active and this is the dec/xx. First officer is not sure if he changed or it was that way when we got in the airplane. It doesn't matter we both missed catching it. We also updated our commercial charts earlier and there was a change for the atl geetk 1 to the geetk 2 SID; but those charts had an effective data of dec/yy. So now our charts match the wrong database in the FMGS. I have always thought that the effective date on commercial charts is too small of a type. As it turns out; the geetk 1 was the correct SID with course intersection as the first fix; not the geetk 2 with snufy as the first fix. But as stated earlier that the position and hold and call clearance delivery just put us in the wrong mode. I unequivocally believe that if I went ahead with my first impulse and taxied off the runway. The errors would have been found. As proven that once we were airborne and everything is normal; I caught the mistake in about 2 mins.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 DEPARTING ATL CHANGED FMGS DATABASES 1 DAY EARLY. THIS INSERTED AN INCORRECT DEP FIX AND CAUSED ATC TO RELEASE THE FLT ON RADAR VECTORS.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 26L IN ATL. CTLR ASKED FOR FIRST FIX AFTER DEP. FO STATED SNUFY FROM THE GEETK SID. CTLR SAID THIS WAS WRONG; CALL CLRNC DELIVERY TO VERIFY ROUTING. FO WENT TO SECOND COM TO CALL CLRNC DELIVERY. IN RETROSPECT; THIS WAS A BAD IDEA. WE ARE ON THE RWY IN POS; WERE GETTING RUSHED TO GET THINGS DONE; TFC IS BACKING UP BEHIND US. FO WAS HAVING SOME TROUBLE WITH THE CTLR ON CLRNC DELIVERY. I AM GETTING VERY NERVOUS ABOUT BEING ON THE RWY. I DECIDED TO CALL THE TWR AND TELL HIM WE WANT TO TAXI OFF THE RWY AND SORT THIS OUT. THE FO RETURNS AS I AM CALLING HIM TO HEAR ACR CLRED FOR TKOF; FLY HDG OF 285 DEGS AT MIDDLE MARKER EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO VUZ. I WENT AHEAD AND DEPARTED JUST TO GET OUT OF HERE AND OFF THE RWY. AFTER DEP THE FO AND I WENT OVER THE EVENT TO SORT OUT THE PROB. AS IT TURNS OUT THE NAV DATABASE CYCLE WAS 8 HRS TOO EARLY DEC/YY WAS ACTIVE AND THIS IS THE DEC/XX. FO IS NOT SURE IF HE CHANGED OR IT WAS THAT WAY WHEN WE GOT IN THE AIRPLANE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WE BOTH MISSED CATCHING IT. WE ALSO UPDATED OUR COMMERCIAL CHARTS EARLIER AND THERE WAS A CHANGE FOR THE ATL GEETK 1 TO THE GEETK 2 SID; BUT THOSE CHARTS HAD AN EFFECTIVE DATA OF DEC/YY. SO NOW OUR CHARTS MATCH THE WRONG DATABASE IN THE FMGS. I HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THE EFFECTIVE DATE ON COMMERCIAL CHARTS IS TOO SMALL OF A TYPE. AS IT TURNS OUT; THE GEETK 1 WAS THE CORRECT SID WITH COURSE INTXN AS THE FIRST FIX; NOT THE GEETK 2 WITH SNUFY AS THE FIRST FIX. BUT AS STATED EARLIER THAT THE POS AND HOLD AND CALL CLRNC DELIVERY JUST PUT US IN THE WRONG MODE. I UNEQUIVOCALLY BELIEVE THAT IF I WENT AHEAD WITH MY FIRST IMPULSE AND TAXIED OFF THE RWY. THE ERRORS WOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND. AS PROVEN THAT ONCE WE WERE AIRBORNE AND EVERYTHING IS NORMAL; I CAUGHT THE MISTAKE IN ABOUT 2 MINS.

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.

Attributes
ACN	681795
Time
Date	200512
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl.airport
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	681795
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	681762
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

An A319 departing atl changed FMGS databases 1 day early. This inserted an incorrect departure fix and caused ATC to release the flight on radar vectors.