Narrative:

Departing runway 19 from dca on a vector to the northeast and climbing to 10000 ft MSL I found the FMS had failed removing my filed route and all situational data from my mfd; the failure of my FMS was total and not recoverable. I began getting the appropriate charts out to fix my position relative to V268 which I had been filed on. ATC cleared me direct swann; I told them I was negative FMS and asked for a heading which I was assigned. Then potomac departure xferred me to ZDC. I checked in with my heading and 10000 ft also stating negative FMS. Washington assigned me direct bross and I again stated that I was unable due to an FMS failure. They asked if I could intercept V268 which I accepted. Almost immediately ZDC xferred me to another washington sector with a climb to FL190. I checked in with my current heading intercept instructions and climb clearance with a position approximately 25 NM northeast of dca. After some confusion the new ZDC controller determined I had the wrong frequency and returned me to my previous controller. I checked back in and was given another frequency .05 different. All of this occurred in a very short period of time; distracting me from finding the frequency and radial for eno and V268. I had requested the frequency from ATC and was not provided it prior to the change over to the wrong frequency. I checked on with the new frequency with my heading stating negative FMS. By this time I assume I had flown through V268 because I was assigned a new heading to the southeast. Several moments later center asked if I was climbing to FL190. I replied that I was starting the climb. I estimate I was about 3-5 mins late in starting the climb to FL190. I finally located the frequency and radial for V268 on the low altitude charts and was then assigned direct coyle (cyn). I tuned cyn and flew my course direct to cyn using VOR navigation for the remainder of my filed route. During this event I was the PF with the first officer operating the radios. He was being indirect with his requests with ATC so I assumed radio duties as well as PF duties while trying to locate myself on the airway. I should have xferred control to the first officer allowing me to focus on our position and ATC more directly. Since this event I have been tuning the first airway NAVAID in my standby radio and dialing my VOR course needle to the appropriate heading then reverting to FMS control prior to each departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FMS FAILURE ON CL65 PUTS FLT CREW IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION BECAUSE THEY HAD NOT PREPARED ANY RAW DATA BACKUPS FOR THE FMS RTE; NOR DID THEY HAVE PAPER CHARTS READILY AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE NAV RESOURCE DATA.

Narrative: DEPARTING RWY 19 FROM DCA ON A VECTOR TO THE NE AND CLBING TO 10000 FT MSL I FOUND THE FMS HAD FAILED REMOVING MY FILED RTE AND ALL SITUATIONAL DATA FROM MY MFD; THE FAILURE OF MY FMS WAS TOTAL AND NOT RECOVERABLE. I BEGAN GETTING THE APPROPRIATE CHARTS OUT TO FIX MY POS RELATIVE TO V268 WHICH I HAD BEEN FILED ON. ATC CLRED ME DIRECT SWANN; I TOLD THEM I WAS NEGATIVE FMS AND ASKED FOR A HDG WHICH I WAS ASSIGNED. THEN POTOMAC DEP XFERRED ME TO ZDC. I CHKED IN WITH MY HDG AND 10000 FT ALSO STATING NEGATIVE FMS. WASHINGTON ASSIGNED ME DIRECT BROSS AND I AGAIN STATED THAT I WAS UNABLE DUE TO AN FMS FAILURE. THEY ASKED IF I COULD INTERCEPT V268 WHICH I ACCEPTED. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY ZDC XFERRED ME TO ANOTHER WASHINGTON SECTOR WITH A CLB TO FL190. I CHKED IN WITH MY CURRENT HDG INTERCEPT INSTRUCTIONS AND CLB CLRNC WITH A POS APPROX 25 NM NE OF DCA. AFTER SOME CONFUSION THE NEW ZDC CTLR DETERMINED I HAD THE WRONG FREQ AND RETURNED ME TO MY PREVIOUS CTLR. I CHKED BACK IN AND WAS GIVEN ANOTHER FREQ .05 DIFFERENT. ALL OF THIS OCCURRED IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME; DISTRACTING ME FROM FINDING THE FREQ AND RADIAL FOR ENO AND V268. I HAD REQUESTED THE FREQ FROM ATC AND WAS NOT PROVIDED IT PRIOR TO THE CHANGE OVER TO THE WRONG FREQ. I CHKED ON WITH THE NEW FREQ WITH MY HDG STATING NEGATIVE FMS. BY THIS TIME I ASSUME I HAD FLOWN THROUGH V268 BECAUSE I WAS ASSIGNED A NEW HDG TO THE SE. SEVERAL MOMENTS LATER CTR ASKED IF I WAS CLBING TO FL190. I REPLIED THAT I WAS STARTING THE CLB. I ESTIMATE I WAS ABOUT 3-5 MINS LATE IN STARTING THE CLB TO FL190. I FINALLY LOCATED THE FREQ AND RADIAL FOR V268 ON THE LOW ALT CHARTS AND WAS THEN ASSIGNED DIRECT COYLE (CYN). I TUNED CYN AND FLEW MY COURSE DIRECT TO CYN USING VOR NAV FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY FILED RTE. DURING THIS EVENT I WAS THE PF WITH THE FO OPERATING THE RADIOS. HE WAS BEING INDIRECT WITH HIS REQUESTS WITH ATC SO I ASSUMED RADIO DUTIES AS WELL AS PF DUTIES WHILE TRYING TO LOCATE MYSELF ON THE AIRWAY. I SHOULD HAVE XFERRED CTL TO THE FO ALLOWING ME TO FOCUS ON OUR POS AND ATC MORE DIRECTLY. SINCE THIS EVENT I HAVE BEEN TUNING THE FIRST AIRWAY NAVAID IN MY STANDBY RADIO AND DIALING MY VOR COURSE NEEDLE TO THE APPROPRIATE HDG THEN REVERTING TO FMS CTL PRIOR TO EACH DEP.

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.