Narrative:

Our company went to a different flight planning system a few yrs ago. It is supposed to 'tailor' and optimize the routing for each and every flight -- another promise of technology that doesn't exactly work in the real world. One pitfall is that we must now manually enter our routing in the FMC with the exception of departures and arrs. We also just recently eliminated using fixed radial distance waypoints (ie; HBU123060); and are now using the new waypoints that are being rolled out as part of the new national airspace plan (ie; KD45G). I manually entered our routing in the FMC; and then very carefully checked it against the filed routing before executing; as I always do. I even checked the headings on the legs page as a gross error check. A couple of headings were a little different; but not significantly. However; the gremlin was in there -- I had transposed KD45U into KD54U. The captain did not catch it either. As we crossed over KD48Q; our routing took us more or less eastward to the transposed KD54U; then made a significant right jog towards lbl. We did not think much of it because dispatch does some bizarre things in order to gain the most efficiency from winds sometimes. As we proceeded to the next fix; ZDV mentioned it and asked how long it would be before we turned the corner. The pilot monitoring gave the answer based on our distance to go display. A few mins alter; ZDV asked us again; and this time we both caught the error as we compared the flight plan to our FMC routing. I quickly entered KD45U in the fix page; and we could see that it was a significant turn to the right; but more in line with the routing between the KD48Q and lbl. The captain requested and received direct lbl; remainder of flight uneventful. We will have to continue to closely xchk our FMC routings against the flight plans and watch for these gremlins. One of the problems is that these waypoints give no indication of their location as a VOR does. Had we been going from VOR-VOR-VOR; we could have possibly compared that to our internal references gained from yrs of flying and said something doesn't look right. However; the other trap is that dispatch does bizarre things; and so even when we see an oddball routing; we're more likely to discount it anyhow. The only thing we can do is exercise more discipline and perhaps do a challenge-response type check on the FMC routing versus flight plan in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW HAS A TRACK HDG DEV DURING CRUISE FLT.

Narrative: OUR COMPANY WENT TO A DIFFERENT FLT PLANNING SYS A FEW YRS AGO. IT IS SUPPOSED TO 'TAILOR' AND OPTIMIZE THE ROUTING FOR EACH AND EVERY FLT -- ANOTHER PROMISE OF TECHNOLOGY THAT DOESN'T EXACTLY WORK IN THE REAL WORLD. ONE PITFALL IS THAT WE MUST NOW MANUALLY ENTER OUR ROUTING IN THE FMC WITH THE EXCEPTION OF DEPS AND ARRS. WE ALSO JUST RECENTLY ELIMINATED USING FIXED RADIAL DISTANCE WAYPOINTS (IE; HBU123060); AND ARE NOW USING THE NEW WAYPOINTS THAT ARE BEING ROLLED OUT AS PART OF THE NEW NATIONAL AIRSPACE PLAN (IE; KD45G). I MANUALLY ENTERED OUR ROUTING IN THE FMC; AND THEN VERY CAREFULLY CHKED IT AGAINST THE FILED ROUTING BEFORE EXECUTING; AS I ALWAYS DO. I EVEN CHKED THE HDGS ON THE LEGS PAGE AS A GROSS ERROR CHK. A COUPLE OF HDGS WERE A LITTLE DIFFERENT; BUT NOT SIGNIFICANTLY. HOWEVER; THE GREMLIN WAS IN THERE -- I HAD TRANSPOSED KD45U INTO KD54U. THE CAPT DID NOT CATCH IT EITHER. AS WE CROSSED OVER KD48Q; OUR ROUTING TOOK US MORE OR LESS EASTWARD TO THE TRANSPOSED KD54U; THEN MADE A SIGNIFICANT R JOG TOWARDS LBL. WE DID NOT THINK MUCH OF IT BECAUSE DISPATCH DOES SOME BIZARRE THINGS IN ORDER TO GAIN THE MOST EFFICIENCY FROM WINDS SOMETIMES. AS WE PROCEEDED TO THE NEXT FIX; ZDV MENTIONED IT AND ASKED HOW LONG IT WOULD BE BEFORE WE TURNED THE CORNER. THE PLT MONITORING GAVE THE ANSWER BASED ON OUR DISTANCE TO GO DISPLAY. A FEW MINS ALTER; ZDV ASKED US AGAIN; AND THIS TIME WE BOTH CAUGHT THE ERROR AS WE COMPARED THE FLT PLAN TO OUR FMC ROUTING. I QUICKLY ENTERED KD45U IN THE FIX PAGE; AND WE COULD SEE THAT IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT TURN TO THE R; BUT MORE IN LINE WITH THE ROUTING BTWN THE KD48Q AND LBL. THE CAPT REQUESTED AND RECEIVED DIRECT LBL; REMAINDER OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. WE WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO CLOSELY XCHK OUR FMC ROUTINGS AGAINST THE FLT PLANS AND WATCH FOR THESE GREMLINS. ONE OF THE PROBS IS THAT THESE WAYPOINTS GIVE NO INDICATION OF THEIR LOCATION AS A VOR DOES. HAD WE BEEN GOING FROM VOR-VOR-VOR; WE COULD HAVE POSSIBLY COMPARED THAT TO OUR INTERNAL REFS GAINED FROM YRS OF FLYING AND SAID SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT. HOWEVER; THE OTHER TRAP IS THAT DISPATCH DOES BIZARRE THINGS; AND SO EVEN WHEN WE SEE AN ODDBALL ROUTING; WE'RE MORE LIKELY TO DISCOUNT IT ANYHOW. THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO IS EXERCISE MORE DISCIPLINE AND PERHAPS DO A CHALLENGE-RESPONSE TYPE CHK ON THE FMC ROUTING VERSUS FLT PLAN IN THE FUTURE.

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.