Narrative:

First officer and myself verified routing to ord... Center cam syr J63 ehman yxu...ord. In climb out bos center cleared us direct to center. I was hand flying and first officer put center in the FMS. We both concurred it looked good. Next controller assigned us direct yxu out of 20000 ft on a clearance to 21000 ft. At approximately 16000 ft; bos turned us 30 degrees to the right and asked where we were going. She then said we were not cleared to yxu until 20000 ft. My first officer explained to her we were still on flight plan and had not selected yxu; he then proceeded to tell her we were on flight plan to syr. She replied with we should be heading to cam. With no alteration to our original routing and the number of items we were busy with as the aircraft turned towards syr we both assumed we had passed cam. After putting center in the FMS (first officer) we realized it had dropped out. Upon landing in ord; I phoned a fellow captain; who was familiar with our event as it had happened to him (exactly the same way and on the same flight and sequence). ATC cleared us on our way at 21000 ft to yxu and said not to worry about it. We are submitting a report anyway.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain states that he has over 2 years experience on the MD80 and could not recall having a waypoint drop out previously. He knows of other pilots who have had problems; though.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW RPTS THE FMS DROPPED A WAYPOINT CAUSING THEM TO DEV FROM THEIR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: FO AND MYSELF VERIFIED ROUTING TO ORD... CTR CAM SYR J63 EHMAN YXU...ORD. IN CLB OUT BOS CTR CLRED US DIRECT TO CTR. I WAS HAND FLYING AND FO PUT CTR IN THE FMS. WE BOTH CONCURRED IT LOOKED GOOD. NEXT CTLR ASSIGNED US DIRECT YXU OUT OF 20000 FT ON A CLRNC TO 21000 FT. AT APPROX 16000 FT; BOS TURNED US 30 DEGS TO THE R AND ASKED WHERE WE WERE GOING. SHE THEN SAID WE WERE NOT CLRED TO YXU UNTIL 20000 FT. MY FO EXPLAINED TO HER WE WERE STILL ON FLT PLAN AND HAD NOT SELECTED YXU; HE THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL HER WE WERE ON FLT PLAN TO SYR. SHE REPLIED WITH WE SHOULD BE HEADING TO CAM. WITH NO ALTERATION TO OUR ORIGINAL ROUTING AND THE NUMBER OF ITEMS WE WERE BUSY WITH AS THE ACFT TURNED TOWARDS SYR WE BOTH ASSUMED WE HAD PASSED CAM. AFTER PUTTING CTR IN THE FMS (FO) WE REALIZED IT HAD DROPPED OUT. UPON LNDG IN ORD; I PHONED A FELLOW CAPT; WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH OUR EVENT AS IT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM (EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AND ON THE SAME FLT AND SEQUENCE). ATC CLRED US ON OUR WAY AT 21000 FT TO YXU AND SAID NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. WE ARE SUBMITTING A RPT ANYWAY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT STATES THAT HE HAS OVER 2 YEARS EXPERIENCE ON THE MD80 AND COULD NOT RECALL HAVING A WAYPOINT DROP OUT PREVIOUSLY. HE KNOWS OF OTHER PLTS WHO HAVE HAD PROBS; THOUGH.

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.