Narrative:

Flight plan routing was atl novss departure; sarge transition; rrs; pensi; pns. Preflight; taxi; takeoff departure; and climb to cruise altitude of FL260 were normal. After passing novss intersection; ZTL controller asked us where we were going. Fearing we had missed a change in our routing; we checked the ACARS pre departure clearance against the flight plan routing; but it matched the flight plan. We replied that we were on the novss departure; and going to rrs. ATC said that we should have been on the sarge transition; and that we were north of course. We checked the FMS; and sarge was not in the FMS; so we entered it; and told ATC that we would turn direct sarge. ATC said disregard the turn; just proceed direct pensi intersection. We verified with ATC the course and distance to pensi; and proceeded direct. The remainder of the flight was uneventful. After reviewing the flight plan and FMS; I believe that the FMS was loaded with the novss departure; and the 2L button for the sarge transition was pushed; but the transition button was either not pushed hard enough or long enough for it to be entered into the FMS during the preflight loading; and it was missed during the check of the route. There were no discontinuities and the routing appeared correct. Of course in retrospect; I think we saw what we expected to see; rather than what was actually there; and missed the fact that sarge intersection wasn't in the FMS route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 FLT CREW ON NOVSS RNAV SID FROM ATL FAILS TO PROGRAM THE SARGE TRANSITION WHICH WAS PART OF THEIR CLRNC. TRACK DEV RESULTS.

Narrative: FLT PLAN ROUTING WAS ATL NOVSS DEP; SARGE TRANSITION; RRS; PENSI; PNS. PREFLT; TAXI; TKOF DEP; AND CLB TO CRUISE ALT OF FL260 WERE NORMAL. AFTER PASSING NOVSS INTXN; ZTL CTLR ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING. FEARING WE HAD MISSED A CHANGE IN OUR ROUTING; WE CHKED THE ACARS PDC AGAINST THE FLT PLAN ROUTING; BUT IT MATCHED THE FLT PLAN. WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE ON THE NOVSS DEP; AND GOING TO RRS. ATC SAID THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE SARGE TRANSITION; AND THAT WE WERE N OF COURSE. WE CHKED THE FMS; AND SARGE WAS NOT IN THE FMS; SO WE ENTERED IT; AND TOLD ATC THAT WE WOULD TURN DIRECT SARGE. ATC SAID DISREGARD THE TURN; JUST PROCEED DIRECT PENSI INTXN. WE VERIFIED WITH ATC THE COURSE AND DISTANCE TO PENSI; AND PROCEEDED DIRECT. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER REVIEWING THE FLT PLAN AND FMS; I BELIEVE THAT THE FMS WAS LOADED WITH THE NOVSS DEP; AND THE 2L BUTTON FOR THE SARGE TRANSITION WAS PUSHED; BUT THE TRANSITION BUTTON WAS EITHER NOT PUSHED HARD ENOUGH OR LONG ENOUGH FOR IT TO BE ENTERED INTO THE FMS DURING THE PREFLT LOADING; AND IT WAS MISSED DURING THE CHK OF THE RTE. THERE WERE NO DISCONTINUITIES AND THE ROUTING APPEARED CORRECT. OF COURSE IN RETROSPECT; I THINK WE SAW WHAT WE EXPECTED TO SEE; RATHER THAN WHAT WAS ACTUALLY THERE; AND MISSED THE FACT THAT SARGE INTXN WASN'T IN THE FMS RTE.

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.