Narrative:

On the holtz 7 RNAV departure out of lax the navigation would not engage at 400 ft. After troubleshooting the problem didn't work and at approximately 1200 ft; we told departure our navigation function wasn't working and that we needed a heading. We believe that we stayed on course during the time before receiving the heading; but cannot be sure. There is a chance the airplane symbol on the navigation display was a fraction off of the magenta line. Departure control gave us a heading and we resumed our departure. They never mentioned there being a problem. We later discovered that the performance 'init' page on the FMS was never completed during preflight preparations; thus not allowing the navigation to engage. Neither the captain nor I have flown this type of airplane much; thus contributing to the 'confusion' of loading the box. We checked the legs page; route page; and total distance like we are used to; but there is no requirement to check the performance 'init' page; thus we both missed it. There was no indication on the message line of the box that anything was awry until we were in the air and trying to engage the navigation; that's when it said 'navigation/performance unavailable.' bottom line; we both should have known and doublechked that all of the aircraft navigation information was loaded properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW; UNFAMILIAR WITH FMS ON ACFT; PROGRAM IT INCORRECTLY AND ARE UNABLE TO ENGAGE LATERAL NAV ON THE HOLTZ RNAV SID FROM LAX.

Narrative: ON THE HOLTZ 7 RNAV DEP OUT OF LAX THE NAV WOULD NOT ENGAGE AT 400 FT. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB DIDN'T WORK AND AT APPROX 1200 FT; WE TOLD DEP OUR NAV FUNCTION WASN'T WORKING AND THAT WE NEEDED A HDG. WE BELIEVE THAT WE STAYED ON COURSE DURING THE TIME BEFORE RECEIVING THE HDG; BUT CANNOT BE SURE. THERE IS A CHANCE THE AIRPLANE SYMBOL ON THE NAV DISPLAY WAS A FRACTION OFF OF THE MAGENTA LINE. DEP CTL GAVE US A HDG AND WE RESUMED OUR DEP. THEY NEVER MENTIONED THERE BEING A PROB. WE LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE PERFORMANCE 'INIT' PAGE ON THE FMS WAS NEVER COMPLETED DURING PREFLT PREPARATIONS; THUS NOT ALLOWING THE NAV TO ENGAGE. NEITHER THE CAPT NOR I HAVE FLOWN THIS TYPE OF AIRPLANE MUCH; THUS CONTRIBUTING TO THE 'CONFUSION' OF LOADING THE BOX. WE CHKED THE LEGS PAGE; RTE PAGE; AND TOTAL DISTANCE LIKE WE ARE USED TO; BUT THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO CHK THE PERFORMANCE 'INIT' PAGE; THUS WE BOTH MISSED IT. THERE WAS NO INDICATION ON THE MESSAGE LINE OF THE BOX THAT ANYTHING WAS AWRY UNTIL WE WERE IN THE AIR AND TRYING TO ENGAGE THE NAV; THAT'S WHEN IT SAID 'NAV/PERFORMANCE UNAVAILABLE.' BOTTOM LINE; WE BOTH SHOULD HAVE KNOWN AND DOUBLECHKED THAT ALL OF THE ACFT NAV INFO WAS LOADED PROPERLY.

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.