Narrative:

After receiving our clearance; I proceeded to program the FMC for our next leg. After putting in the standard company route (FMC stored); I noticed that the mountain departure was not programmed; so I proceeded to input the waypoint manually. The active runway for departure was 34L. I also input a 070 course (incorrectly) out of the waypoint when the departure shows a 070 heading. This was my first mistake; incorrectly programming the FMC. My next mistake occurred on departure. The captain was flying and he selected LNAV as we both thought the FMC was programmed correctly. Because I had incorrectly programmed the 070 course out of the waypoint; the aircraft used a lead point to intercept the course and turned a couple miles early instead of flying all the way out to sea 8 DME. As the pilot monitoring; I didn't notice the aircraft had started to turn early until sea departure said something when we were in our turn. The controller didn't seem too concerned; he simply informed us that we had turned early and; 'for future reference; we needed to go all the way to 8 DME before turning.' crew actions to help prevent this from happening again would be to monitor the 'system' more closely. I should have realized sooner that the aircraft was turning before we had reached 8 DME. Also; how about simply flying the basics -- intercept the radial instead of flying LNAV for such a simple departure. Actions by other groups: had the mountain departure already been programmed into the company route; I never would have made the mistake that I did trying to manually program the departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FO ATTEMPTS TO MANUALLY CREATE THE MOUNTAIN 1 DEP OUT OF SEA AFTER FINDING IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE FMC STORED COMPANY RTE.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING OUR CLEARANCE; I PROCEEDED TO PROGRAM THE FMC FOR OUR NEXT LEG. AFTER PUTTING IN THE STANDARD COMPANY ROUTE (FMC STORED); I NOTICED THAT THE MOUNTAIN DEPARTURE WAS NOT PROGRAMMED; SO I PROCEEDED TO INPUT THE WAYPOINT MANUALLY. THE ACTIVE RUNWAY FOR DEPARTURE WAS 34L. I ALSO INPUT A 070 COURSE (INCORRECTLY) OUT OF THE WAYPOINT WHEN THE DEPARTURE SHOWS A 070 HEADING. THIS WAS MY FIRST MISTAKE; INCORRECTLY PROGRAMMING THE FMC. MY NEXT MISTAKE OCCURRED ON DEPARTURE. THE CAPTAIN WAS FLYING AND HE SELECTED LNAV AS WE BOTH THOUGHT THE FMC WAS PROGRAMMED CORRECTLY. BECAUSE I HAD INCORRECTLY PROGRAMMED THE 070 COURSE OUT OF THE WAYPOINT; THE AIRCRAFT USED A LEAD POINT TO INTERCEPT THE COURSE AND TURNED A COUPLE MILES EARLY INSTEAD OF FLYING ALL THE WAY OUT TO SEA 8 DME. AS THE PILOT MONITORING; I DIDN'T NOTICE THE AIRCRAFT HAD STARTED TO TURN EARLY UNTIL SEA DEPARTURE SAID SOMETHING WHEN WE WERE IN OUR TURN. THE CONTROLLER DIDN'T SEEM TOO CONCERNED; HE SIMPLY INFORMED US THAT WE HAD TURNED EARLY AND; 'FOR FUTURE REFERENCE; WE NEEDED TO GO ALL THE WAY TO 8 DME BEFORE TURNING.' CREW ACTIONS TO HELP PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN WOULD BE TO MONITOR THE 'SYSTEM' MORE CLOSELY. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED SOONER THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS TURNING BEFORE WE HAD REACHED 8 DME. ALSO; HOW ABOUT SIMPLY FLYING THE BASICS -- INTERCEPT THE RADIAL INSTEAD OF FLYING LNAV FOR SUCH A SIMPLE DEPARTURE. ACTIONS BY OTHER GROUPS: HAD THE MOUNTAIN DEPARTURE ALREADY BEEN PROGRAMMED INTO THE COMPANY ROUTE; I NEVER WOULD HAVE MADE THE MISTAKE THAT I DID TRYING TO MANUALLY PROGRAM THE DEPARTURE.

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.