Narrative:

Immediately upon being handed off to departure control on our climb out of pit; the controller cleared us direct to the dilne intersection and then the remainder of the PIT8 departure. When I went to select direct to dilne in the FMC I noticed that it was not displayed on the page. Instead I typed it in on the 'direct to' page but the FMC did not recognize it. The 'new waypoint' page came up indicating that it was not in the database at all. I checked the spelling and tried it again with the same results. I had the first officer try it on his side but again the same results. We told the controller that we did not have the intersection in our database and he then gave us a heading to intercept the radial that the intersection is on. He did wonder out loud why we had filed for a departure that we could not fly. I could not answer that question and apologized. The rest of the flight was uneventful. Later in the climb we looked at the secondary flight plan and saw that when the PIT8 departure was selected it loaded an initial heading (280 degrees) and then a route discontinuity; something that seemed normal to us for this type of departure. This was followed by tvt; the transition that we were originally cleared for on the PIT8 departure. What we didn't notice during the initial programming was that the fix before tvt; dilne; was not loaded in the route. This was an oversight on our part. Had we noticed then we would have attempted to add it then; thus finding out at that time that it was not in the database to begin with. At that point we could have informed ATC that we would be unable to fly that departure as we had been cleared to do so; and been able to amend our route clearance before we pushed back. Paying closer attention to what actually loads into the box will prevent this from happening again in the future. Also the software vendor needs to be made aware for their next update; that this intersection is missing and needs to be added.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 CAPTAIN REPORTED THAT HIS FMS WAS MISSING A WAYPOINT ON A PIT SID.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY UPON BEING HANDED OFF TO DEP CTL ON OUR CLB OUT OF PIT; THE CTLR CLRED US DIRECT TO THE DILNE INTXN AND THEN THE REMAINDER OF THE PIT8 DEP. WHEN I WENT TO SELECT DIRECT TO DILNE IN THE FMC I NOTICED THAT IT WAS NOT DISPLAYED ON THE PAGE. INSTEAD I TYPED IT IN ON THE 'DIRECT TO' PAGE BUT THE FMC DID NOT RECOGNIZE IT. THE 'NEW WAYPOINT' PAGE CAME UP INDICATING THAT IT WAS NOT IN THE DATABASE AT ALL. I CHKED THE SPELLING AND TRIED IT AGAIN WITH THE SAME RESULTS. I HAD THE FO TRY IT ON HIS SIDE BUT AGAIN THE SAME RESULTS. WE TOLD THE CTLR THAT WE DID NOT HAVE THE INTXN IN OUR DATABASE AND HE THEN GAVE US A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL THAT THE INTXN IS ON. HE DID WONDER OUT LOUD WHY WE HAD FILED FOR A DEP THAT WE COULD NOT FLY. I COULD NOT ANSWER THAT QUESTION AND APOLOGIZED. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. LATER IN THE CLB WE LOOKED AT THE SECONDARY FLT PLAN AND SAW THAT WHEN THE PIT8 DEP WAS SELECTED IT LOADED AN INITIAL HDG (280 DEGS) AND THEN A RTE DISCONTINUITY; SOMETHING THAT SEEMED NORMAL TO US FOR THIS TYPE OF DEP. THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY TVT; THE TRANSITION THAT WE WERE ORIGINALLY CLRED FOR ON THE PIT8 DEP. WHAT WE DIDN'T NOTICE DURING THE INITIAL PROGRAMMING WAS THAT THE FIX BEFORE TVT; DILNE; WAS NOT LOADED IN THE RTE. THIS WAS AN OVERSIGHT ON OUR PART. HAD WE NOTICED THEN WE WOULD HAVE ATTEMPTED TO ADD IT THEN; THUS FINDING OUT AT THAT TIME THAT IT WAS NOT IN THE DATABASE TO BEGIN WITH. AT THAT POINT WE COULD HAVE INFORMED ATC THAT WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO FLY THAT DEP AS WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO DO SO; AND BEEN ABLE TO AMEND OUR RTE CLRNC BEFORE WE PUSHED BACK. PAYING CLOSER ATTN TO WHAT ACTUALLY LOADS INTO THE BOX WILL PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN IN THE FUTURE. ALSO THE SOFTWARE VENDOR NEEDS TO BE MADE AWARE FOR THEIR NEXT UPDATE; THAT THIS INTXN IS MISSING AND NEEDS TO BE ADDED.

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.