Narrative:

We took off from dtw on runway 21R and were assigned heading 150 degrees. ATC then told us to proceed direct to maars intersection. I was the PNF and I punched up direct maars in the FMS. The captain was flying and the autoplt was engaged. The aircraft started to turn to heading 220 degrees. I know that from our current position maars is about a 090 degree heading. As I questioned the turn to captain and began to figure out the correct heading to maars; ATC called and asked where we were going? ATC said they saw us turning south when we should be turning east. I looked at the flight plan that captain had typed in and realized that he spelled 'marrs' instead of the collect spelling 'maars.' we immediately turned east and fixed the spelling in the flight plan. We apologized to ATC and continued the flight with no further incident. ATC and the crew discovered it at about the same time; when the aircraft turned south instead of east. I believe the event occurred because we were busy in the gate looking at the approach plates. There was a discrepancy between our plates. It took several mins but we found the problem. Captain decided to type the flight plan in the FMS as I was busy with other duties. Unfortunately; I did not doublechk his typing. Had I done so; perhaps I would have caught the error before we were airborne. Both pilots must verify the accuracy of the flight plan and also verify they have the same plates. Supplemental information from acn 766230: the event occurred due to an accumulation of events. I had updated my charts with some that were not effective for a few days and was missing the maars departure chart. I copied the information from the first officer's chart and doublechked the rest of the charts required for the flight but had misspelled the maars intersection. Fatigue was a factor due to the fact I hadn't slept well the night before and had to awaken early to drive to ZZZ to start the trip and had not eaten anything after our break earlier in the day. We were also interrupted and distraction by the ground crew and were also under some time pressure to be sure we were on time. Lack of a gate agent had eaten up 20 mins of our scheduled 55 min break prior to this flight. Also; I had not been in dtw flying in a long time and was rusty on the procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR CREW ON THE DTW AKRON ONE DEP SELECTED MARRS WHEN ACTUALLY CLRED TO MAARS. FMS TURNED TO MARRS 650 NM SW.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF FROM DTW ON RWY 21R AND WERE ASSIGNED HDG 150 DEGS. ATC THEN TOLD US TO PROCEED DIRECT TO MAARS INTXN. I WAS THE PNF AND I PUNCHED UP DIRECT MAARS IN THE FMS. THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED. THE ACFT STARTED TO TURN TO HDG 220 DEGS. I KNOW THAT FROM OUR CURRENT POS MAARS IS ABOUT A 090 DEG HDG. AS I QUESTIONED THE TURN TO CAPT AND BEGAN TO FIGURE OUT THE CORRECT HDG TO MAARS; ATC CALLED AND ASKED WHERE WE WERE GOING? ATC SAID THEY SAW US TURNING S WHEN WE SHOULD BE TURNING E. I LOOKED AT THE FLT PLAN THAT CAPT HAD TYPED IN AND REALIZED THAT HE SPELLED 'MARRS' INSTEAD OF THE COLLECT SPELLING 'MAARS.' WE IMMEDIATELY TURNED E AND FIXED THE SPELLING IN THE FLT PLAN. WE APOLOGIZED TO ATC AND CONTINUED THE FLT WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. ATC AND THE CREW DISCOVERED IT AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME; WHEN THE ACFT TURNED S INSTEAD OF E. I BELIEVE THE EVENT OCCURRED BECAUSE WE WERE BUSY IN THE GATE LOOKING AT THE APCH PLATES. THERE WAS A DISCREPANCY BTWN OUR PLATES. IT TOOK SEVERAL MINS BUT WE FOUND THE PROB. CAPT DECIDED TO TYPE THE FLT PLAN IN THE FMS AS I WAS BUSY WITH OTHER DUTIES. UNFORTUNATELY; I DID NOT DOUBLECHK HIS TYPING. HAD I DONE SO; PERHAPS I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR BEFORE WE WERE AIRBORNE. BOTH PLTS MUST VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF THE FLT PLAN AND ALSO VERIFY THEY HAVE THE SAME PLATES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 766230: THE EVENT OCCURRED DUE TO AN ACCUMULATION OF EVENTS. I HAD UPDATED MY CHARTS WITH SOME THAT WERE NOT EFFECTIVE FOR A FEW DAYS AND WAS MISSING THE MAARS DEP CHART. I COPIED THE INFO FROM THE FO'S CHART AND DOUBLECHKED THE REST OF THE CHARTS REQUIRED FOR THE FLT BUT HAD MISSPELLED THE MAARS INTXN. FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR DUE TO THE FACT I HADN'T SLEPT WELL THE NIGHT BEFORE AND HAD TO AWAKEN EARLY TO DRIVE TO ZZZ TO START THE TRIP AND HAD NOT EATEN ANYTHING AFTER OUR BREAK EARLIER IN THE DAY. WE WERE ALSO INTERRUPTED AND DISTR BY THE GND CREW AND WERE ALSO UNDER SOME TIME PRESSURE TO BE SURE WE WERE ON TIME. LACK OF A GATE AGENT HAD EATEN UP 20 MINS OF OUR SCHEDULED 55 MIN BREAK PRIOR TO THIS FLIGHT. ALSO; I HAD NOT BEEN IN DTW FLYING IN A LONG TIME AND WAS RUSTY ON THE PROCS.

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.