Narrative:

While en-route jacksonville center amended our route as follows: 'cleared direct jello; direct rebel; direct mzz then flight plan route' when we tried to enter the two intxns into the FMGC we discovered the intxns were not in the database. The captain requested an approximately position or the latitude/long of jello from jacksonville center but the center was unable to provide the coordinates but did give us an approximately heading. The captain then contacted dispatch using ACARS and requested the jello latitude/long and the crew entered the coordinates that dispatch provided. The crew then tried to find the waypoints on the charts. Jello was found on a low altitude chart but rebel could not be located. (Rebel may be located on the low altitude number 35-36 which is not part of the captain's coverage.) the captain contacted dispatch again and received the following coordinates for rebel and entered them into the FMGC: N37.43.58 W085.22.50. A number of mins later ATC informed us that on course to rebel was about 30 degrees to the right. The captain sent dispatch another message and received the following coordinates for rebel: 37-43-58.100N 084-22-50.930W. This message from dispatch; with the correct coordinates; appears to be cut and paste from some other application or database. Contributing factors to this navigation error were: ATC using low altitude intxns for airplanes in high altitude airspace; time constraints; incomplete database in the FMGC; incomplete low altitude chart coverage; crew's inability to cross check dispatch provided coordinates; and accepting clearance to a waypoint that could not be properly identified.supplemental information from acn 768518: while in cruise flight we were given a clearance to fly direct to jello then rebel then mzz flight plan route. I have flown this route a couple other times and the capts denied the clearance (it seems to be standard when your planned route is over iiu). The intxns (jello and rebel) are not in the airbus database; furthermore the intxns are not on the high altitude charts. I believe this is why previous capts denied the route. Captain decided to accept the route. I told him about the previous times I had done this and the previous capts denying it. He however; decided to accept it and get the coordinates from dispatch for the two fixes. The coordinates dispatch gave us for jello were correct but; the coordinates for rebel were 1 degree off to the west (resulting in a navigational track error) from jello to rebel. While searching for rebel on the low altitude charts ATC asked if we were left on a heading. We replied no and indicated we were direct rebel. The controller said rebel was right of our course. We were unable to verify the coordinates dispatch gave us because rebel is not on a chart (high or low) that we are issued. The captain and I; do think it may exist on a low chart 36 which is not issued to airbus capts. That is why we couldn't find it. In summary we were off course; advised by ATC to fly a heading and relied on the coordinates dispatch gave us while looking for them on our charts. We were unable to find rebel thus; unable to identify that intersection and verify those coordinates resulting in a navigational deviation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW RECEIVES RE-RTE FROM ZJX VIA LOW ALT INTXNS NOT IN FMGC DATABASE. COORDINATES RECEIVED FROM DISPATCH ARE IN ERROR; RESULTING IN TRACK DEV.

Narrative: WHILE EN-ROUTE JACKSONVILLE CENTER AMENDED OUR RTE AS FOLLOWS: 'CLRED DIRECT JELLO; DIRECT REBEL; DIRECT MZZ THEN FLT PLAN RTE' WHEN WE TRIED TO ENTER THE TWO INTXNS INTO THE FMGC WE DISCOVERED THE INTXNS WERE NOT IN THE DATABASE. THE CAPT REQUESTED AN APPROX POSITION OR THE LAT/LONG OF JELLO FROM JACKSONVILLE CENTER BUT THE CENTER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE COORDINATES BUT DID GIVE US AN APPROX HDG. THE CAPT THEN CONTACTED DISPATCH USING ACARS AND REQUESTED THE JELLO LAT/LONG AND THE CREW ENTERED THE COORDINATES THAT DISPATCH PROVIDED. THE CREW THEN TRIED TO FIND THE WAYPOINTS ON THE CHARTS. JELLO WAS FOUND ON A LOW ALTITUDE CHART BUT REBEL COULD NOT BE LOCATED. (REBEL MAY BE LOCATED ON THE LOW ALTITUDE NUMBER 35-36 WHICH IS NOT PART OF THE CAPT'S COVERAGE.) THE CAPT CONTACTED DISPATCH AGAIN AND RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING COORDINATES FOR REBEL AND ENTERED THEM INTO THE FMGC: N37.43.58 W085.22.50. A NUMBER OF MINS LATER ATC INFORMED US THAT ON COURSE TO REBEL WAS ABOUT 30 DEGS TO THE R. THE CAPT SENT DISPATCH ANOTHER MESSAGE AND RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING COORDINATES FOR REBEL: 37-43-58.100N 084-22-50.930W. THIS MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH; WITH THE CORRECT COORDINATES; APPEARS TO BE CUT AND PASTE FROM SOME OTHER APPLICATION OR DATABASE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS NAVIGATION ERROR WERE: ATC USING LOW ALTITUDE INTXNS FOR AIRPLANES IN HIGH ALTITUDE AIRSPACE; TIME CONSTRAINTS; INCOMPLETE DATABASE IN THE FMGC; INCOMPLETE LOW ALTITUDE CHART COVERAGE; CREW'S INABILITY TO CROSS CHECK DISPATCH PROVIDED COORDINATES; AND ACCEPTING CLRNC TO A WAYPOINT THAT COULD NOT BE PROPERLY IDENTIFIED.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 768518: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO FLY DIRECT TO JELLO THEN REBEL THEN MZZ FLT PLAN RTE. I HAVE FLOWN THIS RTE A COUPLE OTHER TIMES AND THE CAPTS DENIED THE CLRNC (IT SEEMS TO BE STANDARD WHEN YOUR PLANNED RTE IS OVER IIU). THE INTXNS (JELLO AND REBEL) ARE NOT IN THE AIRBUS DATABASE; FURTHERMORE THE INTXNS ARE NOT ON THE HIGH ALTITUDE CHARTS. I BELIEVE THIS IS WHY PREVIOUS CAPTS DENIED THE RTE. CAPT DECIDED TO ACCEPT THE RTE. I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE PREVIOUS TIMES I HAD DONE THIS AND THE PREVIOUS CAPTS DENYING IT. HE HOWEVER; DECIDED TO ACCEPT IT AND GET THE COORDINATES FROM DISPATCH FOR THE TWO FIXES. THE COORDINATES DISPATCH GAVE US FOR JELLO WERE CORRECT BUT; THE COORDINATES FOR REBEL WERE 1 DEG OFF TO THE W (RESULTING IN A NAVIGATIONAL TRACK ERROR) FROM JELLO TO REBEL. WHILE SEARCHING FOR REBEL ON THE LOW ALT CHARTS ATC ASKED IF WE WERE LEFT ON A HDG. WE REPLIED NO AND INDICATED WE WERE DIRECT REBEL. THE CTLR SAID REBEL WAS RIGHT OF OUR COURSE. WE WERE UNABLE TO VERIFY THE COORDINATES DISPATCH GAVE US BECAUSE REBEL IS NOT ON A CHART (HIGH OR LOW) THAT WE ARE ISSUED. THE CAPT AND I; DO THINK IT MAY EXIST ON A LOW CHART 36 WHICH IS NOT ISSUED TO AIRBUS CAPTS. THAT IS WHY WE COULDN'T FIND IT. IN SUMMARY WE WERE OFF COURSE; ADVISED BY ATC TO FLY A HDG AND RELIED ON THE COORDINATES DISPATCH GAVE US WHILE LOOKING FOR THEM ON OUR CHARTS. WE WERE UNABLE TO FIND REBEL THUS; UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THAT INTXN AND VERIFY THOSE COORDINATES RESULTING IN A NAVIGATIONAL DEV.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.