Narrative:

Found all FMC's on our fleet and possibly others are unable to accept a specific runway departure combination. When this combination is entered; the dual FMC's go to independent operation and will not accept the runway 22R and jfk 1 departure. I recorded this in the logbook and was dispatched with both FMC's inoperative. I believe the aircraft was later dispatched with both FMC's operative due to maintenance clearing the discrepancy. This anomaly happens each time it is tried on every aircraft. I discovered this problem on this flight; and I think it needs to be corrected. Why does air carrier maintenance and or the fleet supervisor not research this problem and at least describe this problem to all crews operating out of jfk? This is an issue that needs to be corrected and or properly documented. I called the supervisor; but no answer.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he now understands the jfk runway 22 departure time restricts whether the gateway climb is assigned or if not assigned then the need to fly heading 225 degrees. Because the FMC is constrained to one climb per runway; the database contains only the gateway climb and cannot accommodate an option to fly the runway heading as part of the database SID descriptions. The reporter suggested not calling the 225 degree heading departure off of runway 22 part of the jfk one SID; but merely assign 'fly runway heading after departure' during the time frame specified. This is a confusing issue when an FMC crash occurs for unknown reasons causing unnecessary delays.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FMC WILL NOT ACCEPT THE JFK RWY 22 SID WITHOUT A GATEWAY CLB. IF THE RWY HDG IS ENTERED; THE ACFT'S FMC ENTERS INDEPENDENT OPERATIONS AND MUST BE REBOOTED.

Narrative: FOUND ALL FMC'S ON OUR FLEET AND POSSIBLY OTHERS ARE UNABLE TO ACCEPT A SPECIFIC RWY DEP COMBINATION. WHEN THIS COMBINATION IS ENTERED; THE DUAL FMC'S GO TO INDEPENDENT OPERATION AND WILL NOT ACCEPT THE RWY 22R AND JFK 1 DEP. I RECORDED THIS IN THE LOGBOOK AND WAS DISPATCHED WITH BOTH FMC'S INOP. I BELIEVE THE ACFT WAS LATER DISPATCHED WITH BOTH FMC'S OPERATIVE DUE TO MAINT CLEARING THE DISCREPANCY. THIS ANOMALY HAPPENS EACH TIME IT IS TRIED ON EVERY ACFT. I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM ON THIS FLT; AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. WHY DOES ACR MAINT AND OR THE FLEET SUPVR NOT RESEARCH THIS PROB AND AT LEAST DESCRIBE THIS PROB TO ALL CREWS OPERATING OUT OF JFK? THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED AND OR PROPERLY DOCUMENTED. I CALLED THE SUPVR; BUT NO ANSWER.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT HE NOW UNDERSTANDS THE JFK RWY 22 DEPARTURE TIME RESTRICTS WHETHER THE GATEWAY CLB IS ASSIGNED OR IF NOT ASSIGNED THEN THE NEED TO FLY HDG 225 DEGS. BECAUSE THE FMC IS CONSTRAINED TO ONE CLIMB PER RWY; THE DATABASE CONTAINS ONLY THE GATEWAY CLIMB AND CANNOT ACCOMMODATE AN OPTION TO FLY THE RWY HDG AS PART OF THE DATABASE SID DESCRIPTIONS. THE REPORTER SUGGESTED NOT CALLING THE 225 DEG HDG DEP OFF OF RWY 22 PART OF THE JFK ONE SID; BUT MERELY ASSIGN 'FLY RWY HDG AFTER DEPARTURE' DURING THE TIME FRAME SPECIFIED. THIS IS A CONFUSING ISSUE WHEN AN FMC CRASH OCCURS FOR UNKNOWN REASONS CAUSING UNNECESSARY DELAYS.

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.