A B737-800 on the dtw aco departure was cleared direct maars. The FMS dropped the sphre waypoint and...

Attributes
ACN	780316
Time
Date	200803
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw.airport
State Reference	MI
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : aco
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	780316
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	780315
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We were on the aco departure climbing out of dtw when ATC cleared us direct to the waypoint maars. We executed the direction and proceeded direct to maars on autoplt; engaged in LNAV and VNAV. After maars; we went direct aco. The controller asked us about sphre waypoint and then asked if we were going direct to aco at this time; which we were. She then said that we had missed sphre waypoint. She said that this was happening to a lot of airlines and that it was no big deal. We were then switched to the next ZOB controller who gave us a contact number and asked us to call when we landed. The first ZOB controller said that this had been happening to a lot of airlines (FMC problem) and that it was no big deal. The second controller we talked to had us call and said that sphre waypoint had been dropping out for many airlines and that the FMS problem had not been fixed so he needed to do something about it to make it stop. He informed us he would be filing a report and contacting our company.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 ON THE DTW ACO DEP WAS CLRED DIRECT MAARS. THE FMS DROPPED THE SPHRE WAYPOINT AND FLEW DIRECT ACO.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE ACO DEP CLBING OUT OF DTW WHEN ATC CLRED US DIRECT TO THE WAYPOINT MAARS. WE EXECUTED THE DIRECTION AND PROCEEDED DIRECT TO MAARS ON AUTOPLT; ENGAGED IN LNAV AND VNAV. AFTER MAARS; WE WENT DIRECT ACO. THE CTLR ASKED US ABOUT SPHRE WAYPOINT AND THEN ASKED IF WE WERE GOING DIRECT TO ACO AT THIS TIME; WHICH WE WERE. SHE THEN SAID THAT WE HAD MISSED SPHRE WAYPOINT. SHE SAID THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING TO A LOT OF AIRLINES AND THAT IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. WE WERE THEN SWITCHED TO THE NEXT ZOB CTLR WHO GAVE US A CONTACT NUMBER AND ASKED US TO CALL WHEN WE LANDED. THE FIRST ZOB CTLR SAID THAT THIS HAD BEEN HAPPENING TO A LOT OF AIRLINES (FMC PROB) AND THAT IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. THE SECOND CTLR WE TALKED TO HAD US CALL AND SAID THAT SPHRE WAYPOINT HAD BEEN DROPPING OUT FOR MANY AIRLINES AND THAT THE FMS PROB HAD NOT BEEN FIXED SO HE NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT TO MAKE IT STOP. HE INFORMED US HE WOULD BE FILING A RPT AND CONTACTING OUR COMPANY.

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.

A B737-800 on the dtw aco departure was cleared direct maars. The FMS dropped the sphre waypoint and flew direct aco.