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Attributes | |
ACN | 796717 |
Time | |
Date | 200807 |
Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : c90.tracon |
State Reference | IL |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tracon : c90.tracon |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | B737-300 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
Route In Use | departure sid : ord |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : atp |
ASRS Report | 796717 |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist |
Supplementary | |
Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
Ord clearance delivery provided amended full route readback clearance over radio. Cleared via the ohare two departure. The new clearance was the 'ohare 2; earnd; elanr; emmly; etame; emege; flm; johns 1 ZZZ. This clearance was very out of the ordinary for our operations in and out of ohare. All these fixes were RNAV fixes. The only fixes in our FMC database was etame and emege. When I advised the other fixes were not in our database and requested OHARE2 then etame; emege; flm; john's 1 ZZZ was not granted. I told them we would need latitude/long for each as they were not depicted on map. I thought he would give in then modify to my request but started giving me latitude/longs. Unfortunately when he read off the latitude/long for earnd I wrote down and read back N4152.5 W08734.3. Earnd is actually N4125.5. The trap was set for error now. The pointer pointed to earnd and appeared to be in the general correct direction southeast of airport but had no definitive chart; release; documentation; published latitude/longs; or scale to assess this accurately. All fixes on high chart 4 were just depicted with no defining radials or DME. We took off runway 22L and vectored to at least 3 different headings and then cleared direct to earnd. Our bearing to earnd was showing to the northeast of our present position after the vectors and turned towards it. ATC shortly asked if we were proceeding direct earnd and we responded yes and asked for verification of what they showed. They said they showed earnd to the south of us and issued a turn to around 180 degrees for earnd. I then noticed that on the ohare 2 that only earnd was depicted and underneath in small print were the published latitude/longs. I then compared them to the programmed latitude/longs and saw the error then. We got a clearance direct to etame skipping elanr and felt comforted knowing that fix was straight from the database. ATC stated there was no problem with the momentary navigation error. When ohare departure saw us on radar turn north instead of southeast towards earnd they gave correct heading towards earnd. Followed vectors until cleared to FMC fix that was in database. Remainder of flight uneventful. We should not accept clrncs with fixes that do not have published associated latitude/longs. We are totally dependent on risky verbal radio communication containing lengthy numerical data where by just 1 number in the latitude/long being off could result in a major navigation error. Fortunately ours was without incident. All RNAV fixes should publish the latitude/longs on associated charts.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-3OO WAS GIVEN AN ORD O'HARE TWO RNAV DEPARTURE BUT THE FMC DID NOT HAVE THE RNAV WAYPOINTS. THE CREW INCORRECTLY ENTERED THE WAYPOINTS LAT/LONGS AND HAD A TRACK DEV AFTER DEPARTURE.
Narrative: ORD CLRNC DELIVERY PROVIDED AMENDED FULL RTE READBACK CLRNC OVER RADIO. CLRED VIA THE OHARE TWO DEP. THE NEW CLRNC WAS THE 'OHARE 2; EARND; ELANR; EMMLY; ETAME; EMEGE; FLM; JOHNS 1 ZZZ. THIS CLRNC WAS VERY OUT OF THE ORDINARY FOR OUR OPS IN AND OUT OF OHARE. ALL THESE FIXES WERE RNAV FIXES. THE ONLY FIXES IN OUR FMC DATABASE WAS ETAME AND EMEGE. WHEN I ADVISED THE OTHER FIXES WERE NOT IN OUR DATABASE AND REQUESTED OHARE2 THEN ETAME; EMEGE; FLM; JOHN'S 1 ZZZ WAS NOT GRANTED. I TOLD THEM WE WOULD NEED LAT/LONG FOR EACH AS THEY WERE NOT DEPICTED ON MAP. I THOUGHT HE WOULD GIVE IN THEN MODIFY TO MY REQUEST BUT STARTED GIVING ME LAT/LONGS. UNFORTUNATELY WHEN HE READ OFF THE LAT/LONG FOR EARND I WROTE DOWN AND READ BACK N4152.5 W08734.3. EARND IS ACTUALLY N4125.5. THE TRAP WAS SET FOR ERROR NOW. THE POINTER POINTED TO EARND AND APPEARED TO BE IN THE GENERAL CORRECT DIRECTION SE OF ARPT BUT HAD NO DEFINITIVE CHART; RELEASE; DOCUMENTATION; PUBLISHED LAT/LONGS; OR SCALE TO ASSESS THIS ACCURATELY. ALL FIXES ON HIGH CHART 4 WERE JUST DEPICTED WITH NO DEFINING RADIALS OR DME. WE TOOK OFF RWY 22L AND VECTORED TO AT LEAST 3 DIFFERENT HDGS AND THEN CLRED DIRECT TO EARND. OUR BEARING TO EARND WAS SHOWING TO THE NE OF OUR PRESENT POS AFTER THE VECTORS AND TURNED TOWARDS IT. ATC SHORTLY ASKED IF WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT EARND AND WE RESPONDED YES AND ASKED FOR VERIFICATION OF WHAT THEY SHOWED. THEY SAID THEY SHOWED EARND TO THE S OF US AND ISSUED A TURN TO AROUND 180 DEGS FOR EARND. I THEN NOTICED THAT ON THE OHARE 2 THAT ONLY EARND WAS DEPICTED AND UNDERNEATH IN SMALL PRINT WERE THE PUBLISHED LAT/LONGS. I THEN COMPARED THEM TO THE PROGRAMMED LAT/LONGS AND SAW THE ERROR THEN. WE GOT A CLRNC DIRECT TO ETAME SKIPPING ELANR AND FELT COMFORTED KNOWING THAT FIX WAS STRAIGHT FROM THE DATABASE. ATC STATED THERE WAS NO PROB WITH THE MOMENTARY NAV ERROR. WHEN OHARE DEP SAW US ON RADAR TURN N INSTEAD OF SE TOWARDS EARND THEY GAVE CORRECT HDG TOWARDS EARND. FOLLOWED VECTORS UNTIL CLRED TO FMC FIX THAT WAS IN DATABASE. REMAINDER OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. WE SHOULD NOT ACCEPT CLRNCS WITH FIXES THAT DO NOT HAVE PUBLISHED ASSOCIATED LAT/LONGS. WE ARE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON RISKY VERBAL RADIO COM CONTAINING LENGTHY NUMERICAL DATA WHERE BY JUST 1 NUMBER IN THE LAT/LONG BEING OFF COULD RESULT IN A MAJOR NAV ERROR. FORTUNATELY OURS WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. ALL RNAV FIXES SHOULD PUBLISH THE LAT/LONGS ON ASSOCIATED CHARTS.
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.