Narrative:

Approximately 15 NM southwest of vhp; ATC asked us if we were left on a heading by the last controller. We answered no and then ATC informed us that we appeared to be off course and diverging. They asked us what our flight plan showed for route and we realized that we branched off of J80 at vhp onto J24; instead of staying on J80 until mci and then branching off onto J24. We requested direct routing to mci and then verbally rechked the remainder of the flight planned route with ATC for confirmation. We also xrefed the exact route on the en route charts and discovered that J24 and J80 intersected in 2 locations. At the gate the first officer programmed the mcdu including entering the flight planned route as the captain was attending to other duties. Instead of entering it exactly as the flight plan showed; one of the VOR's (mci); connecting 2 airways was not entered. The route which was to be entered as J80-mci-J24; but instead the mci was left out and only J80 J24 was entered with no connecting VOR. The mcdu used the first intersection where these 2 airways connected and this was at vhp and not mci. The captain briefly crosschecked the data entry in the mcdu to verify its accuracy. The navigation diversion was caused by 2 factors. 1) non-standard route loading procedures were used on the mcdu preflight. The route must be loaded exactly as stated on the flight plan; with no short cuts of omitting VOR's and assuming the database will connect airways where it is desired. 2) the captain or the pm must accurately xchk any information entered into the mcdu.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW MAKES ERROR ENTERING CLEARED ROUTE IN MCDU ... J80 VHP J24... INSTEAD OF ...J80 MCI J24 ... ERROR IS NOTICED BY ZID CONTROLLER.

Narrative: APPROX 15 NM SW OF VHP; ATC ASKED US IF WE WERE LEFT ON A HDG BY THE LAST CTLR. WE ANSWERED NO AND THEN ATC INFORMED US THAT WE APPEARED TO BE OFF COURSE AND DIVERGING. THEY ASKED US WHAT OUR FLT PLAN SHOWED FOR RTE AND WE REALIZED THAT WE BRANCHED OFF OF J80 AT VHP ONTO J24; INSTEAD OF STAYING ON J80 UNTIL MCI AND THEN BRANCHING OFF ONTO J24. WE REQUESTED DIRECT ROUTING TO MCI AND THEN VERBALLY RECHKED THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PLANNED RTE WITH ATC FOR CONFIRMATION. WE ALSO XREFED THE EXACT RTE ON THE ENRTE CHARTS AND DISCOVERED THAT J24 AND J80 INTERSECTED IN 2 LOCATIONS. AT THE GATE THE FO PROGRAMMED THE MCDU INCLUDING ENTERING THE FLT PLANNED RTE AS THE CAPT WAS ATTENDING TO OTHER DUTIES. INSTEAD OF ENTERING IT EXACTLY AS THE FLT PLAN SHOWED; ONE OF THE VOR'S (MCI); CONNECTING 2 AIRWAYS WAS NOT ENTERED. THE RTE WHICH WAS TO BE ENTERED AS J80-MCI-J24; BUT INSTEAD THE MCI WAS LEFT OUT AND ONLY J80 J24 WAS ENTERED WITH NO CONNECTING VOR. THE MCDU USED THE FIRST INTXN WHERE THESE 2 AIRWAYS CONNECTED AND THIS WAS AT VHP AND NOT MCI. THE CAPT BRIEFLY XCHKED THE DATA ENTRY IN THE MCDU TO VERIFY ITS ACCURACY. THE NAV DIVERSION WAS CAUSED BY 2 FACTORS. 1) NON-STANDARD RTE LOADING PROCS WERE USED ON THE MCDU PREFLT. THE RTE MUST BE LOADED EXACTLY AS STATED ON THE FLT PLAN; WITH NO SHORT CUTS OF OMITTING VOR'S AND ASSUMING THE DATABASE WILL CONNECT AIRWAYS WHERE IT IS DESIRED. 2) THE CAPT OR THE PM MUST ACCURATELY XCHK ANY INFO ENTERED INTO THE MCDU.

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.