Narrative:

I was performing the initial preflight for this originator at the gate. There was no ground power available so I started the APU and put it on the busses. I checked the FMC active database and it was valid and began aligning the IRS. I received a 'single FMC operation-' message on the CDU; along with a number of other messages at start-up. I'm not sure of the other messages; but they were standard 'nuisance' messages like 'clock update.' I cleared the other messages quickly and cleared the 'single FMC operation' message as well. The displays were still unpopulated since I had just pwred up the airplane and the IRS's were not aligned yet. I assumed this message was due to the start-up of the system and would clear itself once everything aligned. After the walkaround; the displays appeared to have come up normally and I had no other FMC messages; so I assumed everything was operating normally. I did not inform the captain of any of this since in my mind everything cleared normally. I did not notice any unusual indications or displays on taxi out. On takeoff roll; I noticed that the speed markers for the V1 and vrot speeds were not present on my display. I called the speeds manually. Once safely airborne we assessed the problem and performed the FMC failed checklist in the QRH. The right FMC was the inoperative FMC. The left FMC operated normal and the reminder of the flight was uneventful. I realize now that I may have had an amber 'map' indication on my display on taxi out. I also normally check that my v-speeds are correctly set before takeoff. Obviously; I did not do this on taxi out. I should have caught these indications in the blocks or on taxi out. The routine of multiple 'nuisance' messages on the CDU requiring deletion to continue; especially during start-up contributed to my failure. A secondary item of note: maintenance checked the FMC at our first maintenance base. They discovered that new software was loaded; but was only loaded on the left FMC and did not load on the right FMC. I checked the navigation data dates on my original preflight and they were valid. The navigation data version number (new load) had valid dates; and the old load of number had the same valid dates. The primary failure was me. I will pay more attention to my displays; personal flows; and FMC messages. Additional layer of protection could be provided by reducing the number of nuisance messages on the CDU. Also; emphasize that during our before push checklist we should check the v-speeds are correctly displayed on the airspeed indictor; not just correctly loaded into the CDU. This would provide an additional opportunity to catch the failure. Also; any new software change could be available to the pilots and included ont he WX package or release.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING A B737-700 PREFLIGHT THE FMC MESSAGE 'SINGLE FMC OPERATION' WAS CANCELED AND CONSIDERED TO BE A STARTUP NUISANCE. AFTER TAKEOFF THE CREW DISCOVERED FIRST THAT ONLY THE LEFT FMC WAS OPERABLE AND LATER THAT THE RIGHT FMC DID NOT HAVE CURRENT SOFTWARE.

Narrative: I WAS PERFORMING THE INITIAL PREFLT FOR THIS ORIGINATOR AT THE GATE. THERE WAS NO GND PWR AVAILABLE SO I STARTED THE APU AND PUT IT ON THE BUSSES. I CHKED THE FMC ACTIVE DATABASE AND IT WAS VALID AND BEGAN ALIGNING THE IRS. I RECEIVED A 'SINGLE FMC OP-' MESSAGE ON THE CDU; ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF OTHER MESSAGES AT START-UP. I'M NOT SURE OF THE OTHER MESSAGES; BUT THEY WERE STANDARD 'NUISANCE' MESSAGES LIKE 'CLOCK UPDATE.' I CLEARED THE OTHER MESSAGES QUICKLY AND CLEARED THE 'SINGLE FMC OP' MESSAGE AS WELL. THE DISPLAYS WERE STILL UNPOPULATED SINCE I HAD JUST PWRED UP THE AIRPLANE AND THE IRS'S WERE NOT ALIGNED YET. I ASSUMED THIS MESSAGE WAS DUE TO THE START-UP OF THE SYSTEM AND WOULD CLEAR ITSELF ONCE EVERYTHING ALIGNED. AFTER THE WALKAROUND; THE DISPLAYS APPEARED TO HAVE COME UP NORMALLY AND I HAD NO OTHER FMC MESSAGES; SO I ASSUMED EVERYTHING WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. I DID NOT INFORM THE CAPT OF ANY OF THIS SINCE IN MY MIND EVERYTHING CLEARED NORMALLY. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY UNUSUAL INDICATIONS OR DISPLAYS ON TAXI OUT. ON TKOF ROLL; I NOTICED THAT THE SPD MARKERS FOR THE V1 AND VROT SPDS WERE NOT PRESENT ON MY DISPLAY. I CALLED THE SPDS MANUALLY. ONCE SAFELY AIRBORNE WE ASSESSED THE PROB AND PERFORMED THE FMC FAILED CHKLIST IN THE QRH. THE R FMC WAS THE INOP FMC. THE L FMC OPERATED NORMAL AND THE REMINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. I REALIZE NOW THAT I MAY HAVE HAD AN AMBER 'MAP' INDICATION ON MY DISPLAY ON TAXI OUT. I ALSO NORMALLY CHK THAT MY V-SPEEDS ARE CORRECTLY SET BEFORE TKOF. OBVIOUSLY; I DID NOT DO THIS ON TAXI OUT. I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THESE INDICATIONS IN THE BLOCKS OR ON TAXI OUT. THE ROUTINE OF MULTIPLE 'NUISANCE' MESSAGES ON THE CDU REQUIRING DELETION TO CONTINUE; ESPECIALLY DURING START-UP CONTRIBUTED TO MY FAILURE. A SECONDARY ITEM OF NOTE: MAINT CHKED THE FMC AT OUR FIRST MAINT BASE. THEY DISCOVERED THAT NEW SOFTWARE WAS LOADED; BUT WAS ONLY LOADED ON THE L FMC AND DID NOT LOAD ON THE R FMC. I CHKED THE NAV DATA DATES ON MY ORIGINAL PREFLT AND THEY WERE VALID. THE NAV DATA VERSION NUMBER (NEW LOAD) HAD VALID DATES; AND THE OLD LOAD OF NUMBER HAD THE SAME VALID DATES. THE PRIMARY FAILURE WAS ME. I WILL PAY MORE ATTN TO MY DISPLAYS; PERSONAL FLOWS; AND FMC MESSAGES. ADDITIONAL LAYER OF PROTECTION COULD BE PROVIDED BY REDUCING THE NUMBER OF NUISANCE MESSAGES ON THE CDU. ALSO; EMPHASIZE THAT DURING OUR BEFORE PUSH CHKLIST WE SHOULD CHK THE V-SPEEDS ARE CORRECTLY DISPLAYED ON THE AIRSPD INDICTOR; NOT JUST CORRECTLY LOADED INTO THE CDU. THIS WOULD PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO CATCH THE FAILURE. ALSO; ANY NEW SOFTWARE CHANGE COULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE PLTS AND INCLUDED ONT HE WX PACKAGE OR RELEASE.

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.