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Flight crew programmed FMC in error. Instead of plotting the airways, the computer then plotted a direct route from sfo to klax, the airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 82259 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198802 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ave |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : j1 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 82259 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| ASRS Report | 82520 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
En route from sfo to lax our flight plan was filed as, after ave VOR, J1 lax. The INS route that was entered and accepted by the computer was J1 to lax airport. The computer gave us a direct route to lax airport from the ave VOR instead of going over fillmore VOR which is on J1. This resulted in us being a few miles left of the desired arrival course. In our computer, if we enter a jet route to a waypoint that is not on that jet route, the computer will accept it and give us a direct route to that waypoint. I think that in this case the computer should show an invalid entry to alert us that we are trying to enter a waypoint on an arwy that is not part of that arwy. Supplemental information frame acn 82520: flight plan was filed ave J1 lax. FMS routing entered and accepted was ave J1 lax airport (klax) computer steering and track was ave direct lax airport, which cut out fillmore VOR (which is part of J1). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: flight crew mistakenly entered J1 to klax instead of J1 to lax. The difference is that J1 does not go to klax and the computer therefore automatically programs a direct route. Reporter would like the computer to flash a warning, something like, 'invalid entry,' to alert the crew to their mistake. Reporter did say that they were probably complacent.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT CREW PROGRAMMED FMC IN ERROR. INSTEAD OF PLOTTING THE AIRWAYS, THE COMPUTER THEN PLOTTED A DIRECT ROUTE FROM SFO TO KLAX, THE ARPT.
Narrative: ENRTE FROM SFO TO LAX OUR FLT PLAN WAS FILED AS, AFTER AVE VOR, J1 LAX. THE INS ROUTE THAT WAS ENTERED AND ACCEPTED BY THE COMPUTER WAS J1 TO LAX ARPT. THE COMPUTER GAVE US A DIRECT ROUTE TO LAX ARPT FROM THE AVE VOR INSTEAD OF GOING OVER FILLMORE VOR WHICH IS ON J1. THIS RESULTED IN US BEING A FEW MILES LEFT OF THE DESIRED ARR COURSE. IN OUR COMPUTER, IF WE ENTER A JET ROUTE TO A WAYPOINT THAT IS NOT ON THAT JET ROUTE, THE COMPUTER WILL ACCEPT IT AND GIVE US A DIRECT ROUTE TO THAT WAYPOINT. I THINK THAT IN THIS CASE THE COMPUTER SHOULD SHOW AN INVALID ENTRY TO ALERT US THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ENTER A WAYPOINT ON AN ARWY THAT IS NOT PART OF THAT ARWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FRAME ACN 82520: FLT PLAN WAS FILED AVE J1 LAX. FMS ROUTING ENTERED AND ACCEPTED WAS AVE J1 LAX ARPT (KLAX) COMPUTER STEERING AND TRACK WAS AVE DIRECT LAX ARPT, WHICH CUT OUT FILLMORE VOR (WHICH IS PART OF J1). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FLT CREW MISTAKENLY ENTERED J1 TO KLAX INSTEAD OF J1 TO LAX. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT J1 DOES NOT GO TO KLAX AND THE COMPUTER THEREFORE AUTOMATICALLY PROGRAMS A DIRECT ROUTE. RPTR WOULD LIKE THE COMPUTER TO FLASH A WARNING, SOMETHING LIKE, 'INVALID ENTRY,' TO ALERT THE CREW TO THEIR MISTAKE. RPTR DID SAY THAT THEY WERE PROBABLY COMPLACENT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.