Air carrier large transport deviated from clearance route.

Attributes
ACN	84480
Time
Date	198803
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : emi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 30000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure sid : sid enroute airway : j75
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	84480
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	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:

Failed to notice during arwy programming that FMC data base was not current due to massive east coast ATC program change effective 3/88. As a result of old database, J75 south of lopes, proceeded to turn aircraft on autoplt farther west than location of new J75, ATC did notice deviation and instructed us to intercept J75 as currently published to be 240 degree right of mxe. We did as directed. Verified remainder of route and realized data base error. Possibly already incorrectly used since 3/88. This significant arwy change is a special ATC radar watch area. Apparently, our kind of error has been anticipated and almost immediately verified by ground ARTCC personnel. I appreciate this vigilance. Data base currently could have been inadvertently changed. Lesson learned is to double check data base and en route charts. Recommend that future arwy changes of this degree be concurrent with new route numbers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ROUTE.

Narrative: FAILED TO NOTICE DURING ARWY PROGRAMMING THAT FMC DATA BASE WAS NOT CURRENT DUE TO MASSIVE E COAST ATC PROGRAM CHANGE EFFECTIVE 3/88. AS A RESULT OF OLD DATABASE, J75 S OF LOPES, PROCEEDED TO TURN ACFT ON AUTOPLT FARTHER W THAN LOCATION OF NEW J75, ATC DID NOTICE DEVIATION AND INSTRUCTED US TO INTERCEPT J75 AS CURRENTLY PUBLISHED TO BE 240 DEG R OF MXE. WE DID AS DIRECTED. VERIFIED REMAINDER OF ROUTE AND REALIZED DATA BASE ERROR. POSSIBLY ALREADY INCORRECTLY USED SINCE 3/88. THIS SIGNIFICANT ARWY CHANGE IS A SPECIAL ATC RADAR WATCH AREA. APPARENTLY, OUR KIND OF ERROR HAS BEEN ANTICIPATED AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY VERIFIED BY GND ARTCC PERSONNEL. I APPRECIATE THIS VIGILANCE. DATA BASE CURRENTLY COULD HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY CHANGED. LESSON LEARNED IS TO DOUBLE CHK DATA BASE AND ENRTE CHARTS. RECOMMEND THAT FUTURE ARWY CHANGES OF THIS DEGREE BE CONCURRENT WITH NEW ROUTE NUMBERS.

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.