Narrative:

On the date listed we were departing ont en route to san diego, ca, on a scheduled airline flight on a widebody transport aircraft. We were cleared via the prado departure from runway 26R, which requires a climb straight ahead to 2000' MSL, then a left climbing turn to paradise VOR. After takeoff, I turned aircraft over to my first officer, at about 1000' AGL (2000' MSL). I made takeoff because I am still a restr captain, ie, less than 100 hours as captain in type. Shortly after he took control the automated flight data displays started acting up with lights flashing and displays changing, and we both thought we had a significant electrical problem. I told him to fly straight ahead (we were VFR) and level off at 4000' MSL, our cleared altitude, which he did. I momentarily forgot we were to turn left out of 2000' MSL. By the time I realized the problem was computer and not electrical, I realized we were too far west and for safety, called departure control to see if we were still safe for a left turn. They said yes, so we turned left direct to paradise. They then called traffic ahead at an unknown altitude. We were looking and I requested updates. They then called traffic clear, gave us further climb instructions and a telephone # and name to call on arrival at san diego. We copied all, climbed and flew on to san diego with no further problem. At san diego I made the call to the departure control supervisor and explained all the circumstances as to why we made the late turn. He asked me why we didn't report our problems. I told him I was so busy watching for traffic, monitoring our departure, trying to sort out the electrical/electronic problems, talk on the radio, realize my error, safely correct it, watch for the reported traffic, climb, etc, that by the time I was ready to tell them about our problems, they were already giving the phone # and I thought it better to fly and sort out the problem on the ground. A 2-M cockpit on a short leg in a widebody transport with electronic problems is too busy. Supplemental information from acn 88728: prado departure requires turn direct to pdz VORTAC, but sign on taxiway requires 2000' MSL before turning, which is not on departure SID plate nor in aircraft navigation data base.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB WITH EQUIPMENT PROBLEM DISTRACTED FLT AND RESULTED IN TRACK DEVIATION.

Narrative: ON THE DATE LISTED WE WERE DEPARTING ONT ENRTE TO SAN DIEGO, CA, ON A SCHEDULED AIRLINE FLT ON A WDB ACFT. WE WERE CLRED VIA THE PRADO DEP FROM RWY 26R, WHICH REQUIRES A CLB STRAIGHT AHEAD TO 2000' MSL, THEN A LEFT CLBING TURN TO PARADISE VOR. AFTER TKOF, I TURNED ACFT OVER TO MY F/O, AT ABOUT 1000' AGL (2000' MSL). I MADE TKOF BECAUSE I AM STILL A RESTR CAPT, IE, LESS THAN 100 HRS AS CAPT IN TYPE. SHORTLY AFTER HE TOOK CTL THE AUTOMATED FLT DATA DISPLAYS STARTED ACTING UP WITH LIGHTS FLASHING AND DISPLAYS CHANGING, AND WE BOTH THOUGHT WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT ELECTRICAL PROB. I TOLD HIM TO FLY STRAIGHT AHEAD (WE WERE VFR) AND LEVEL OFF AT 4000' MSL, OUR CLRED ALT, WHICH HE DID. I MOMENTARILY FORGOT WE WERE TO TURN LEFT OUT OF 2000' MSL. BY THE TIME I REALIZED THE PROB WAS COMPUTER AND NOT ELECTRICAL, I REALIZED WE WERE TOO FAR W AND FOR SAFETY, CALLED DEP CTL TO SEE IF WE WERE STILL SAFE FOR A LEFT TURN. THEY SAID YES, SO WE TURNED LEFT DIRECT TO PARADISE. THEY THEN CALLED TFC AHEAD AT AN UNKNOWN ALT. WE WERE LOOKING AND I REQUESTED UPDATES. THEY THEN CALLED TFC CLR, GAVE US FURTHER CLB INSTRUCTIONS AND A TELEPHONE # AND NAME TO CALL ON ARR AT SAN DIEGO. WE COPIED ALL, CLBED AND FLEW ON TO SAN DIEGO WITH NO FURTHER PROB. AT SAN DIEGO I MADE THE CALL TO THE DEP CTL SUPVR AND EXPLAINED ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES AS TO WHY WE MADE THE LATE TURN. HE ASKED ME WHY WE DIDN'T RPT OUR PROBS. I TOLD HIM I WAS SO BUSY WATCHING FOR TFC, MONITORING OUR DEP, TRYING TO SORT OUT THE ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONIC PROBS, TALK ON THE RADIO, REALIZE MY ERROR, SAFELY CORRECT IT, WATCH FOR THE RPTED TFC, CLB, ETC, THAT BY THE TIME I WAS READY TO TELL THEM ABOUT OUR PROBS, THEY WERE ALREADY GIVING THE PHONE # AND I THOUGHT IT BETTER TO FLY AND SORT OUT THE PROB ON THE GND. A 2-M COCKPIT ON A SHORT LEG IN A WDB WITH ELECTRONIC PROBS IS TOO BUSY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 88728: PRADO DEP REQUIRES TURN DIRECT TO PDZ VORTAC, BUT SIGN ON TXWY REQUIRES 2000' MSL BEFORE TURNING, WHICH IS NOT ON DEP SID PLATE NOR IN ACFT NAV DATA BASE.

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.