Narrative:

The flight was a scheduled night flight nonstop from brussels, belgium (ebbr), to ewr. During the preflight operations the first officer loaded the filed route, as listed on the flight release, into all 3 INS units. After departing brussels we called shanwick radio to get our oceanic clearance for the crossing. They could not find our flight plan, so they asked us what our filed route was. The first officer read the route that was on the flight release, and programmed into the INS's. When the controller finally came back with our clearance the full route was read. It was the same as filed, except that it went to a different entry point into canada. After 54 degrees north, 50 degrees west, we were cleared to 'carpe, redby, flight plan route to kewr,' instead of 54 degrees north, 50 degrees west, dotty, flight plan route to kewr. 2 readbacks were required before the first officer and the controller were satisfied of the route cleared. The first officer entered the new routing after 54 degrees north, 50 degrees west into the #2 and #3 INS units. The captain was, at that time, working on his INS (#1), so the first officer assumed that he was entering the amended route into the #1 INS. The captain assumed that the first officer had entered the new routing, as per company procedures, however the #1 INS was never amended. The flight went normal across the ocean with periodic checks of position on all 3 INS's showing us right on course. The captain was flying this leg, with the #1 autoplt tied to the #1 INS. By our company flight operations manual the 3 INS units were set up to provide present position on the captain's INS, ETA to the next waypoint on the first officer's INS, and wind readout on the second officer's INS while using the #1 INS for navigation. At 54 degrees north, 50 degrees west, the first officer had a great deal of trouble communicating with gander on the HF radio. Perhaps because of the accuracy of the 3 INS's up to that point, or because we were back almost over land, or because of the late night hour, no one confirmed the next flight segment. The autoplt, being tied to the #1 INS, turned and began tracking to dotty instead of the cleared route over carpe. After the position report was finally given the first officer noticed the #2 HSI was showing a crosstrack error, which I confirmed on the #3 INS. The captain's HSI was centered and upon xchking the 3 INS's we discovered the incorrect waypoint in the #1 INS. We immediately called gander on the VHF radio (first contact) and told them we were south of course. After an identify was received from our transponder, he said we were in radar contact and cleared us 'direct to albany, flight plan route, maintain FL310.' apparently there were no other aircraft in our area. The flight proceeded to ewr with no other problems.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILED TO PROGRAM INS PER CLRNC ROUTING.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS A SCHEDULED NIGHT FLT NONSTOP FROM BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (EBBR), TO EWR. DURING THE PREFLT OPS THE F/O LOADED THE FILED ROUTE, AS LISTED ON THE FLT RELEASE, INTO ALL 3 INS UNITS. AFTER DEPARTING BRUSSELS WE CALLED SHANWICK RADIO TO GET OUR OCEANIC CLRNC FOR THE XING. THEY COULD NOT FIND OUR FLT PLAN, SO THEY ASKED US WHAT OUR FILED ROUTE WAS. THE F/O READ THE ROUTE THAT WAS ON THE FLT RELEASE, AND PROGRAMMED INTO THE INS'S. WHEN THE CTLR FINALLY CAME BACK WITH OUR CLRNC THE FULL ROUTE WAS READ. IT WAS THE SAME AS FILED, EXCEPT THAT IT WENT TO A DIFFERENT ENTRY POINT INTO CANADA. AFTER 54 DEGS N, 50 DEGS W, WE WERE CLRED TO 'CARPE, REDBY, FLT PLAN ROUTE TO KEWR,' INSTEAD OF 54 DEGS N, 50 DEGS W, DOTTY, FLT PLAN ROUTE TO KEWR. 2 READBACKS WERE REQUIRED BEFORE THE F/O AND THE CTLR WERE SATISFIED OF THE ROUTE CLRED. THE F/O ENTERED THE NEW ROUTING AFTER 54 DEGS N, 50 DEGS W INTO THE #2 AND #3 INS UNITS. THE CAPT WAS, AT THAT TIME, WORKING ON HIS INS (#1), SO THE F/O ASSUMED THAT HE WAS ENTERING THE AMENDED ROUTE INTO THE #1 INS. THE CAPT ASSUMED THAT THE F/O HAD ENTERED THE NEW ROUTING, AS PER COMPANY PROCS, HOWEVER THE #1 INS WAS NEVER AMENDED. THE FLT WENT NORMAL ACROSS THE OCEAN WITH PERIODIC CHKS OF POS ON ALL 3 INS'S SHOWING US RIGHT ON COURSE. THE CAPT WAS FLYING THIS LEG, WITH THE #1 AUTOPLT TIED TO THE #1 INS. BY OUR COMPANY FLT OPS MANUAL THE 3 INS UNITS WERE SET UP TO PROVIDE PRESENT POS ON THE CAPT'S INS, ETA TO THE NEXT WAYPOINT ON THE F/O'S INS, AND WIND READOUT ON THE S/O'S INS WHILE USING THE #1 INS FOR NAV. AT 54 DEGS N, 50 DEGS W, THE F/O HAD A GREAT DEAL OF TROUBLE COMMUNICATING WITH GANDER ON THE HF RADIO. PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THE ACCURACY OF THE 3 INS'S UP TO THAT POINT, OR BECAUSE WE WERE BACK ALMOST OVER LAND, OR BECAUSE OF THE LATE NIGHT HR, NO ONE CONFIRMED THE NEXT FLT SEGMENT. THE AUTOPLT, BEING TIED TO THE #1 INS, TURNED AND BEGAN TRACKING TO DOTTY INSTEAD OF THE CLRED ROUTE OVER CARPE. AFTER THE POS RPT WAS FINALLY GIVEN THE F/O NOTICED THE #2 HSI WAS SHOWING A CROSSTRACK ERROR, WHICH I CONFIRMED ON THE #3 INS. THE CAPT'S HSI WAS CENTERED AND UPON XCHKING THE 3 INS'S WE DISCOVERED THE INCORRECT WAYPOINT IN THE #1 INS. WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED GANDER ON THE VHF RADIO (FIRST CONTACT) AND TOLD THEM WE WERE S OF COURSE. AFTER AN IDENT WAS RECEIVED FROM OUR TRANSPONDER, HE SAID WE WERE IN RADAR CONTACT AND CLRED US 'DIRECT TO ALBANY, FLT PLAN ROUTE, MAINTAIN FL310.' APPARENTLY THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT IN OUR AREA. THE FLT PROCEEDED TO EWR WITH NO OTHER PROBS.

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.