Narrative:

Aircraft was cleared from fle VORTAC (norway) direct to 64N 00E-66N 10W. Approaching 64N 00E, I was busy obtaining the oceanic clearance from iceland and completing the airep for transmission to iceland radio at 64N 003. I had my seat tilted slightly back so I could work more easily with the paperwork on my lap. This caused by view of the HSI to be partially blocked by the control column. However, all 3 pilots followed company procedures in that they checked the next waypoint on their respective INS'. (66N 10W) after passing 64N 00E I transmitted the position report (aired) to iceland radio and when this was completed, commenced to verify that the aircraft was maintaining the desired track (2 to 3 min after passing 64N 00E) per company procedures. The plot showed the aircraft tracking almost due north when it should have been tracking northwest. I immediately sat forward and looked over my control column and saw that my INS indicated that the aircraft was tracking nearly 55 degree from the desired track on my INS. I then looked at the copilot's HSI and saw that his INS showed on track. The copilot's was flying and his autoplt and INS were controling. I then checked my INS coordinates for the next position against the copilot's. I immediately saw that the copilot's INS (controling) had as the next waypoint 66N 01W, not 66N 10W. An immediate turn was made back to the proper track and the copilot's INS was corrected to 66N 10W. This excursion was caused by a malfunction in the #2 INS (copilot's) as it was unable to load or be loaded (to, from) the other INS! Normally, the captain loads all the INS' via the remote function from the #1 INS. Then each pilot, the captain also, checks their respective INS to see that the proper position have been loaded. This is done on the ground prior to departure and en route as new waypoints are inserted. The proper waypoints were in INS #1 and INS #3 so the capts and the second officers waypoints checked and both were satisfied. Because of the remote malfunction of the #2 INS (copilot's), it was necessary for the copilot to load his own INS and he incorrectly loaded 66N 01W. The copilot was new to the aircraft and to the INS, having only been exposed to the INS for approximately 1 month. Each pilot followed company procedure, but unfortunately, the procedures did not cover the failure of the remote function of an INS. Fortunately, the procedures did require that 1 pilot verify that the aircraft was on the proper track after passing a waypoint.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ROUTE AT THE START OF OCEANIC ROUTE.

Narrative: ACFT WAS CLRED FROM FLE VORTAC (NORWAY) DIRECT TO 64N 00E-66N 10W. APCHING 64N 00E, I WAS BUSY OBTAINING THE OCEANIC CLRNC FROM ICELAND AND COMPLETING THE AIREP FOR XMISSION TO ICELAND RADIO AT 64N 003. I HAD MY SEAT TILTED SLIGHTLY BACK SO I COULD WORK MORE EASILY WITH THE PAPERWORK ON MY LAP. THIS CAUSED BY VIEW OF THE HSI TO BE PARTIALLY BLOCKED BY THE CONTROL COLUMN. HOWEVER, ALL 3 PLTS FOLLOWED COMPANY PROCS IN THAT THEY CHKED THE NEXT WAYPOINT ON THEIR RESPECTIVE INS'. (66N 10W) AFTER PASSING 64N 00E I XMITTED THE POS RPT (AIRED) TO ICELAND RADIO AND WHEN THIS WAS COMPLETED, COMMENCED TO VERIFY THAT THE ACFT WAS MAINTAINING THE DESIRED TRACK (2 TO 3 MIN AFTER PASSING 64N 00E) PER COMPANY PROCS. THE PLOT SHOWED THE ACFT TRACKING ALMOST DUE N WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRACKING NW. I IMMEDIATELY SAT FORWARD AND LOOKED OVER MY CONTROL COLUMN AND SAW THAT MY INS INDICATED THAT THE ACFT WAS TRACKING NEARLY 55 DEG FROM THE DESIRED TRACK ON MY INS. I THEN LOOKED AT THE COPLT'S HSI AND SAW THAT HIS INS SHOWED ON TRACK. THE COPLT'S WAS FLYING AND HIS AUTOPLT AND INS WERE CTLING. I THEN CHKED MY INS COORDINATES FOR THE NEXT POS AGAINST THE COPLT'S. I IMMEDIATELY SAW THAT THE COPLT'S INS (CTLING) HAD AS THE NEXT WAYPOINT 66N 01W, NOT 66N 10W. AN IMMEDIATE TURN WAS MADE BACK TO THE PROPER TRACK AND THE COPLT'S INS WAS CORRECTED TO 66N 10W. THIS EXCURSION WAS CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTION IN THE #2 INS (COPLT'S) AS IT WAS UNABLE TO LOAD OR BE LOADED (TO, FROM) THE OTHER INS! NORMALLY, THE CAPT LOADS ALL THE INS' VIA THE REMOTE FUNCTION FROM THE #1 INS. THEN EACH PLT, THE CAPT ALSO, CHKS THEIR RESPECTIVE INS TO SEE THAT THE PROPER POS HAVE BEEN LOADED. THIS IS DONE ON THE GND PRIOR TO DEP AND ENRTE AS NEW WAYPOINTS ARE INSERTED. THE PROPER WAYPOINTS WERE IN INS #1 AND INS #3 SO THE CAPTS AND THE SECOND OFFICERS WAYPOINTS CHKED AND BOTH WERE SATISFIED. BECAUSE OF THE REMOTE MALFUNCTION OF THE #2 INS (COPLT'S), IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE COPLT TO LOAD HIS OWN INS AND HE INCORRECTLY LOADED 66N 01W. THE COPLT WAS NEW TO THE ACFT AND TO THE INS, HAVING ONLY BEEN EXPOSED TO THE INS FOR APPROX 1 MONTH. EACH PLT FOLLOWED COMPANY PROC, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE PROCS DID NOT COVER THE FAILURE OF THE REMOTE FUNCTION OF AN INS. FORTUNATELY, THE PROCS DID REQUIRE THAT 1 PLT VERIFY THAT THE ACFT WAS ON THE PROPER TRACK AFTER PASSING A WAYPOINT.

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.