Regional Express revises procedures after Saab 340 departures drifted off course

Regional Express is amending its flight procedures after several Saab 340B aircraft deviated from their intended departure paths shortly after takeoff, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

One incident happened on a flight from Townsville to Hughenden last November. The aircraft was meant to follow a specific instrument departure procedure. When the autopilot was engaged, though, it began turning away from the correct track, and the crew disconnected the autopilot to fly manually and correct the flightpath.

The investigation found that the flight-management system displayed the wrong waypoint as active, showing the final point of the route rather than the first one just ahead of the aircraft. Crew members also noticed the programmed waypoints looked different on the display and appeared greyed out. Attempts to reprogram the sequence in flight failed, so the pilots asked air traffic control for radar guidance to rejoin the correct course before resuming the climb and re-engaging the autopilot in heading mode.

The flight, carrying 18 people, landed safely at its destination. Conditions were visual throughout, so the crew could see clearly outside despite the navigation error.

Investigators said they could not pinpoint exactly why the deviation happened, but suggested the departure pattern likely appeared as invalid data within the aircraft's navigation system, prompting the unplanned turn. The safety bureau's findings have prompted the airline to review and adjust its procedures. Pilots are being advised to check waypoint entries more closely after departure, to catch similar errors before they affect the flightpath.