AN EMB145 FO ADMITTED THAT HE IMPROPERLY PROGRAMMED THE FMS; CAUSING A HEADING DEV IN ZOB AIRSPACE.

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ON OUR 4TH LEG OF THE DAY OF OUR 4TH DAY OF A 4 DAY TRIP; WE WERE FINALLY HEADING HOME TO OUR DOMICILE. OUR CREW ENCOUNTERED DIFFICULTY GETTING OUT OF OUR GATE IN PITTSBURG DUE TO GND CREW DELAYS. I WAS UPSET THAT WE TOOK ANOTHER DELAY DUE TO THE GND CREW'S LACK OF STAFFING OR WHATEVER THEY CALL IT. MY CAPT WAS FILLING OUT A TRIP RPT; AS I WAS THE PF. WE WERE ENGAGED IN A CONVERSATION REGARDING THE DELAYS WHEN ZOB ASKED IF WE WERE DIRECT MONTEBELLO? MY CAPT REPLIED YES. THE CTLR RESPONDED WELL THAT IS NOT WHAT YOUR FLT PLAN READS. I LOOKED AT THE CLRNC I HAD COPIED DOWN AND; SURE ENOUGH; WE WERE NOT GOING WHERE WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE GOING. WE THEN CHKED OUR FMS AND IT WAS MISSING THE ASSIGNED FLT PLAN FIX. MY CAPT APOLOGIZED; AND THE CTR CTLR WAS VERY NICE AND SAID THAT'S OK. YOU'RE CLRED DIRECT MONTEBELLO. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? 2 VERY QUALIFIED; PROFESSIONAL PLTS ONBOARD. I'M FLYING THE ACFT; THE AUTOPLT IS ENGAGED AND DOING EXACTLY WHAT WAS PROGRAMMED INTO THE FMS. I AM CERTAIN THAT WE BOTH; MEANING MY CAPT AND I; FELL INTO THE TRAP OF THE 'GET THERE 'ITIS.' I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I USED TO TELL MY STUDENTS OF THIS DANGER AND HOW YOU NEED TO STEP BACK AND SLOW DOWN: BE METHODICAL; BREAK THE CHAIN; BE VIGILANT. IF ONLY I WOULD HAVE LISTENED TO MY OWN ADVICE; I WOULD NOT BE WRITING THIS.