C550 WITH UNIVERSAL FMS FAILS TO MEET SFO 281 DEG RADIAL; 6 DME REQUIREMENT OF EUGEN DEP FROM SFO.

Narrative

DEPARTING SFO FROM RWY 28R FULL LENGTH; EUGEN 5 DEP ENRTE TO MRY UNDER IFR FLT PLAN IN CLR WX. THE SID CALLS FOR A CLB VIA THE SFO 281 DEG RADIAL; AFTER PASSING THE 6 DME FIX AND REACHING 2000 FT; TURN L TO INTERCEPT AND PROCEED VIA SAU 168 DEG RADIAL TO EUGEN; ETC.... WE ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND FLEW THE DEP COUPLED TO THE FMS. REACHING 3 DME AT 2500 FT; THE ACFT INITIATED A TURN TO THE L. BEFORE WE COULD TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION; NORCAL CALLED US REMARKING THE EARLY TURN AND ASSIGNED A HDG; THEN ASSIGNED THE NEXT FREQ FOR NORCAL; NO FURTHER DISCUSSION ENSUED. WHEN BACK TO BASE; WE CALLED AND RPTED THE DIFFERENCE BTWN THE COMMERCIAL CHART SUPPLIER PLATES EUGEN 5 DEP AND THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE AUTOPLT; BASED ON FMS DATABASE. THEY INVESTIGATED AND CALLED BACK THE NEXT DAY STATING THAT THEY FLEW THE DEP MULTIPLE TIMES ON THEIR SIMULATOR AND FOUND NO DISCREPANCIES. A FEW DAYS LATER; ANOTHER GENTLEMAN FROM COMPANY WAS ASSIGNED THE PROB TO INVESTIGATE FURTHER. HE STATED THAT HE NEEDED TO KNOW THE SOFTWARE VERSION OF THE FMS; AS AN OLDER SOFTWARE VERSION MIGHT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH AN UNUSUAL DEP AS THE EUGEN 5 FROM SFO. APPARENTLY IT IS ONE OF THE FEW DEPS THAT DOES NOT FLY TO DETERMINED FIXES; BUT INSTEAD ASSIGNS AN INTERCEPT TO A RADIAL INBOUND TO THE FIXES; TWICE IN A ROW.