B757-200 FLT CREW WAS CLEARED DIRECT 'LIN.' RATHER THAN DISPLAYING 'LIN' WAYPOINT ON THE DESIRED ROUTE; A COURSE WAS DISPLAYED TO 'LIN' WITH AN EASTERN LONGITUDE AND THE WRONG HEADING WAS INITIALLY FLOWN.

Narrative

INSTEAD OF SFO8 DEP; TWR ASSIGNED HDG OF 010 DEGS. HSI WAS SET ON 20 NM SCALE. DURING CLB; NORCAL CLRED FLT DIRECT LIN. WHEN LINE SELECTED LIN FROM LEGS PAGE; SHOWED PRESENT HDG TO BE ALMOST ON COURSE. DID NOT LOOK PROPER. USED DIRECT PAGE BUT AGAIN GOT THE SAME DISPLAY WHEN ENTERED. I ATTEMPTED TO TUNE IN THE LIN VOR (114.8); BUT IT WOULD NOT LOCK ON TO THE STATION. AT THIS POINT NORCAL ASKED OUR HDG AND INFORMED US WE WERE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR LIN AND TO TURN R TO 060 DEGS. BECAUSE UNABLE TO GET LIN; I REQUESTED DIRECT PEONS. NORCAL SAID FLY 060 DEGS AND CHKED WITH OAK ARTCC FOR PEONS DIRECT ROUTING. WHEN I EXPANDED MY HSI MAP SCALE; I NOTICED THAT OUR ENTERED LIN COURSE WENT N OFF THE HSI AND THEN BACK TO PEONS WITH A 90 DEG TURN TO PEONS TO GET BACK ON PEONS-INSLO COURSE. REVIEWING THE LEGS PAGE SHOWED THE DISTANCE TO LIN AS OVER 5400. FOR SOME REASON; ONCE LIN SHOWED ON HSI AS AN UPDATING VOR; SELECTING DIRECT LIN FOR THE 1ST TIME SINCE GETTING AIRBORNE THE 'SELECT DESIRED WAYPOINT' PAGE APPEARED. I SELECTED THE PROPER LIN AND EVERYTHING WORKED OK FROM THAT POINT. DURING THE ENTIRE TIME THAT A LIN (NE) WAS IN THE RTE; WE NEVER GOT AN 'INSUFFICIENT FUEL' MESSAGE. DURING PREFLT THE PROPER LIN WAS LOADED AS 'SELECT DESIRED WAYPOINT' PAGE HAD APPEARED AND THERE WAS NO DISCREPANCY THAT WAS NOTED OR INSUFFICIENT FUEL MESSAGE THAT WOULD HAVE APPEARED WERE THE INCORRECT LIN BE IN THE RTE. ONCE AGAIN SELECTING LIN IN THE FMC NEVER BROUGHT UP THE 'SELECT DESIRED WAYPOINT' PAGE WITH THE FMC DEFAULTING TO A LIN SOMEPLACE AT NE.