MD80 FLT CREW REPORTS TRACK DEV CAUSED BY INSERTING KK54L INTO THE FMC VICE KK45L.

Date: 2008-07 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance

Synopsis

MD80 FLT CREW REPORTS TRACK DEV CAUSED BY INSERTING KK54L INTO THE FMC VICE KK45L.

Narrative

DURING PREFLT I ENTERED THE FLT PLAN INTO THE FMS. INSTEAD OF ENTERING THE POINT KK451; I MISTAKENLY ENTERED THE POINT KK541. THIS MISTAKE WAS NOT NOTICED BY THE CAPT NOR MYSELF DURING THE FMS DATA CHK BEFORE GATE DEP. ONCE LEVEL AT FL340; CTR CLRED US DIRECT TO KK451. I THOUGHT I HEARD KK541; READ THAT BACK TO CTR; AND WE THEN PROCEEDED TOWARDS KK541. CTR NOTICED WE WERE OFF COURSE AND CLRED US TO THE CORRECT FIX; EMPHASIZING THE '45' PORTION OF THE FIX. WE THEN REALIZED OUR MISTAKE AND PROCEEDED TO THE CORRECT POINT. CTR MADE NO FURTHER COMMENT ON THE MATTER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 793470: CLBING AND BEING VECTORED OUT OF ZZZ WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT TO KK451. DURING THE PREFLT RTE AND LEGS VERIFICATION CHK BOTH THE FO AND I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT KK541 WAS LOADED IN THE FMS. I TOOK NOTE OF THE CLRNC AND REPEATED THE INTXN IN MY HEAD SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT WAS DISPLAYED ON THE LEGS PAGE AND WAS CONVINCED I HEARD CORRECTLY KK541 AND WHEN IT WAS DISPLAYED WE ENGAGED THE NAV MODE. APPROX 10 MINS LATER ATC ADVISED US IT LOOKED AS IF WE WERE DRIFTING R OF COURSE AND RECLRED US DIRECT TO KK451. NO TFC CONFLICT WAS NOTED. I HAVE CAUGHT PERHAPS 6-10 OF THESE WAYPOINT ERRORS DURING THE LEGS/RTE VERIFICATION CHKS AND AM STILL AMAZED WE MISSED THIS ERROR. POSSIBLY 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF XA00 AM WAKEUPS DULLED MY COGNITIVE ABILITY. PERHAPS ANOTHER FACTOR WAS GETTING REPEATED CALLS FROM CHIEF PLT ASKING FOR DELAY REASONS FOR THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS AND WORRIED ABOUT EXPLAINING A THIRD. A QUICK TURN ACFT SWAP; MEL ITEMS TO REVIEW; A LATE NOTICE MAINT ITEM (BROKEN TOILET SEAT) AND INCORRECT LEO PAPERWORK WAS CONSPIRING TO DELAY THIS FLT. I ALWAYS TRY TO TAKE THINGS SLOW WHEN I FEEL THE PRESSURE OF TIME AND PERHAPS I RUSHED TOO QUICKLY THROUGH THE LEGS/RTE CHK. A TRIPLE CHK MAY BE MY REQUIREMENT IN THE FUTURE.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.