FLT CREW PROGRAMMED FMC IN ERROR. INSTEAD OF PLOTTING THE AIRWAYS; THE COMPUTER THEN PLOTTED A DIRECT ROUTE FROM SFO TO KLAX; THE ARPT.

1988-02 · NASA ASRS report 82259

Date: 1988-02 · Aircraft: Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng

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

Synopsis

FLT CREW PROGRAMMED FMC IN ERROR. INSTEAD OF PLOTTING THE AIRWAYS; THE COMPUTER THEN PLOTTED A DIRECT ROUTE FROM SFO TO KLAX; THE ARPT.

Narrative

ENRTE FROM SFO TO LAX OUR FLT PLAN WAS FILED AS; AFTER AVE VOR; J1 LAX. THE INS ROUTE THAT WAS ENTERED AND ACCEPTED BY THE COMPUTER WAS J1 TO LAX ARPT. THE COMPUTER GAVE US A DIRECT ROUTE TO LAX ARPT FROM THE AVE VOR INSTEAD OF GOING OVER FILLMORE VOR WHICH IS ON J1. THIS RESULTED IN US BEING A FEW MILES LEFT OF THE DESIRED ARR COURSE. IN OUR COMPUTER; IF WE ENTER A JET ROUTE TO A WAYPOINT THAT IS NOT ON THAT JET ROUTE; THE COMPUTER WILL ACCEPT IT AND GIVE US A DIRECT ROUTE TO THAT WAYPOINT. I THINK THAT IN THIS CASE THE COMPUTER SHOULD SHOW AN INVALID ENTRY TO ALERT US THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ENTER A WAYPOINT ON AN ARWY THAT IS NOT PART OF THAT ARWY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FRAME ACN 82520: FLT PLAN WAS FILED AVE J1 LAX. FMS ROUTING ENTERED AND ACCEPTED WAS AVE J1 LAX ARPT (KLAX) COMPUTER STEERING AND TRACK WAS AVE DIRECT LAX ARPT; WHICH CUT OUT FILLMORE VOR (WHICH IS PART OF J1). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FLT CREW MISTAKENLY ENTERED J1 TO KLAX INSTEAD OF J1 TO LAX. THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT J1 DOES NOT GO TO KLAX AND THE COMPUTER THEREFORE AUTOMATICALLY PROGRAMS A DIRECT ROUTE. RPTR WOULD LIKE THE COMPUTER TO FLASH A WARNING; SOMETHING LIKE; 'INVALID ENTRY;' TO ALERT THE CREW TO THEIR MISTAKE. RPTR DID SAY THAT THEY WERE PROBABLY COMPLACENT.

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

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