A B767-300 crew deleted an expect vector leg after the PG525 waypoint on the LFPG/CDG DVL4W arrival. The aircraft apparently did not track accurately prompting ATC to query the heading and then issue a vector.
Synopsis
A B767-300 crew deleted an expect vector leg after the PG525 waypoint on the LFPG/CDG DVL4W arrival. The aircraft apparently did not track accurately prompting ATC to query the heading and then issue a vector.
Narrative
Arriving Paris on the DVL4W Arrival. MERUE transition we reached waypoint PG525; the First Officer (pilot flying) then turned to heading 109 degrees. In just a few miles the ATC Controller asked our heading then almost immediately gave us our turn and clearance onto the final approach. After landing it occurred to us that at waypoint PG525 it is really depicted to be a track and not a magnetic heading. Furthermore; I am in what I believe is the very common habit of deleting a 'vector' waypoint in order to prevent the legacy FMC from failing to compute all the estimated waypoint times; which it does now with near complete regularity. The 'vector' waypoint is co-located at this point in the FMC. This perhaps led us to assume it should be a heading; rather than a track. In my experience; nine times out of ten on this approach it becomes a moot point with radar vectors. In the future; I will review and brief this part of the chart with greater care; especially when I delete a 'vector' from the legs page. It would not have been necessary to delete a vector waypoint from a Pegasus computer. The 2 AM fatigue certainly contributed to this error.
Second reporter narrative
Arriving Paris on DVL4W arrival MERUE transition to Runway 27R. We deleted the vector segment after point PG525 (we had previously deleted the vector segment of the transition so that the progress page of the FMC would be updated correctly) and upon reaching the terminating point heading select was selected for heading 109 degrees as shown on the transition page. Very shortly De Gaulle Approach asked us our heading and when we replied 109 they told us to turn right 130 degrees for vectors. Upon landing we came to the conclusion that we should not have deleted the vectors portion of the arrival and should have flown the depicted 109 track and expect vectors as opposed to flying the magnetic heading. My lesson learned is if in doubt ask.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.