Narrative:

Aircraft departed frankfurt, west germany with a destination in the continental us the ICAO that was filed showed a route out of europe to lands end, U.K., and then 50.08 north 8 west, 50 north 10 west, 50N 20W, 50N 30W, 50N 40W, 50N 50W, gander, allex. The oceanic clearance given to us by london was for 500 8N 8W, 50N 15W, 50N 20W, 50N 30W, 50N 40W 49N 50W vysta. This was designated nat track delta. We had in the cockpit a hard copy of the nat tracks. Upon receipt of nat track delta the navigation highlighted the hard copy, checked it against the flight pilot and passed it forward to the pilots. He inserted the points into the inertial guidance system. The pilots have a doppler navigation system and they also inserted the nat track into it. Upon reaching 40W the pilots gave an ETA to 49N 50W to gander oceanic. Upon reaching 50W the pilots gave an ETA to vysta to gander. The navigation having the radio toggled up corrected the pilots by stating we were at 50N 50W. After reviewing the nat track the navigation realized he had missed the change in the point before vysta. The crew immediately reported the correct position to gander realizing they were approximately 60 NM north of course. Because the doppler system was run separately from the inertial system it contained the right points. But the pilots were not interested in position as much as wind, ground speed and ETA's, so a different screen was chosen for viewing. Since the navigation highlighted the route, there was no reason to suspect he missed the point 49N 50W. Although I feel cockpit communication was excellent, I feel that this was the only area the could be improved to prevent this from happening again! It was basically a case of human error. All celestial shots by navigation and comments to the fact that the aircraft was right on course. For some reason he felt our clearance was 50N 50W.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLT COMMITS GROSS NAVIGATION ERROR CROSSING THE NORTH ATLANTIC.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED FRANKFURT, WEST GERMANY WITH A DEST IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S. THE ICAO THAT WAS FILED SHOWED A RTE OUT OF EUROPE TO LANDS END, U.K., AND THEN 50.08 N 8 W, 50 N 10 W, 50N 20W, 50N 30W, 50N 40W, 50N 50W, GANDER, ALLEX. THE OCEANIC CLRNC GIVEN TO US BY LONDON WAS FOR 500 8N 8W, 50N 15W, 50N 20W, 50N 30W, 50N 40W 49N 50W VYSTA. THIS WAS DESIGNATED NAT TRACK DELTA. WE HAD IN THE COCKPIT A HARD COPY OF THE NAT TRACKS. UPON RECEIPT OF NAT TRACK DELTA THE NAV HIGHLIGHTED THE HARD COPY, CHKED IT AGAINST THE FLT PLT AND PASSED IT FORWARD TO THE PLTS. HE INSERTED THE POINTS INTO THE INERTIAL GUIDANCE SYS. THE PLTS HAVE A DOPPLER NAV SYS AND THEY ALSO INSERTED THE NAT TRACK INTO IT. UPON REACHING 40W THE PLTS GAVE AN ETA TO 49N 50W TO GANDER OCEANIC. UPON REACHING 50W THE PLTS GAVE AN ETA TO VYSTA TO GANDER. THE NAV HAVING THE RADIO TOGGLED UP CORRECTED THE PLTS BY STATING WE WERE AT 50N 50W. AFTER REVIEWING THE NAT TRACK THE NAV REALIZED HE HAD MISSED THE CHANGE IN THE POINT BEFORE VYSTA. THE CREW IMMEDIATELY RPTED THE CORRECT POS TO GANDER REALIZING THEY WERE APPROX 60 NM N OF COURSE. BECAUSE THE DOPPLER SYS WAS RUN SEPARATELY FROM THE INERTIAL SYS IT CONTAINED THE RIGHT POINTS. BUT THE PLTS WERE NOT INTERESTED IN POS AS MUCH AS WIND, GND SPD AND ETA'S, SO A DIFFERENT SCREEN WAS CHOSEN FOR VIEWING. SINCE THE NAV HIGHLIGHTED THE RTE, THERE WAS NO REASON TO SUSPECT HE MISSED THE POINT 49N 50W. ALTHOUGH I FEEL COCKPIT COM WAS EXCELLENT, I FEEL THAT THIS WAS THE ONLY AREA THE COULD BE IMPROVED TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN! IT WAS BASICALLY A CASE OF HUMAN ERROR. ALL CELESTIAL SHOTS BY NAV AND COMMENTS TO THE FACT THAT THE ACFT WAS RIGHT ON COURSE. FOR SOME REASON HE FELT OUR CLRNC WAS 50N 50W.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.