Narrative:

The problem began with programming the computer for the route of flight. The route was 'not in data base.' I put the departure and runway in, then built the arrival. I knew I had the beginning of the trip and the destination in the computer. All I had to build was the cruise portion or a couple of waypoints. The flight was oak to sna. After building the route, I began removing the discontinuities. While at altitude in cruise center asked, 'how were you cleared?' and, 'how are you filed?' this was my first indication of a problem. The only thing I can reason is I must have deleted the custom waypoints when I took out the route discontinuities. I don't know if it was a parallax or dumb thumbs, but the route wasn't there when center asked. My recommendations are to eliminate the need to delete route discontinuities as a routine procedure. Even the simplest route has route discontinuities between the flight attendant and rw. Always go back and check the route after you're finished programming. Supplemental information from acn 163118: during cruise at FL330, just north of morro bay VORTAC, ZLA on 134. 42 began to question us about our routing. Apparently the insertion of departure/arrival page information resulting in a route discontinuity was corrected, but resulted in mzq somehow still being in the computer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEVIATION FOR FMS EQUIPPED ACR MLG.

Narrative: THE PROB BEGAN WITH PROGRAMMING THE COMPUTER FOR THE RTE OF FLT. THE RTE WAS 'NOT IN DATA BASE.' I PUT THE DEP AND RWY IN, THEN BUILT THE ARR. I KNEW I HAD THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIP AND THE DEST IN THE COMPUTER. ALL I HAD TO BUILD WAS THE CRUISE PORTION OR A COUPLE OF WAYPOINTS. THE FLT WAS OAK TO SNA. AFTER BUILDING THE RTE, I BEGAN REMOVING THE DISCONTINUITIES. WHILE AT ALT IN CRUISE CENTER ASKED, 'HOW WERE YOU CLRED?' AND, 'HOW ARE YOU FILED?' THIS WAS MY FIRST INDICATION OF A PROB. THE ONLY THING I CAN REASON IS I MUST HAVE DELETED THE CUSTOM WAYPOINTS WHEN I TOOK OUT THE RTE DISCONTINUITIES. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A PARALLAX OR DUMB THUMBS, BUT THE RTE WASN'T THERE WHEN CENTER ASKED. MY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO ELIMINATE THE NEED TO DELETE RTE DISCONTINUITIES AS A ROUTINE PROC. EVEN THE SIMPLEST RTE HAS RTE DISCONTINUITIES BTWN THE FA AND RW. ALWAYS GO BACK AND CHK THE RTE AFTER YOU'RE FINISHED PROGRAMMING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 163118: DURING CRUISE AT FL330, JUST N OF MORRO BAY VORTAC, ZLA ON 134. 42 BEGAN TO QUESTION US ABOUT OUR RTING. APPARENTLY THE INSERTION OF DEP/ARR PAGE INFO RESULTING IN A RTE DISCONTINUITY WAS CORRECTED, BUT RESULTED IN MZQ SOMEHOW STILL BEING IN THE COMPUTER.

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.