Narrative:

This report is to inform you of a possible situation which under different circumstances could have led to an aircraft conflict. This occurrence was no more than an aggravation to myself and the controllers involved. Summary of event follow. How problem arose: on 2/91 I filed an IFR flight plan through data transformation, a provider of duats services, at approximately :35Z. During input of required information I may have inserted an improper route identifier, or the computer on update inserted a different input identifier, what ever the problem this is where is started. Please see copy of computer print out. Contributing factors: the ability to input an illogical route west/O any real checks and balances. The FAA's computer system however does implement some sort of error checking system. The routing as accepted through duats was rejected by the FAA's system when entered by an oakland FSS specialist in response to my request to see of some type of error checking existed. I did not personally question the routing as printed on the computer printout due the usage of coordinates by the duats system. It is my personal opinion the controller who gave me the initial clearance wasn't sure of the routing, because my clearance was as follows, is cleared to the hayward airport as filed maintain runway heading for vector, climb and maintain 10000' expect FL180 5 min after departure, contact departure on 119.6 squawk ****. Upon handoff to oakland, oakland asked how I was navigating to sunol intersection, my reply was off of the czq 276 degree right. His reply was roger proceed direct to sunol intersection climb and maintain FL180. As you can see the problem still had not been discovered. Approximately 5 mins later is when the controller questioned the coordinates given in the routing. At this time please look at the routing. Note the fta. Fta is the flying T NDB located in hot springs, sd. If I would have actually wanted to fly this route to get to hayward, ca, I personally think there would have been a total confusion factor when I departed fresno and executed a right turn direct hot springs, sd. Corrective actions: require duats providers to implement some type of error checking, or logical format to flight plans filed as is now true in the FAA system. Until above is resolved and even after there should be a warning to verify all coordinates and rtings. Users of the duats system should be notified that illogical and improper rtings can be accepted, and that typos may be hazardous to your health or your pilot certificate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI PLT FILES FLT PLAN BY COMPUTER WITH WRONG IDENTIFIER.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS TO INFORM YOU OF A POSSIBLE SITUATION WHICH UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES COULD HAVE LED TO AN ACFT CONFLICT. THIS OCCURRENCE WAS NO MORE THAN AN AGGRAVATION TO MYSELF AND THE CTLRS INVOLVED. SUMMARY OF EVENT FOLLOW. HOW PROB AROSE: ON 2/91 I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN THROUGH DATA TRANSFORMATION, A PROVIDER OF DUATS SVCS, AT APPROX :35Z. DURING INPUT OF REQUIRED INFO I MAY HAVE INSERTED AN IMPROPER RTE IDENTIFIER, OR THE COMPUTER ON UPDATE INSERTED A DIFFERENT INPUT IDENTIFIER, WHAT EVER THE PROB THIS IS WHERE IS STARTED. PLEASE SEE COPY OF COMPUTER PRINT OUT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE ABILITY TO INPUT AN ILLOGICAL RTE W/O ANY REAL CHKS AND BALANCES. THE FAA'S COMPUTER SYS HOWEVER DOES IMPLEMENT SOME SORT OF ERROR CHKING SYS. THE RTING AS ACCEPTED THROUGH DUATS WAS REJECTED BY THE FAA'S SYS WHEN ENTERED BY AN OAKLAND FSS SPECIALIST IN RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST TO SEE OF SOME TYPE OF ERROR CHKING EXISTED. I DID NOT PERSONALLY QUESTION THE RTING AS PRINTED ON THE COMPUTER PRINTOUT DUE THE USAGE OF COORDINATES BY THE DUATS SYS. IT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION THE CTLR WHO GAVE ME THE INITIAL CLRNC WASN'T SURE OF THE RTING, BECAUSE MY CLRNC WAS AS FOLLOWS, IS CLRED TO THE HAYWARD ARPT AS FILED MAINTAIN RWY HDG FOR VECTOR, CLB AND MAINTAIN 10000' EXPECT FL180 5 MIN AFTER DEP, CONTACT DEP ON 119.6 SQUAWK ****. UPON HDOF TO OAKLAND, OAKLAND ASKED HOW I WAS NAVIGATING TO SUNOL INTXN, MY REPLY WAS OFF OF THE CZQ 276 DEG R. HIS REPLY WAS ROGER PROCEED DIRECT TO SUNOL INTXN CLB AND MAINTAIN FL180. AS YOU CAN SEE THE PROB STILL HAD NOT BEEN DISCOVERED. APPROX 5 MINS LATER IS WHEN THE CTLR QUESTIONED THE COORDINATES GIVEN IN THE RTING. AT THIS TIME PLEASE LOOK AT THE RTING. NOTE THE FTA. FTA IS THE FLYING T NDB LOCATED IN HOT SPRINGS, SD. IF I WOULD HAVE ACTUALLY WANTED TO FLY THIS RTE TO GET TO HAYWARD, CA, I PERSONALLY THINK THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A TOTAL CONFUSION FACTOR WHEN I DEPARTED FRESNO AND EXECUTED A R TURN DIRECT HOT SPRINGS, SD. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: REQUIRE DUATS PROVIDERS TO IMPLEMENT SOME TYPE OF ERROR CHKING, OR LOGICAL FORMAT TO FLT PLANS FILED AS IS NOW TRUE IN THE FAA SYS. UNTIL ABOVE IS RESOLVED AND EVEN AFTER THERE SHOULD BE A WARNING TO VERIFY ALL COORDINATES AND RTINGS. USERS OF THE DUATS SYS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED THAT ILLOGICAL AND IMPROPER RTINGS CAN BE ACCEPTED, AND THAT TYPOS MAY BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH OR YOUR PLT CERTIFICATE.

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.