Narrative:

While filing the flight plan for an small transport, a computer function caused an erroneous element to be entered as the first route of flight. The pilot departed the uncontrolled airport VFR and picked up his clearance from approach control. The pilot was given a 'cleared as filed' initial clearance. The course he flew was not the one on the controller's strip. His course converged with an arwy and another aircraft was at the same altitude. Approach control lost radar and handed them both off to center. When radar was established by center, it was determined that a conflict had occurred. Contributing factors: 1) the controller did not specify 1 or more fixes in the initial route of flight. 2) the pilot deviated 13 mi off course. The original error was caused by model-1 computer in the AFSS automatically inserting the departure point as the first route of flight. This departure point was from a previous partial flight plan that inadvertently was included as the first fix on the initial route of flight. Reviewing the route with pilot when taking flight plan would have brought error to FSS specialists attention. Controllers should specify first fix in a non radar environment when issuing clrncs--7110.65 4.22F. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter gave yrs FAA experience as 15 yrs. Only been in AFSS for about 1 yr. Was determined that there wasn't any problem with the model-1 computer, only a human error in putting the flight plan in. Pilot was cleared 2j2 direct dbn direct sinca direct pdk. Aircraft was actually on route direct pdk, which was off course by 13 NM. Reporter interpretation of 7110.65 PAR is not valid as reporter not sure where aircraft was when departure controller issued clearance and/or if aircraft was radar idented at the time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERRONEOUS FLT PLAN ENTRY BY FSS SPECIALIST. ACFT DIDN'T FLY ROUTE CLEARED OR ROUTE ATC EXPECTED. SYSTEM ERROR OCCURRED IN ARTCC AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WHILE FILING THE FLT PLAN FOR AN SMT, A COMPUTER FUNCTION CAUSED AN ERRONEOUS ELEMENT TO BE ENTERED AS THE FIRST RTE OF FLT. THE PLT DEPARTED THE UNCONTROLLED ARPT VFR AND PICKED UP HIS CLRNC FROM APCH CTL. THE PLT WAS GIVEN A 'CLRED AS FILED' INITIAL CLRNC. THE COURSE HE FLEW WAS NOT THE ONE ON THE CTLR'S STRIP. HIS COURSE CONVERGED WITH AN ARWY AND ANOTHER ACFT WAS AT THE SAME ALT. APCH CTL LOST RADAR AND HANDED THEM BOTH OFF TO CENTER. WHEN RADAR WAS ESTABLISHED BY CENTER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A CONFLICT HAD OCCURRED. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) THE CTLR DID NOT SPECIFY 1 OR MORE FIXES IN THE INITIAL RTE OF FLT. 2) THE PLT DEVIATED 13 MI OFF COURSE. THE ORIGINAL ERROR WAS CAUSED BY MODEL-1 COMPUTER IN THE AFSS AUTOMATICALLY INSERTING THE DEP POINT AS THE FIRST RTE OF FLT. THIS DEP POINT WAS FROM A PREVIOUS PARTIAL FLT PLAN THAT INADVERTENTLY WAS INCLUDED AS THE FIRST FIX ON THE INITIAL RTE OF FLT. REVIEWING THE RTE WITH PLT WHEN TAKING FLT PLAN WOULD HAVE BROUGHT ERROR TO FSS SPECIALISTS ATTN. CTLRS SHOULD SPECIFY FIRST FIX IN A NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT WHEN ISSUING CLRNCS--7110.65 4.22F. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR GAVE YRS FAA EXPERIENCE AS 15 YRS. ONLY BEEN IN AFSS FOR ABOUT 1 YR. WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WASN'T ANY PROB WITH THE MODEL-1 COMPUTER, ONLY A HUMAN ERROR IN PUTTING THE FLT PLAN IN. PLT WAS CLRED 2J2 DIRECT DBN DIRECT SINCA DIRECT PDK. ACFT WAS ACTUALLY ON RTE DIRECT PDK, WHICH WAS OFF COURSE BY 13 NM. RPTR INTERP OF 7110.65 PAR IS NOT VALID AS RPTR NOT SURE WHERE ACFT WAS WHEN DEP CTLR ISSUED CLRNC AND/OR IF ACFT WAS RADAR IDENTED AT THE TIME.

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.