Narrative:

The flight was from atl to gso with a flight plan routing of atl...spa...SPA041/GSO281...gso. It was the captain's leg and following our company procedures he loaded the route into the navigation computer (FMS). This was the captain's second trip since upgrade and he had just come off 2 weeks vacation. He omitted the SPA041/GSO281 waypoint and instead entered atl...spa...gso-30...gso using the fix 30 mi prior to gso as a descent reference point. As the first officer I checked the route and saw that the third point was gso-01 which I assumed was the SPA041/GSO281 when it was really the point 30 mi prior to gso. On the direct course from spa to gso. (The FMS we use assigns an arbitrary numerical designation to any waypoint not entered in it's data base, ie, gso-01). It is necessary to pull the point down to the bottom of the page to verify the correct radial/DME was entered and I failed to do this. I have been flying this route for several months and seeing the gso-01 designation each time led me to complacency. As the aircraft passed over spa and turned to gso rather than out the 410 radial. ATC advised us to turn to a 030 degree heading. I then found our mistake and we reprogrammed the FMS. Human factors considerations: early pick-up. Inexperience on aircraft type. Automation, FMS does not show actual radial/DME on route page. Complacency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG GETS OFF COURSE WHEN FMS COMPUTER IS LOADED INCORRECTLY.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS FROM ATL TO GSO WITH A FLT PLAN ROUTING OF ATL...SPA...SPA041/GSO281...GSO. IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG AND FOLLOWING OUR COMPANY PROCS HE LOADED THE RTE INTO THE NAV COMPUTER (FMS). THIS WAS THE CAPT'S SECOND TRIP SINCE UPGRADE AND HE HAD JUST COME OFF 2 WKS VACATION. HE OMITTED THE SPA041/GSO281 WAYPOINT AND INSTEAD ENTERED ATL...SPA...GSO-30...GSO USING THE FIX 30 MI PRIOR TO GSO AS A DSCNT REF POINT. AS THE FO I CHKED THE RTE AND SAW THAT THE THIRD POINT WAS GSO-01 WHICH I ASSUMED WAS THE SPA041/GSO281 WHEN IT WAS REALLY THE POINT 30 MI PRIOR TO GSO. ON THE DIRECT COURSE FROM SPA TO GSO. (THE FMS WE USE ASSIGNS AN ARBITRARY NUMERICAL DESIGNATION TO ANY WAYPOINT NOT ENTERED IN IT'S DATA BASE, IE, GSO-01). IT IS NECESSARY TO PULL THE POINT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE TO VERIFY THE CORRECT RADIAL/DME WAS ENTERED AND I FAILED TO DO THIS. I HAVE BEEN FLYING THIS RTE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND SEEING THE GSO-01 DESIGNATION EACH TIME LED ME TO COMPLACENCY. AS THE ACFT PASSED OVER SPA AND TURNED TO GSO RATHER THAN OUT THE 410 RADIAL. ATC ADVISED US TO TURN TO A 030 DEG HDG. I THEN FOUND OUR MISTAKE AND WE REPROGRAMMED THE FMS. HUMAN FACTORS CONSIDERATIONS: EARLY PICK-UP. INEXPERIENCE ON ACFT TYPE. AUTOMATION, FMS DOES NOT SHOW ACTUAL RADIAL/DME ON RTE PAGE. COMPLACENCY.

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.