Air carrier widebody transport track heading deviation approaching crk after atlantic crossing.

Attributes
ACN	197720
Time
Date	199112
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : crk
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : einn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : atlantic enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 6000
ASRS Report	197720
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed dfw airport. Destination gatwick airport, united kingdom. Flight was uneventful up to 52N 15W on nat xray. Upon reaching 52N 15W with cork VOR as the next reporting point, the aircraft turned to the right (southerly). Heading hold was selected, then immediately the aircraft was turned left to approximately 090 degrees while the problem was sorted out. It was discovered that the north coordination in INS #1 was N5150 instead of N51504. The last digit had been dropped inadvertently and caused the turn towards the south. Shannon control, who was just obtaining radar contact with us, advised us we were momentarily 18 mi south of course. We reintercepted our course and the flight continued uneventfully and landed at gatwick airport. Fatigue was obviously a contributing factor, but the cause was a breakdown in checking and xchking the coordinates and just as obviously the cure is total adherence to our procedures and good crew coordination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB TRACK HDG DEV APCHING CRK AFTER ATLANTIC XING.

Narrative: DEPARTED DFW ARPT. DEST GATWICK ARPT, UNITED KINGDOM. FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UP TO 52N 15W ON NAT XRAY. UPON REACHING 52N 15W WITH CORK VOR AS THE NEXT RPTING POINT, THE ACFT TURNED TO THE R (SOUTHERLY). HDG HOLD WAS SELECTED, THEN IMMEDIATELY THE ACFT WAS TURNED L TO APPROX 090 DEGS WHILE THE PROBLEM WAS SORTED OUT. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE N COORD IN INS #1 WAS N5150 INSTEAD OF N51504. THE LAST DIGIT HAD BEEN DROPPED INADVERTENTLY AND CAUSED THE TURN TOWARDS THE S. SHANNON CTL, WHO WAS JUST OBTAINING RADAR CONTACT WITH US, ADVISED US WE WERE MOMENTARILY 18 MI S OF COURSE. WE REINTERCEPTED OUR COURSE AND THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY AND LANDED AT GATWICK ARPT. FATIGUE WAS OBVIOUSLY A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, BUT THE CAUSE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN CHKING AND XCHKING THE COORDINATES AND JUST AS OBVIOUSLY THE CURE IS TOTAL ADHERENCE TO OUR PROCS AND GOOD CREW COORD.

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.