Narrative:

Flying a national route program route, ATC informed us that we were 15 mi off course and cleared us direct to next way point. First officer had loaded flight plan and I saw him check way point coordinates, but he must have missed one because we were headed for MCN36 instead of MCN38. The print on our computer flight plan was very light causing the '8' in MCN38 to look like a '6.' in the future I will check all coordinates on national route programs rtes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter flies the A-320 for a major united states air carrier. This aircraft's database lists many national route program waypoints that are radial and distance from a VORTAC. These are stored as latitude and longitude coordinates. The flight crew enters the waypoints as MCN36 or MCN38, etc, and the aircraft then flies to these points which are not on a jet airway. The captain reporter admits that he should check the waypoints more carefully. He has heard nothing further from the FAA on this matter. Supplemental information from acn 306320: I misread company flight plan due to very light printout due to printer ribbon. Waypoint should have been MCN38, but I read it and typed it in as MCN36. The 8 and 6 looked very similar on flight plan. I checked the latitude and longitude on 3 of the 4 air carrier generated waypoints, but do not remember checking this one specifically. I don't remember if I was distracted by something (fueler brought fuel slip to cockpit about that time) or I simply forgot. I will be more diligent in the future to check and rechk everything on our highly automated flight deck.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV.

Narrative: FLYING A NATIONAL RTE PROGRAM RTE, ATC INFORMED US THAT WE WERE 15 MI OFF COURSE AND CLRED US DIRECT TO NEXT WAY POINT. FO HAD LOADED FLT PLAN AND I SAW HIM CHK WAY POINT COORDINATES, BUT HE MUST HAVE MISSED ONE BECAUSE WE WERE HEADED FOR MCN36 INSTEAD OF MCN38. THE PRINT ON OUR COMPUTER FLT PLAN WAS VERY LIGHT CAUSING THE '8' IN MCN38 TO LOOK LIKE A '6.' IN THE FUTURE I WILL CHK ALL COORDINATES ON NATIONAL RTE PROGRAMS RTES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR FLIES THE A-320 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. THIS ACFT'S DATABASE LISTS MANY NATIONAL RTE PROGRAM WAYPOINTS THAT ARE RADIAL AND DISTANCE FROM A VORTAC. THESE ARE STORED AS LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES. THE FLC ENTERS THE WAYPOINTS AS MCN36 OR MCN38, ETC, AND THE ACFT THEN FLIES TO THESE POINTS WHICH ARE NOT ON A JET AIRWAY. THE CAPT RPTR ADMITS THAT HE SHOULD CHK THE WAYPOINTS MORE CAREFULLY. HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM THE FAA ON THIS MATTER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 306320: I MISREAD COMPANY FLT PLAN DUE TO VERY LIGHT PRINTOUT DUE TO PRINTER RIBBON. WAYPOINT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MCN38, BUT I READ IT AND TYPED IT IN AS MCN36. THE 8 AND 6 LOOKED VERY SIMILAR ON FLT PLAN. I CHKED THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE ON 3 OF THE 4 ACR GENERATED WAYPOINTS, BUT DO NOT REMEMBER CHKING THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY. I DON'T REMEMBER IF I WAS DISTRACTED BY SOMETHING (FUELER BROUGHT FUEL SLIP TO COCKPIT ABOUT THAT TIME) OR I SIMPLY FORGOT. I WILL BE MORE DILIGENT IN THE FUTURE TO CHK AND RECHK EVERYTHING ON OUR HIGHLY AUTOMATED FLT DECK.

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.