Narrative:

ZMA gave us a left turn after takeoff from runway 09L en route to mco. Storms west of our departure path. We were told to maintain 250 KTS. When asked by ZMA if we were still maintaining 250 KTS we then noticed our preprogrammed speed of 290 KTS had been activated by the captain by mistake. Center controller then told us to make a left 360 degrees. We advised them we could not because of a thunderstorm, instead we were given a right turn and a handoff shortly thereafter. No other problem. It is easy to push the wrong mode on an FMS aircraft, because a single action will cause several more steps to get the situation corrected, ie, changing from VNAV to flight level change then reset speed, a trap!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEP CTL ASSIGNED 250 KTS. THE CAPT FLYING SET IN 250 KTS IN VNAV MODE BUT FORGOT TO SET IN 250 KTS IN PREPROGRAMMED FLT LEVEL CHANGE. SO, WHEN THE CAPT WENT TO FLT LEVEL CHANGE MODE THE ACFT ACCELERATED TO PROGRAMMED CLB 290 KTS. DUE TO TSTMS THE FLC COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE A L 360 DEGS THAT THE CTLR WANTED BUT COULD DO A R 360 DEGS WHICH WAS ACCEPTABLE WITH THE CTLR.

Narrative: ZMA GAVE US A L TURN AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 09L ENRTE TO MCO. STORMS W OF OUR DEP PATH. WE WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 250 KTS. WHEN ASKED BY ZMA IF WE WERE STILL MAINTAINING 250 KTS WE THEN NOTICED OUR PREPROGRAMMED SPD OF 290 KTS HAD BEEN ACTIVATED BY THE CAPT BY MISTAKE. CTR CTLR THEN TOLD US TO MAKE A L 360 DEGS. WE ADVISED THEM WE COULD NOT BECAUSE OF A TSTM, INSTEAD WE WERE GIVEN A R TURN AND A HDOF SHORTLY THEREAFTER. NO OTHER PROB. IT IS EASY TO PUSH THE WRONG MODE ON AN FMS ACFT, BECAUSE A SINGLE ACTION WILL CAUSE SEVERAL MORE STEPS TO GET THE SIT CORRECTED, IE, CHANGING FROM VNAV TO FLT LEVEL CHANGE THEN RESET SPD, A TRAP!

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.