Narrative:

En route from keflavik ab, iceland, to thule ab, greenland. At approximately XX45Z I was asked to verify my position by iceland radio. Iceland read the coordinates they showed us at on their radar and I read the coordinates shown by our INS. They were very close to each other. We were then notified we were well south of our filed/cleared course. At that point I checked the waypoints loaded into the computer and discovered an error. Instead of loading 70 degrees north 030 degrees west -- 70 degrees north 040 degrees west was loaded, and we were approximately 100 NM south of course. We then started correcting to our cleared course and were subsequently reclred to proceed via the 70 degrees north 040 degrees west point. At 040 degrees west we were then given a revised route to our destination of thule, greenland. The point prior to 70 degrees north 030 degrees west was patreksford where we passed out of radar contact and were handed off from reykjavick radar to iceland radio. We came into radar range again when we approached the coast of greenland. ATC didn't see us off course until then. The waypoints were loaded by a third pilot on the crew and I made the assumption the aircraft commander would check the points. The standard oceanic plotting chart carried by air crews does not cover the area of greenland between iceland and thule. I asked the aircraft commander prior to starting engines about plotting the course on an opc. We were then distraction and never came back to it. Solutions: on a 2 pilot crew both pilots need to check the points anyway -- if there is a third pilot act like he's not there and check the points yourself. Don't assume the aircraft commander is checking the points at each waypoint -- help him out and check them yourself. And finally, other charts were on board that could have been used to plot the route. If the procedure had been followed to plot the fix 10 mins after passing patreksford the error could have been corrected then. Supplemental information from acn 389530: I was the third pilot, not in the seat for this leg. By the time we were picked up on radar, we were already 90 mi south of our cleared track. Pilots have received more extensive procedures for ensuring the route of flight is followed.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MIL C141 GETS OFF ITS FLT PLAN FROM ICELAND TO GREENLAND WHEN ONE OF THE PLTS MISPROGRAMS THE INS NAV SYS. OVER THE COAST OF GREENLAND, ICELAND RADIO LETS THEM KNOW OF THEIR DEV.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM KEFLAVIK AB, ICELAND, TO THULE AB, GREENLAND. AT APPROX XX45Z I WAS ASKED TO VERIFY MY POS BY ICELAND RADIO. ICELAND READ THE COORDINATES THEY SHOWED US AT ON THEIR RADAR AND I READ THE COORDINATES SHOWN BY OUR INS. THEY WERE VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. WE WERE THEN NOTIFIED WE WERE WELL S OF OUR FILED/CLRED COURSE. AT THAT POINT I CHKED THE WAYPOINTS LOADED INTO THE COMPUTER AND DISCOVERED AN ERROR. INSTEAD OF LOADING 70 DEGS N 030 DEGS W -- 70 DEGS N 040 DEGS W WAS LOADED, AND WE WERE APPROX 100 NM S OF COURSE. WE THEN STARTED CORRECTING TO OUR CLRED COURSE AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY RECLRED TO PROCEED VIA THE 70 DEGS N 040 DEGS W POINT. AT 040 DEGS W WE WERE THEN GIVEN A REVISED RTE TO OUR DEST OF THULE, GREENLAND. THE POINT PRIOR TO 70 DEGS N 030 DEGS W WAS PATREKSFORD WHERE WE PASSED OUT OF RADAR CONTACT AND WERE HANDED OFF FROM REYKJAVICK RADAR TO ICELAND RADIO. WE CAME INTO RADAR RANGE AGAIN WHEN WE APCHED THE COAST OF GREENLAND. ATC DIDN'T SEE US OFF COURSE UNTIL THEN. THE WAYPOINTS WERE LOADED BY A THIRD PLT ON THE CREW AND I MADE THE ASSUMPTION THE ACFT COMMANDER WOULD CHK THE POINTS. THE STANDARD OCEANIC PLOTTING CHART CARRIED BY AIR CREWS DOES NOT COVER THE AREA OF GREENLAND BTWN ICELAND AND THULE. I ASKED THE ACFT COMMANDER PRIOR TO STARTING ENGS ABOUT PLOTTING THE COURSE ON AN OPC. WE WERE THEN DISTR AND NEVER CAME BACK TO IT. SOLUTIONS: ON A 2 PLT CREW BOTH PLTS NEED TO CHK THE POINTS ANYWAY -- IF THERE IS A THIRD PLT ACT LIKE HE'S NOT THERE AND CHK THE POINTS YOURSELF. DON'T ASSUME THE ACFT COMMANDER IS CHKING THE POINTS AT EACH WAYPOINT -- HELP HIM OUT AND CHK THEM YOURSELF. AND FINALLY, OTHER CHARTS WERE ON BOARD THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED TO PLOT THE RTE. IF THE PROC HAD BEEN FOLLOWED TO PLOT THE FIX 10 MINS AFTER PASSING PATREKSFORD THE ERROR COULD HAVE BEEN CORRECTED THEN. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 389530: I WAS THE THIRD PLT, NOT IN THE SEAT FOR THIS LEG. BY THE TIME WE WERE PICKED UP ON RADAR, WE WERE ALREADY 90 MI S OF OUR CLRED TRACK. PLTS HAVE RECEIVED MORE EXTENSIVE PROCS FOR ENSURING THE RTE OF FLT IS FOLLOWED.

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.