Narrative:

Departing clt, first officer leg, we expected to depart runway 36L. Runway data was printed for runway 36L, we briefed the panther 5 departure using runway 35L. When we pushed off of the gate we were informed we would be departing runway 36R. There was not much ground traffic so the taxi was short. We didn't have radio contact with our station people in clt so I had to reprogram the FMC and figure out new takeoff data for runway 36R. I failed to re-brief the departure and still had the mode controller set-up for a turn to 330 degrees for runway 36L instead of 025 degrees for runway 36R. I departed runway 36R turned to a heading of 330 degrees. When the captain contacted departure he informed us our heading should be 25 degrees. We turned right and he gave us a heading to intercept the 076 degree radial to meril intersection. The B737-700 with its automatic uplink feature can be frustrating in sits like this because when you receive a change on taxi it takes a while to reprogram everything. No communication with the station would have taken some of the workload off of the cockpit crew but they were in the process of getting a new radio installed. The chain of events started with the departure not being re-briefed. I am beginning to think the automatic (FMS automatic update) can be more of a problem than its worth. As we all know it was the classic chain of events that normally don't happen that caused a higher cockpit workload than normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BOEING 737-700 FLC FLEW THE WRONG DEP HEADING FROM CLT.

Narrative: DEPARTING CLT, FO LEG, WE EXPECTED TO DEPART RWY 36L. RWY DATA WAS PRINTED FOR RWY 36L, WE BRIEFED THE PANTHER 5 DEP USING RWY 35L. WHEN WE PUSHED OFF OF THE GATE WE WERE INFORMED WE WOULD BE DEPARTING RWY 36R. THERE WAS NOT MUCH GND TFC SO THE TAXI WAS SHORT. WE DIDN'T HAVE RADIO CONTACT WITH OUR STATION PEOPLE IN CLT SO I HAD TO REPROGRAM THE FMC AND FIGURE OUT NEW TKOF DATA FOR RWY 36R. I FAILED TO RE-BRIEF THE DEP AND STILL HAD THE MODE CTLR SET-UP FOR A TURN TO 330 DEGS FOR RWY 36L INSTEAD OF 025 DEGS FOR RWY 36R. I DEPARTED RWY 36R TURNED TO A HEADING OF 330 DEGS. WHEN THE CAPT CONTACTED DEP HE INFORMED US OUR HEADING SHOULD BE 25 DEGS. WE TURNED R AND HE GAVE US A HEADING TO INTERCEPT THE 076 DEG RADIAL TO MERIL INTXN. THE B737-700 WITH ITS AUTOMATIC UPLINK FEATURE CAN BE FRUSTRATING IN SITS LIKE THIS BECAUSE WHEN YOU RECEIVE A CHANGE ON TAXI IT TAKES A WHILE TO REPROGRAM EVERYTHING. NO COM WITH THE STATION WOULD HAVE TAKEN SOME OF THE WORKLOAD OFF OF THE COCKPIT CREW BUT THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A NEW RADIO INSTALLED. THE CHAIN OF EVENTS STARTED WITH THE DEP NOT BEING RE-BRIEFED. I AM BEGINNING TO THINK THE AUTOMATIC (FMS AUTO UPDATE) CAN BE MORE OF A PROB THAN ITS WORTH. AS WE ALL KNOW IT WAS THE CLASSIC CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT NORMALLY DON'T HAPPEN THAT CAUSED A HIGHER COCKPIT WORKLOAD THAN NORMAL.

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.