Air bus crew programs FMC incorrectly until caught by alert controller.

Attributes
ACN	462640
Time
Date	200002
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : fll.vor
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : fll8.fll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 215 flight time total : 11200 flight time type : 425
ASRS Report	462640
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 anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During initial climb out of fll, we were assigned a heading to intercept the fll 8 departure, thndr transition. We had put fll as our 'from' waypoint and thndr as the 'to' waypoint in our FMS which then figured out our intercept. The 'from' and 'to' waypoints were supposed to be chop and thndr. The controller noticed our turn error right away and assigned us a new heading. I do not believe there were any traffic conflicts. Our original pre departure clearance we received on the ground in fll was: fll thndr V157 lbv..., which had made us think, in error, that thndr was defined off fll when we were airborne.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR BUS CREW PROGRAMS FMC INCORRECTLY UNTIL CAUGHT BY ALERT CTLR.

Narrative: DURING INITIAL CLBOUT OF FLL, WE WERE ASSIGNED A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE FLL 8 DEP, THNDR TRANSITION. WE HAD PUT FLL AS OUR 'FROM' WAYPOINT AND THNDR AS THE 'TO' WAYPOINT IN OUR FMS WHICH THEN FIGURED OUT OUR INTERCEPT. THE 'FROM' AND 'TO' WAYPOINTS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE CHOP AND THNDR. THE CTLR NOTICED OUR TURN ERROR RIGHT AWAY AND ASSIGNED US A NEW HDG. I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WERE ANY TFC CONFLICTS. OUR ORIGINAL PDC WE RECEIVED ON THE GND IN FLL WAS: FLL THNDR V157 LBV..., WHICH HAD MADE US THINK, IN ERROR, THAT THNDR WAS DEFINED OFF FLL WHEN WE WERE AIRBORNE.

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.