Narrative:

On nov/xa/00, I was the operations supervisor in charge at hnl cerap. At about XA21, my R3 radar controller alerted me that military X (a lockheed C130 hercules) was off course and diverging from the airway. The filed and cleared route was via cluts R465 clukk for the oceanic portion of the flight. The aircraft had passed cluts at about XA16, at which point radar service had been terminated, and communications xferred to commercial radio for the oceanic phase of the flight, in accordance with our SOP. The R3 controller had alertly observed the transponder target and limited data block deviating to the right of the cleared route. Since we no longer had VHF communications with the aircraft, the R3 controller contacted ZOA to ascertain if they were aware of the situation. The ZOA controller said they were in communications via commercial radio, and military X had reported cluts, duffe next (the correct report would have been cluts, clure next -- all fixes on R465 start with letter 'C'). ZOA was aware of the aircraft's position, and was working out a revised routing. Solutions: short term -- easy fix. On the very same FLIP chart, the fix position for the very crowded nopac rtes are broken out and put in a separate table. I suggest doing the same for the cenpac. Long term fix -- create a new chart in the series, with the cenpac alone in much larger scale on one side and the nopac alone in much larger scale on the other. Navigation errors in the non radar oceanic environment are serious business. Confusing charts do not help. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter did not add any additional information and did not know if the military has changed to using a different chart. It was pointed out that the NOAA chart seems to display the fixes more clearly and does not have the crowding that appears on the united states government chart.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C130 CREW OFF PJRF TO SMF MISREAD CHART AND PROCEEDED ON INCORRECT RTE.

Narrative: ON NOV/XA/00, I WAS THE OPS SUPVR IN CHARGE AT HNL CERAP. AT ABOUT XA21, MY R3 RADAR CTLR ALERTED ME THAT MIL X (A LOCKHEED C130 HERCULES) WAS OFF COURSE AND DIVERGING FROM THE AIRWAY. THE FILED AND CLRED RTE WAS VIA CLUTS R465 CLUKK FOR THE OCEANIC PORTION OF THE FLT. THE ACFT HAD PASSED CLUTS AT ABOUT XA16, AT WHICH POINT RADAR SVC HAD BEEN TERMINATED, AND COMS XFERRED TO COMMERCIAL RADIO FOR THE OCEANIC PHASE OF THE FLT, IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR SOP. THE R3 CTLR HAD ALERTLY OBSERVED THE XPONDER TARGET AND LIMITED DATA BLOCK DEVIATING TO THE R OF THE CLRED RTE. SINCE WE NO LONGER HAD VHF COMS WITH THE ACFT, THE R3 CTLR CONTACTED ZOA TO ASCERTAIN IF THEY WERE AWARE OF THE SIT. THE ZOA CTLR SAID THEY WERE IN COMS VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO, AND MIL X HAD RPTED CLUTS, DUFFE NEXT (THE CORRECT RPT WOULD HAVE BEEN CLUTS, CLURE NEXT -- ALL FIXES ON R465 START WITH LETTER 'C'). ZOA WAS AWARE OF THE ACFT'S POS, AND WAS WORKING OUT A REVISED ROUTING. SOLUTIONS: SHORT TERM -- EASY FIX. ON THE VERY SAME FLIP CHART, THE FIX POS FOR THE VERY CROWDED NOPAC RTES ARE BROKEN OUT AND PUT IN A SEPARATE TABLE. I SUGGEST DOING THE SAME FOR THE CENPAC. LONG TERM FIX -- CREATE A NEW CHART IN THE SERIES, WITH THE CENPAC ALONE IN MUCH LARGER SCALE ON ONE SIDE AND THE NOPAC ALONE IN MUCH LARGER SCALE ON THE OTHER. NAV ERRORS IN THE NON RADAR OCEANIC ENVIRONMENT ARE SERIOUS BUSINESS. CONFUSING CHARTS DO NOT HELP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR DID NOT ADD ANY ADDITIONAL INFO AND DID NOT KNOW IF THE MIL HAS CHANGED TO USING A DIFFERENT CHART. IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT THE NOAA CHART SEEMS TO DISPLAY THE FIXES MORE CLRLY AND DOES NOT HAVE THE CROWDING THAT APPEARS ON THE UNITED STATES GOV CHART.

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.