The entry in the FMC of J60 instead of the cleared J6 for a route change and an autoplt malfunction ...

Attributes
ACN	528150
Time
Date	200110
Day	Mon
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zny.artcc
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : j6.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 16300 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	528150
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : overshoot non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to assigned altitude
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After departure from boston we received a rerte because ny center could not accommodate us. My company had given us a route to bring us south of WX. We reprogrammed the INS route to reflect the new route, sax J6. Unfortunately we entered J60 in the INS. At leveloff I noticed the flight mode annunciator of the automatic pilot capture altitude. I pulled speed and observed altitude hold and went to my map to back up our clearance. The altitude hold function of the autoplt did not work and we continued to climb. The first officer caught it at about plus 30 and nosed the aircraft over. The controller said 'check your altitude.' by that time we were leveling off at FL350. At about this time the aircraft started tracking out bound on J60. Again the first officer said we should be tracking out J6. We started a left turn. The controller now said, 'are you tracking outbound J6.' we said we are in a left turn for J6. He said, 'I have you about 4 miles right so please go direct lancaster (lrp) now.' we complied. These anomalies occurred in part because of the high workload brought on by the route change and weren't helped by the failure of the autoplt altitude hold exactly at a point coinciding with leveloff and course change which will require more vigilance on my part in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE ENTRY IN THE FMC OF J60 INSTEAD OF THE CLRED J6 FOR A RTE CHANGE AND AN AUTOPLT MALFUNCTION ARE NOTED AS CAUSING THE HIGH WORKLOAD THAT CAUSED AN ALT OVERSHOOT AND TRACK DEVIATION DURING A DEP FROM BOSTON.

Narrative: AFTER DEP FROM BOSTON WE RECEIVED A RERTE BECAUSE NY CTR COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE US. MY COMPANY HAD GIVEN US A RTE TO BRING US S OF WX. WE REPROGRAMMED THE INS RTE TO REFLECT THE NEW RTE, SAX J6. UNFORTUNATELY WE ENTERED J60 IN THE INS. AT LEVELOFF I NOTICED THE FLT MODE ANNUNCIATOR OF THE AUTO PLT CAPTURE ALT. I PULLED SPEED AND OBSERVED ALT HOLD AND WENT TO MY MAP TO BACK UP OUR CLRNC. THE ALT HOLD FUNCTION OF THE AUTOPLT DID NOT WORK AND WE CONTINUED TO CLB. THE FO CAUGHT IT AT ABOUT PLUS 30 AND NOSED THE ACFT OVER. THE CTLR SAID 'CHK YOUR ALT.' BY THAT TIME WE WERE LEVELING OFF AT FL350. AT ABOUT THIS TIME THE ACFT STARTED TRACKING OUT BOUND ON J60. AGAIN THE FO SAID WE SHOULD BE TRACKING OUT J6. WE STARTED A L TURN. THE CTLR NOW SAID, 'ARE YOU TRACKING OUTBOUND J6.' WE SAID WE ARE IN A L TURN FOR J6. HE SAID, 'I HAVE YOU ABOUT 4 MILES R SO PLEASE GO DIRECT LANCASTER (LRP) NOW.' WE COMPLIED. THESE ANOMALIES OCCURRED IN PART BECAUSE OF THE HIGH WORKLOAD BROUGHT ON BY THE RTE CHANGE AND WEREN'T HELPED BY THE FAILURE OF THE AUTOPLT ALT HOLD EXACTLY AT A POINT COINCIDING WITH LEVELOFF AND COURSE CHANGE WHICH WILL REQUIRE MORE VIGILANCE ON MY PART IN THE FUTURE.

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.

The entry in the FMC of J60 instead of the cleared J6 for a route change and an autoplt malfunction are noted as causing the high workload that caused an altitude overshoot and track deviation during a departure from boston.