Narrative:

Passing over linden VOR, ATC called and asked what our clearance was. We responded 'oal.' he said that we were 'cleared J84 out of linden.' we looked at our pre departure clearance and noticed that this was correct, we acknowledged that he was correct. He then seemed frustrated and said, 'cleared to mlf.' he also stated that, 'we were making this mistake all day long and he would have to do something about it.' the rest of the flight was uneventful. The pre departure clearance had a change, the departure off runway 11 using MARI4 departure to linden was caught and reviewed, since departures off runway 11 are rare. The pre departure clearance that week had change notices all week, but only added a departure and verbiage about the main body. Although the verbiage about the main body looked different, they were the same flight plan. The SID ended at linden VOR. The controller seemed to be watching closely since he called as we crossed linden VOR and the direct to oal was about 076 degrees and J84 was 060 degrees. I do not know if his comment about others making this mistake was all airlines or any airline in particular. This routing linden J84 J92 oal takes some time to calculate and put into the computer. I have alerted my airline to this problem and will be working with them. I do not believe that deviation from assigned route were violated since the controller called us over linden VOR and we had just rolled out 16 degrees off course. I am working to try and prevent this from happening again to myself and any other airline pilot within my company. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that A300-600 older FMS equipment does not automatically recognize and plot into its database the intxns of crossing jet rtes as newer system do. The reporter alleges that the FMS then defaults to the next route, therefore the problem of turning towards oal VORTAC instead of remaining on J84 towards MVA VORTAC, planned to turn at J92 towards oal. Because of the potential of a runway and SID change by departure time, reporter's company leaves these entry functions to the flight crew at departure time. Pre departure clearance's reflect these amendments after the clearance has been requested. The reporter admitted complacency in 'ensuring' all the appropriate intersection points are entered timely. This was the problem that they were alerted to by ATC over lin VORTAC. The reporter stated that he is working this 'issue' with company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300-600 FLT CREW ARE CHALLENGED BY ZOA WHEN OBSERVED IN A TURN AWAY FROM THE COMPANY FILED ROUTING. CTLR CHALLENGES WITH FOLLOW UP ACTION.

Narrative: PASSING OVER LINDEN VOR, ATC CALLED AND ASKED WHAT OUR CLRNC WAS. WE RESPONDED 'OAL.' HE SAID THAT WE WERE 'CLRED J84 OUT OF LINDEN.' WE LOOKED AT OUR PDC AND NOTICED THAT THIS WAS CORRECT, WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE WAS CORRECT. HE THEN SEEMED FRUSTRATED AND SAID, 'CLRED TO MLF.' HE ALSO STATED THAT, 'WE WERE MAKING THIS MISTAKE ALL DAY LONG AND HE WOULD HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.' THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE PDC HAD A CHANGE, THE DEP OFF RWY 11 USING MARI4 DEP TO LINDEN WAS CAUGHT AND REVIEWED, SINCE DEPS OFF RWY 11 ARE RARE. THE PDC THAT WK HAD CHANGE NOTICES ALL WK, BUT ONLY ADDED A DEP AND VERBIAGE ABOUT THE MAIN BODY. ALTHOUGH THE VERBIAGE ABOUT THE MAIN BODY LOOKED DIFFERENT, THEY WERE THE SAME FLT PLAN. THE SID ENDED AT LINDEN VOR. THE CTLR SEEMED TO BE WATCHING CLOSELY SINCE HE CALLED AS WE CROSSED LINDEN VOR AND THE DIRECT TO OAL WAS ABOUT 076 DEGS AND J84 WAS 060 DEGS. I DO NOT KNOW IF HIS COMMENT ABOUT OTHERS MAKING THIS MISTAKE WAS ALL AIRLINES OR ANY AIRLINE IN PARTICULAR. THIS ROUTING LINDEN J84 J92 OAL TAKES SOME TIME TO CALCULATE AND PUT INTO THE COMPUTER. I HAVE ALERTED MY AIRLINE TO THIS PROB AND WILL BE WORKING WITH THEM. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT DEV FROM ASSIGNED RTE WERE VIOLATED SINCE THE CTLR CALLED US OVER LINDEN VOR AND WE HAD JUST ROLLED OUT 16 DEGS OFF COURSE. I AM WORKING TO TRY AND PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN TO MYSELF AND ANY OTHER AIRLINE PLT WITHIN MY COMPANY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT A300-600 OLDER FMS EQUIP DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY RECOGNIZE AND PLOT INTO ITS DATABASE THE INTXNS OF XING JET RTES AS NEWER SYS DO. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT THE FMS THEN DEFAULTS TO THE NEXT RTE, THEREFORE THE PROB OF TURNING TOWARDS OAL VORTAC INSTEAD OF REMAINING ON J84 TOWARDS MVA VORTAC, PLANNED TO TURN AT J92 TOWARDS OAL. BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL OF A RWY AND SID CHANGE BY DEP TIME, RPTR'S COMPANY LEAVES THESE ENTRY FUNCTIONS TO THE FLT CREW AT DEP TIME. PDC'S REFLECT THESE AMENDMENTS AFTER THE CLRNC HAS BEEN REQUESTED. THE RPTR ADMITTED COMPLACENCY IN 'ENSURING' ALL THE APPROPRIATE INTXN POINTS ARE ENTERED TIMELY. THIS WAS THE PROB THAT THEY WERE ALERTED TO BY ATC OVER LIN VORTAC. THE RPTR STATED THAT HE IS WORKING THIS 'ISSUE' WITH COMPANY.

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.