<< >> NASA ASRS Report 657866, May 2005

Flight crew of B757 are dispatched with out of date FMC database. Discover on trans gulf of mexico leg. MEL for dispatch which requires confirmation of waypoint latitude-longitude. Reporter discovered latitude-longitude coordinates are not shown on the 'Q' rtes across the gulf. Thus; the dispatch was not legal.

Attributes
ACN	657866
Time
Date	200505
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : redfn
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 36000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	657866
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	657864
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fmc initialization page other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication Company FAA
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication

Narrative:

Twice I have flown gulf of mexico 'Q' rtes in an aircraft with the FMC navigation database out of date (B757 MEL 34-21C). For flight XXX I even contacted dispatch about validity of FMC with out-of-date database. I was assured there were no problems. However; after additional review of MEL 34-21C and its requirement to use flight manual ii charts to enter data into the FMS; the only fixes that can be entered into the FMS for navigation are those with latitude/longitude printed on the flight manual ii charts. Those fixes can be entered either by latitude/longitude from the flight manual ii chart or by identify (only after verifying latitude/longitude on the FMC 'navigation data' page matches the latitude/longitude from the flight manual ii chart). I conclude MEL 34-21C does not allow RNAV rtes (like the 'Q' rtes) to be flown in an aircraft with an out-of-date navigation database (many other fixes also lack latitude/longitude on flight manual ii charts).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B757 ARE DISPATCHED WITH OUT OF DATE FMC DATABASE. DISCOVER ON TRANS GULF OF MEXICO LEG. MEL FOR DISPATCH WHICH REQUIRES CONFIRMATION OF WAYPOINT LATITUDE-LONGITUDE. RPTR DISCOVERED LATITUDE-LONGITUDE COORDINATES ARE NOT SHOWN ON THE 'Q' RTES ACROSS THE GULF. THUS; THE DISPATCH WAS NOT LEGAL.

Narrative: TWICE I HAVE FLOWN GULF OF MEXICO 'Q' RTES IN AN ACFT WITH THE FMC NAV DATABASE OUT OF DATE (B757 MEL 34-21C). FOR FLT XXX I EVEN CONTACTED DISPATCH ABOUT VALIDITY OF FMC WITH OUT-OF-DATE DATABASE. I WAS ASSURED THERE WERE NO PROBS. HOWEVER; AFTER ADDITIONAL REVIEW OF MEL 34-21C AND ITS REQUIREMENT TO USE FLT MANUAL II CHARTS TO ENTER DATA INTO THE FMS; THE ONLY FIXES THAT CAN BE ENTERED INTO THE FMS FOR NAV ARE THOSE WITH LATITUDE/LONGITUDE PRINTED ON THE FLT MANUAL II CHARTS. THOSE FIXES CAN BE ENTERED EITHER BY LATITUDE/LONGITUDE FROM THE FLT MANUAL II CHART OR BY IDENT (ONLY AFTER VERIFYING LATITUDE/LONGITUDE ON THE FMC 'NAV DATA' PAGE MATCHES THE LATITUDE/LONGITUDE FROM THE FLT MANUAL II CHART). I CONCLUDE MEL 34-21C DOES NOT ALLOW RNAV RTES (LIKE THE 'Q' RTES) TO BE FLOWN IN AN ACFT WITH AN OUT-OF-DATE NAV DATABASE (MANY OTHER FIXES ALSO LACK LATITUDE/LONGITUDE ON FLT MANUAL II CHARTS).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.