Narrative:

We had just departed the sna airport and were flying the musel six departure heading toward the musel intersection. ATC turned us on a 090 degree vector to join the departure procedure. The non-flying pilot then set up the FMS to provide course guidance after the musel intersection since the assigned heading would take us east of musel and would join the course there. A short time later; ATC turned us to a 040 degree heading to avoid the restricted airspace; R-2503C. Apparently the FMS sequenced in such a manner to draw a 071 degree course line from musel directly to trm (thermal) VOR instead of a 061 degree heading course line to the teyki intersection and then a 083 degree heading course line to trm. This error got us close to the restricted airspace and ATC caught it and gave us the heading correction. Both I and the other pilot were perplexed as to why the FMS sequenced in the way it did instead of the expected sequence. This is another case of the automation doing something not expected by the pilots. In retrospect; we should have set up backup VOR raw data needles to back up the FMS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN F2000 CREW PROGRAMMED THE FMS FOR AN EXPECTED TRACK FOLLOWING ATC VECTORS BUT THE FINAL FMS COURSE FLOWN DID NOT MEET THE CLRED RTE AND THE ACFT APCHED A WARNING AREA.

Narrative: WE HAD JUST DEPARTED THE SNA ARPT AND WERE FLYING THE MUSEL SIX DEP HEADING TOWARD THE MUSEL INTXN. ATC TURNED US ON A 090 DEG VECTOR TO JOIN THE DEP PROC. THE NON-FLYING PLT THEN SET UP THE FMS TO PROVIDE COURSE GUIDANCE AFTER THE MUSEL INTXN SINCE THE ASSIGNED HDG WOULD TAKE US E OF MUSEL AND WOULD JOIN THE COURSE THERE. A SHORT TIME LATER; ATC TURNED US TO A 040 DEG HDG TO AVOID THE RESTRICTED AIRSPACE; R-2503C. APPARENTLY THE FMS SEQUENCED IN SUCH A MANNER TO DRAW A 071 DEG COURSE LINE FROM MUSEL DIRECTLY TO TRM (THERMAL) VOR INSTEAD OF A 061 DEG HDG COURSE LINE TO THE TEYKI INTXN AND THEN A 083 DEG HDG COURSE LINE TO TRM. THIS ERROR GOT US CLOSE TO THE RESTRICTED AIRSPACE AND ATC CAUGHT IT AND GAVE US THE HDG CORRECTION. BOTH I AND THE OTHER PLT WERE PERPLEXED AS TO WHY THE FMS SEQUENCED IN THE WAY IT DID INSTEAD OF THE EXPECTED SEQUENCE. THIS IS ANOTHER CASE OF THE AUTOMATION DOING SOMETHING NOT EXPECTED BY THE PLTS. IN RETROSPECT; WE SHOULD HAVE SET UP BACKUP VOR RAW DATA NEEDLES TO BACK UP THE FMS.

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.