Narrative:

Not realizing the oceanic track message was expired; I accepted an oceanic clearance using an oceanic track message that was issued the day before. After making a standard position report at the coast out fix; shanwick ATC contacted me and requested that I verify the position after the coast out fix. I verified what I had programmed in the navigation units and was informed by shanwick ATC the track routing I was using was not correct shanwick ATC then cleared me to the correct position following the coast out fix and supplied the correct waypoints for the oceanic track that I had been assigned. The flight proceeded normally from that point. This problem was caused by my failure to properly verify the date and valid times of the oceanic track message I used. I did not realize the portion of the oceanic track message that applied to our direction of flight was out of date due to the fact that the part of the oceanic track message with the track message identify number was for the correct date. Additionally; the company flight following department also failed to verify the date and valid times of the oceanic track message and supplied me a partially out-of-date oceanic track message and a flight plan based on this out-of-date information. I do not believe this was caused by a systemic problem but it highlights the need for the company flight following department and the flight crew to be more vigilant to ensure that the crew is operating with current and accurate information. To prevent a recurrence the obsolete mnps track system should be replaced by standard airways; as the pacific oceanic area have; that work much more efficiently.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-200 FLT CREW USES THE WRONG TRACK MESSAGE FOR THE NAT TRACK CLRNC. THEY PROGRAM THE ACFT SYS AND FLY THE WRONG POS. ATC REDIRECTS THE FLT CREW TO THE PROPER NAT TRACK.

Narrative: NOT REALIZING THE OCEANIC TRACK MESSAGE WAS EXPIRED; I ACCEPTED AN OCEANIC CLRNC USING AN OCEANIC TRACK MESSAGE THAT WAS ISSUED THE DAY BEFORE. AFTER MAKING A STANDARD POS RPT AT THE COAST OUT FIX; SHANWICK ATC CONTACTED ME AND REQUESTED THAT I VERIFY THE POS AFTER THE COAST OUT FIX. I VERIFIED WHAT I HAD PROGRAMMED IN THE NAV UNITS AND WAS INFORMED BY SHANWICK ATC THE TRACK ROUTING I WAS USING WAS NOT CORRECT SHANWICK ATC THEN CLRED ME TO THE CORRECT POS FOLLOWING THE COAST OUT FIX AND SUPPLIED THE CORRECT WAYPOINTS FOR THE OCEANIC TRACK THAT I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED. THE FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY FROM THAT POINT. THIS PROB WAS CAUSED BY MY FAILURE TO PROPERLY VERIFY THE DATE AND VALID TIMES OF THE OCEANIC TRACK MESSAGE I USED. I DID NOT REALIZE THE PORTION OF THE OCEANIC TRACK MESSAGE THAT APPLIED TO OUR DIRECTION OF FLT WAS OUT OF DATE DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE PART OF THE OCEANIC TRACK MESSAGE WITH THE TRACK MESSAGE IDENT NUMBER WAS FOR THE CORRECT DATE. ADDITIONALLY; THE COMPANY FLT FOLLOWING DEPT ALSO FAILED TO VERIFY THE DATE AND VALID TIMES OF THE OCEANIC TRACK MESSAGE AND SUPPLIED ME A PARTIALLY OUT-OF-DATE OCEANIC TRACK MESSAGE AND A FLT PLAN BASED ON THIS OUT-OF-DATE INFO. I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS WAS CAUSED BY A SYSTEMIC PROB BUT IT HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR THE COMPANY FLT FOLLOWING DEPT AND THE FLT CREW TO BE MORE VIGILANT TO ENSURE THAT THE CREW IS OPERATING WITH CURRENT AND ACCURATE INFO. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE THE OBSOLETE MNPS TRACK SYS SHOULD BE REPLACED BY STANDARD AIRWAYS; AS THE PACIFIC OCEANIC AREA HAVE; THAT WORK MUCH MORE EFFICIENTLY.

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.