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An A320 captain reports that as he entered ACARS data; a STAR deviation occurred because the first officer failed to reselect the FMGC route after an arrival update check.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 708599 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200609 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : zzz.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival star : zzz |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 708599 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I had my head down trying to get some engine data for a chronic maintenance item in ACARS before we landed. The copilot was flying and working ATC while I entered the data. At some point; the copilot had disconnected the STAR routing and recommended it so it showed us going from a fix on the STAR directly to OM for runway 16R. He said afterwards he wanted the FMGC to give us more accurate arrival time and fuel data. But he forgot to reconnect the STAR as published and didn't tell me he had done it and I didn't catch it because I had my head down entering the engine data in ACARS. The mistake was caught by approach when we turned off the STAR early and headed for the OM. I don't know why the copilot didn't notice the turn. Approach gave us a turn back toward the airway and said nothing more about it. I shouldn't have been typing in ACARS at that time and should have paid more attention to what the first officer was doing in the box. I don't believe the early turn created a separation issue.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN A320 CAPT RPTS THAT AS HE ENTERED ACARS DATA; A STAR DEV OCCURRED BECAUSE THE FO FAILED TO RESELECT THE FMGC RTE AFTER AN ARR UPDATE CHK.
Narrative: I HAD MY HEAD DOWN TRYING TO GET SOME ENG DATA FOR A CHRONIC MAINT ITEM IN ACARS BEFORE WE LANDED. THE COPLT WAS FLYING AND WORKING ATC WHILE I ENTERED THE DATA. AT SOME POINT; THE COPLT HAD DISCONNECTED THE STAR ROUTING AND RECOMMENDED IT SO IT SHOWED US GOING FROM A FIX ON THE STAR DIRECTLY TO OM FOR RWY 16R. HE SAID AFTERWARDS HE WANTED THE FMGC TO GIVE US MORE ACCURATE ARR TIME AND FUEL DATA. BUT HE FORGOT TO RECONNECT THE STAR AS PUBLISHED AND DIDN'T TELL ME HE HAD DONE IT AND I DIDN'T CATCH IT BECAUSE I HAD MY HEAD DOWN ENTERING THE ENG DATA IN ACARS. THE MISTAKE WAS CAUGHT BY APCH WHEN WE TURNED OFF THE STAR EARLY AND HEADED FOR THE OM. I DON'T KNOW WHY THE COPLT DIDN'T NOTICE THE TURN. APCH GAVE US A TURN BACK TOWARD THE AIRWAY AND SAID NOTHING MORE ABOUT IT. I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN TYPING IN ACARS AT THAT TIME AND SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO WHAT THE FO WAS DOING IN THE BOX. I DON'T BELIEVE THE EARLY TURN CREATED A SEPARATION ISSUE.
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.