Narrative:

This report is being submitted due to a navigational error during an RNAV departure out of lfpb. Our clearance was to fly the opale 1C departure; which was to fly the bt 247 radial for 5.5 NM then turn right to intercept the first RNAV fix. The flight plan and departure were loaded into the FMS prior to taxi and were verified by both me and my copilot (who also filed a report). Both pilots discussed the departure procedures and were in agreement on the SID to be flown. During the briefing there was a little confusion on the text description on the commercial plate; it was instructing the pilot to fly the bt 247 radial for 5.5 NM then to turn right to the next RNAV fix. In all my training I have always been taught that if you are flying an RNAV procedure that you must fly the aircraft in the LNAV mode which we always do. The takeoff was performed in the heading mode per SOP's and after the gear and flaps were retracted the PNF verified and called that the aircraft was on course. At that point three things happened at one time. I called for the flight mode to be switched to LNAV. The flight director indicated a right turn toward the first RNAV fix. Tower control instructed us to contact departure control. When the PNF called degaulle departure they ask for our heading and the PNF informed him that we were in the turn heading 280 degrees; the controller instructed us to fly a specific heading which I do not remember what it was. The departure controller then asked us why we started our right turn early and that was the first point that we realized that there was a navigational error. At no time was there any conflict with other aircraft nor was there any TCAS warnings; the controller did tell us that there was no problem. After completion of the flight the copilot and myself did discuss the event and determined what had gone wrong. First; was the confusion on the text portion of the SID; I have not seen an RNAV procedure which instructs you to fly a VOR radial to a DME fix then proceed to an RNAV fix; second; was that the SID was included in the flight plan which was uplinked directly into the FMS instead of being selected from the list of sids in the database. The copilot and myself briefed the procedure using the commercial chart and the FMS and confirmed the first RNAV fix and distance; what was missed was flying the radial to the first DME fix. We discussed ways to prevent this from happening again and determined that any SID should be selected from the list located in the FMS database not using the uplink from the flight plan and that the procedure should be briefed and verified in the FMS so that there is no question on what is loaded into the FMS. What did add to the confusion was that I have never seen an RNAV departure with the text instructing you to fly a specific radial. It always has you flying to an RNAV fix which you must fly in LNAV mode. This event enforces the fact that we must always double; sometimes triple; check our FMS to ensure that it is loaded properly especially when operating in european airspace.supplemental information from acn 723315: we were cleared to depart runway 25 at paris le bourget on the opale 1C departure. I was having trouble locating the departure on our efbs (electronic flight bags) due to the large number of departures listed. When I located the departure I checked the FMS and noted that the first fix on the RNAV departure was in the FMS and listed on the flight plan; at that point I thought the departure had been loaded into the FMS. In reviewing the departure with the other pilot it was confusing because it was an RNAV departure that required a radial and distance to be flown before turning to the first RNAV fix. I thought that all RNAV departures required RNAV fixes and that it must be flown on the FMS. I got fixated on the departure and did not realize that I had never loaded the opale 1C departure from the FMS database and the other pilot thought that I had.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GIV DEPARTING LFPB DEVIATED FROM SID TRACK BECAUSE THE FLT CREW INCORRECTLY PROGRAMMED THE FMC.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS BEING SUBMITTED DUE TO A NAVIGATIONAL ERROR DURING AN RNAV DEP OUT OF LFPB. OUR CLRNC WAS TO FLY THE OPALE 1C DEP; WHICH WAS TO FLY THE BT 247 RADIAL FOR 5.5 NM THEN TURN R TO INTERCEPT THE FIRST RNAV FIX. THE FLIGHT PLAN AND DEP WERE LOADED INTO THE FMS PRIOR TO TAXI AND WERE VERIFIED BY BOTH ME AND MY COPILOT (WHO ALSO FILED A REPORT). BOTH PILOTS DISCUSSED THE DEP PROCS AND WERE IN AGREEMENT ON THE SID TO BE FLOWN. DURING THE BRIEFING THERE WAS A LITTLE CONFUSION ON THE TEXT DESCRIPTION ON THE COMMERCIAL PLATE; IT WAS INSTRUCTING THE PILOT TO FLY THE BT 247 RADIAL FOR 5.5 NM THEN TO TURN R TO THE NEXT RNAV FIX. IN ALL MY TRAINING I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TAUGHT THAT IF YOU ARE FLYING AN RNAV PROC THAT YOU MUST FLY THE ACFT IN THE LNAV MODE WHICH WE ALWAYS DO. THE TAKEOFF WAS PERFORMED IN THE HEADING MODE PER SOP'S AND AFTER THE GEAR AND FLAPS WERE RETRACTED THE PNF VERIFIED AND CALLED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON COURSE. AT THAT POINT THREE THINGS HAPPENED AT ONE TIME. I CALLED FOR THE FLIGHT MODE TO BE SWITCHED TO LNAV. THE FLT DIRECTOR INDICATED A R TURN TOWARD THE FIRST RNAV FIX. TOWER CTL INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT DEP CTL. WHEN THE PNF CALLED DEGAULLE DEP THEY ASK FOR OUR HEADING AND THE PNF INFORMED HIM THAT WE WERE IN THE TURN HEADING 280 DEGS; THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO FLY A SPECIFIC HEADING WHICH I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS. THE DEP CTLR THEN ASKED US WHY WE STARTED OUR R TURN EARLY AND THAT WAS THE FIRST POINT THAT WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A NAVIGATIONAL ERROR. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY CONFLICT WITH OTHER AIRCRAFT NOR WAS THERE ANY TCAS WARNINGS; THE CTLR DID TELL US THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. AFTER COMPLETION OF THE FLIGHT THE COPILOT AND MYSELF DID DISCUSS THE EVENT AND DETERMINED WHAT HAD GONE WRONG. FIRST; WAS THE CONFUSION ON THE TEXT PORTION OF THE SID; I HAVE NOT SEEN AN RNAV PROC WHICH INSTRUCTS YOU TO FLY A VOR RADIAL TO A DME FIX THEN PROCEED TO AN RNAV FIX; SECOND; WAS THAT THE SID WAS INCLUDED IN THE FLT PLAN WHICH WAS UPLINKED DIRECTLY INTO THE FMS INSTEAD OF BEING SELECTED FROM THE LIST OF SIDS IN THE DATABASE. THE COPILOT AND MYSELF BRIEFED THE PROC USING THE COMMERCIAL CHART AND THE FMS AND CONFIRMED THE FIRST RNAV FIX AND DISTANCE; WHAT WAS MISSED WAS FLYING THE RADIAL TO THE FIRST DME FIX. WE DISCUSSED WAYS TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN AND DETERMINED THAT ANY SID SHOULD BE SELECTED FROM THE LIST LOCATED IN THE FMS DATABASE NOT USING THE UPLINK FROM THE FLT PLAN AND THAT THE PROC SHOULD BE BRIEFED AND VERIFIED IN THE FMS SO THAT THERE IS NO QUESTION ON WHAT IS LOADED INTO THE FMS. WHAT DID ADD TO THE CONFUSION WAS THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN RNAV DEPARTURE WITH THE TEXT INSTRUCTING YOU TO FLY A SPECIFIC RADIAL. IT ALWAYS HAS YOU FLYING TO AN RNAV FIX WHICH YOU MUST FLY IN LNAV MODE. THIS EVENT ENFORCES THE FACT THAT WE MUST ALWAYS DOUBLE; SOMETIMES TRIPLE; CHECK OUR FMS TO ENSURE THAT IT IS LOADED PROPERLY ESPECIALLY WHEN OPERATING IN EUROPEAN AIRSPACE.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 723315: WE WERE CLEARED TO DEPART RWY 25 AT PARIS LE BOURGET ON THE OPALE 1C DEP. I WAS HAVING TROUBLE LOCATING THE DEP ON OUR EFBS (ELECTRONIC FLIGHT BAGS) DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF DEPS LISTED. WHEN I LOCATED THE DEP I CHECKED THE FMS AND NOTED THAT THE FIRST FIX ON THE RNAV DEP WAS IN THE FMS AND LISTED ON THE FLT PLAN; AT THAT POINT I THOUGHT THE DEP HAD BEEN LOADED INTO THE FMS. IN REVIEWING THE DEP WITH THE OTHER PILOT IT WAS CONFUSING BECAUSE IT WAS AN RNAV DEP THAT REQUIRED A RADIAL AND DISTANCE TO BE FLOWN BEFORE TURNING TO THE FIRST RNAV FIX. I THOUGHT THAT ALL RNAV DEPS REQUIRED RNAV FIXES AND THAT IT MUST BE FLOWN ON THE FMS. I GOT FIXATED ON THE DEP AND DID NOT REALIZE THAT I HAD NEVER LOADED THE OPALE 1C DEP FROM THE FMS DATABASE AND THE OTHER PLT THOUGHT THAT I HAD.

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.