Narrative:

Entered kennedy 1 departure in FMS prior to departure. Departed runway 31L. At approximately 400 ft; first officer turned to cri VOR. At 600 ft autoplt on. After cri VOR; aircraft turned to track 176 degree radial outbound as published from cri. Less than 1 min later; aircraft made uncommanded turn to the right direct to coate intersection. Crew immediately reacted and captain grabbed chart to verify correct procedure. While crew was remedying the uncommanded turn; ATC said to turn left immediately to 130 degrees; first officer disconnected autoplt and turned to 130 degrees. ATC indicated that other crews had made this same right turn previously. After further analysis of this situation; the crew found that the 176 degree radial location as described in the information section of the FMS was approximately 2 mi south of cri VOR; which is why the aircraft turned right towards the next waypoint which was coate intersection. However; the 176 degree radial pictorial on the kennedy 1 departure chart does not depict this 2 mi fix and the radial goes off to infinity; which corresponded to the display on the aircraft's mfd. The correction could be that the 2 mi fix on the cri 176 degree radial should be located much further to the south to prevent similar situations. 781369: while working the jfk departure radar position at the new york TRACON; a flight departing runway 31L was instructed to fly the cri SID by jfk tower. The aircraft checked in with jfk departure and proceeded to the cri VOR and then made a right turn to the northwest. The SID instructs the pilot to fly outbound cri on the 176 degree radial. The aircraft was heading into the lga final and entered the lga controller's airspace before being told to make an immediate left turn to the southeast. When questioned; the pilot could give no answer about why he had flown the SID the way he did. This is an increasingly ongoing problem. The pilots are flying this SID incorrectly with an emphasis on commuter pilots with low time and inexperience. These errors could have disastrous consequences due to the proximity of lga airport traffic to jfk and the complex and restrictive airspace in the new york area. An near midair collision or midair collision is not out of the question. Pilots need to be aware of this important situation; and the FAA needs to take action to limit the amount of errors that are occurring. Callback conversation with reporter acn 780665 revealed the following information: the captain was the PNF during this departure and was using raw data to back up the FMC and did not notice that the first officer had closed the route discontinuity; thus commanding the aircraft to turn after the 2 DME fix.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 FLT CREW DEPARTING JFK ON THE KENNEDY1 CRI CLIMB TURNS RIGHT AT CRI 176 R AND 2 DME DIRECT FIRST WAYPOINT.

Narrative: ENTERED KENNEDY 1 DEP IN FMS PRIOR TO DEP. DEPARTED RWY 31L. AT APPROX 400 FT; FO TURNED TO CRI VOR. AT 600 FT AUTOPLT ON. AFTER CRI VOR; ACFT TURNED TO TRACK 176 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND AS PUBLISHED FROM CRI. LESS THAN 1 MIN LATER; ACFT MADE UNCOMMANDED TURN TO THE R DIRECT TO COATE INTXN. CREW IMMEDIATELY REACTED AND CAPT GRABBED CHART TO VERIFY CORRECT PROC. WHILE CREW WAS REMEDYING THE UNCOMMANDED TURN; ATC SAID TO TURN L IMMEDIATELY TO 130 DEGS; FO DISCONNECTED AUTOPLT AND TURNED TO 130 DEGS. ATC INDICATED THAT OTHER CREWS HAD MADE THIS SAME R TURN PREVIOUSLY. AFTER FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THIS SITUATION; THE CREW FOUND THAT THE 176 DEG RADIAL LOCATION AS DESCRIBED IN THE INFO SECTION OF THE FMS WAS APPROX 2 MI S OF CRI VOR; WHICH IS WHY THE ACFT TURNED R TOWARDS THE NEXT WAYPOINT WHICH WAS COATE INTXN. HOWEVER; THE 176 DEG RADIAL PICTORIAL ON THE KENNEDY 1 DEP CHART DOES NOT DEPICT THIS 2 MI FIX AND THE RADIAL GOES OFF TO INFINITY; WHICH CORRESPONDED TO THE DISPLAY ON THE ACFT'S MFD. THE CORRECTION COULD BE THAT THE 2 MI FIX ON THE CRI 176 DEG RADIAL SHOULD BE LOCATED MUCH FURTHER TO THE S TO PREVENT SIMILAR SITUATIONS. 781369: WHILE WORKING THE JFK DEP RADAR POS AT THE NEW YORK TRACON; A FLT DEPARTING RWY 31L WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY THE CRI SID BY JFK TWR. THE ACFT CHKED IN WITH JFK DEP AND PROCEEDED TO THE CRI VOR AND THEN MADE A R TURN TO THE NW. THE SID INSTRUCTS THE PLT TO FLY OUTBOUND CRI ON THE 176 DEG RADIAL. THE ACFT WAS HEADING INTO THE LGA FINAL AND ENTERED THE LGA CTLR'S AIRSPACE BEFORE BEING TOLD TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO THE SE. WHEN QUESTIONED; THE PLT COULD GIVE NO ANSWER ABOUT WHY HE HAD FLOWN THE SID THE WAY HE DID. THIS IS AN INCREASINGLY ONGOING PROB. THE PLTS ARE FLYING THIS SID INCORRECTLY WITH AN EMPHASIS ON COMMUTER PLTS WITH LOW TIME AND INEXPERIENCE. THESE ERRORS COULD HAVE DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES DUE TO THE PROX OF LGA ARPT TFC TO JFK AND THE COMPLEX AND RESTRICTIVE AIRSPACE IN THE NEW YORK AREA. AN NMAC OR MIDAIR COLLISION IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION. PLTS NEED TO BE AWARE OF THIS IMPORTANT SITUATION; AND THE FAA NEEDS TO TAKE ACTION TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF ERRORS THAT ARE OCCURRING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 780665 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT WAS THE PNF DURING THIS DEPARTURE AND WAS USING RAW DATA TO BACK UP THE FMC AND DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE FO HAD CLOSED THE ROUTE DISCONTINUITY; THUS COMMANDING THE ACFT TO TURN AFTER THE 2 DME FIX.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.