Narrative:

On departure out of iad on the capital 6 departure with a blues intersection transition we received a 'descend RA' along with a transmission from departure control to immediately turn left to a heading of 240 degrees. We did have a visual on the other aircraft. This deviation occurred due to having the incorrect 'blues' intersection entered into the FMC so when we were cleared to that intersection after takeoff we headed for the blues in russia some 6000 NM from where we were currently located. This error caused us to make a right turn versus a left turn which would have taken us to the correct blues intersection. This incident occurred at an altitude of approximately 12000 ft MSL while at an assigned airspeed of 250 KTS. Contributing factors: 1) while loading the route into the CDU the captain initially entered the incorrect blues and at that time he indicated he had fixed it. We discussed an e-mail we had received about the possible error of entering the incorrect fix. 2) when I later verified the route; the route page looked perfect and had the route just as listed on our flight plan. I failed however; to check the progress page where I would have discovered the distance error. 3) we never received an 'insufficient fuel' message which would could have alerted us to the error. 4) when we were cleared to the blues intersection I tried to increase the scale on my map display to ensure the captain was heading us to the right location but couldn't seem to find it on my map (perhaps because it was 6000 NM away) but since I was hand flying and as often happens out of iad we were step climbing and leveling off every 2000 ft; I gave up looking and just looked at the captain's CDU which conveniently showed blues; I then confirmed it and we headed that way. 5) after the RA I finally looked at the captain's CDU again and noticed the mileage was way off. Recommendation: since it appears this is not the first time this has happened; I believe that the blues intersection should be renamed or the dispatcher should include a note on the fpf if that is the first assigned fix to ensure the correct blues is loaded.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACFT DEPARTING IAD ON THE CPTAL 6 SID SELECTED AN INCORRECT BLUES INTXN AND WHEN CLEARED DIRECT HAD A TRACK DEV AS THE ACFT HEADED FOR RUSSIA.

Narrative: ON DEP OUT OF IAD ON THE CAPITAL 6 DEP WITH A BLUES INTXN TRANSITION WE RECEIVED A 'DSND RA' ALONG WITH A XMISSION FROM DEP CTL TO IMMEDIATELY TURN L TO A HDG OF 240 DEGS. WE DID HAVE A VISUAL ON THE OTHER ACFT. THIS DEV OCCURRED DUE TO HAVING THE INCORRECT 'BLUES' INTXN ENTERED INTO THE FMC SO WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO THAT INTXN AFTER TKOF WE HEADED FOR THE BLUES IN RUSSIA SOME 6000 NM FROM WHERE WE WERE CURRENTLY LOCATED. THIS ERROR CAUSED US TO MAKE A R TURN VERSUS A L TURN WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN US TO THE CORRECT BLUES INTXN. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AT AN ALT OF APPROX 12000 FT MSL WHILE AT AN ASSIGNED AIRSPD OF 250 KTS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) WHILE LOADING THE RTE INTO THE CDU THE CAPT INITIALLY ENTERED THE INCORRECT BLUES AND AT THAT TIME HE INDICATED HE HAD FIXED IT. WE DISCUSSED AN E-MAIL WE HAD RECEIVED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE ERROR OF ENTERING THE INCORRECT FIX. 2) WHEN I LATER VERIFIED THE RTE; THE RTE PAGE LOOKED PERFECT AND HAD THE RTE JUST AS LISTED ON OUR FLT PLAN. I FAILED HOWEVER; TO CHK THE PROGRESS PAGE WHERE I WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE DISTANCE ERROR. 3) WE NEVER RECEIVED AN 'INSUFFICIENT FUEL' MESSAGE WHICH WOULD COULD HAVE ALERTED US TO THE ERROR. 4) WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO THE BLUES INTXN I TRIED TO INCREASE THE SCALE ON MY MAP DISPLAY TO ENSURE THE CAPT WAS HDG US TO THE RIGHT LOCATION BUT COULDN'T SEEM TO FIND IT ON MY MAP (PERHAPS BECAUSE IT WAS 6000 NM AWAY) BUT SINCE I WAS HAND FLYING AND AS OFTEN HAPPENS OUT OF IAD WE WERE STEP CLBING AND LEVELING OFF EVERY 2000 FT; I GAVE UP LOOKING AND JUST LOOKED AT THE CAPT'S CDU WHICH CONVENIENTLY SHOWED BLUES; I THEN CONFIRMED IT AND WE HEADED THAT WAY. 5) AFTER THE RA I FINALLY LOOKED AT THE CAPT'S CDU AGAIN AND NOTICED THE MILEAGE WAS WAY OFF. RECOMMENDATION: SINCE IT APPEARS THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED; I BELIEVE THAT THE BLUES INTXN SHOULD BE RENAMED OR THE DISPATCHER SHOULD INCLUDE A NOTE ON THE FPF IF THAT IS THE FIRST ASSIGNED FIX TO ENSURE THE CORRECT BLUES IS LOADED.

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.