Narrative:

Filed flight plan from bur to den was the vny 5 departure, pmd transition, pmd J6 J146 hbu. Clearance delivery gave us the vny 5, pmd transition, pmd--the pmd 046 degree right dag 239 degree right dag flight plan route. Last week I was able to reprogram the FMC with the new routing. This time it wouldn't accept it. As we passed pmd on our climb out I was still trying to reprogram. We went out J6 (pmd 067 degree right) for a couple of miles before we went to manual VOR navigation. In making a left turn to about 020 degrees to intercept the pmd 046 degree right, we entered the edge of the edwards AFB restr area as we leveled at FL370. ATC informed us we were in the area, gave us a turn to 080 degrees for dag and said we were out of the restr area. (The captain was flying and I was on the radio.) the problem began with the new routing which the FMC would not accept. Also, this routing brings you right to the edge of the restr area--J6/J146 gives you a lot more clearance. We've become so used to using the EFIS map mode and autoflt, that we've gotten away from VOR navigation. Partly complacency, partly confusion. Unfortunately, my airline's medium large transport B training was atrocious and the FAA's rubber stamp of the syllabus was criminal. (A survey of those of us flying this aircraft overwhelmingly condemned the training and only by threatening to go public convinced the company to split the medium large transport B fleet from the medium large transport a.) this type of incident has happened to several of our crews and after flying the medium large transport B for 18 months I finally screwed up, too! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: when analyst pointed out that the pmd 046 degree right did not intercept the dag 239 degree right, reporter seemed flustered and said he was positive that the radials he reported were the radials he was given by bur clearance delivery, and that he had read them back. He also said that he thought the route between pmd and dag was amended more often than not and he wondered why they didn't simply change the center stored route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG DEVIATES FROM COURSE AND ENTERS RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: FILED FLT PLAN FROM BUR TO DEN WAS THE VNY 5 DEP, PMD TRANSITION, PMD J6 J146 HBU. CLRNC DELIVERY GAVE US THE VNY 5, PMD TRANSITION, PMD--THE PMD 046 DEG R DAG 239 DEG R DAG FLT PLAN ROUTE. LAST WK I WAS ABLE TO REPROGRAM THE FMC WITH THE NEW ROUTING. THIS TIME IT WOULDN'T ACCEPT IT. AS WE PASSED PMD ON OUR CLBOUT I WAS STILL TRYING TO REPROGRAM. WE WENT OUT J6 (PMD 067 DEG R) FOR A COUPLE OF MILES BEFORE WE WENT TO MANUAL VOR NAV. IN MAKING A LEFT TURN TO ABOUT 020 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE PMD 046 DEG R, WE ENTERED THE EDGE OF THE EDWARDS AFB RESTR AREA AS WE LEVELED AT FL370. ATC INFORMED US WE WERE IN THE AREA, GAVE US A TURN TO 080 DEGS FOR DAG AND SAID WE WERE OUT OF THE RESTR AREA. (THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I WAS ON THE RADIO.) THE PROB BEGAN WITH THE NEW ROUTING WHICH THE FMC WOULD NOT ACCEPT. ALSO, THIS ROUTING BRINGS YOU RIGHT TO THE EDGE OF THE RESTR AREA--J6/J146 GIVES YOU A LOT MORE CLRNC. WE'VE BECOME SO USED TO USING THE EFIS MAP MODE AND AUTOFLT, THAT WE'VE GOTTEN AWAY FROM VOR NAV. PARTLY COMPLACENCY, PARTLY CONFUSION. UNFORTUNATELY, MY AIRLINE'S MLG B TRNING WAS ATROCIOUS AND THE FAA'S RUBBER STAMP OF THE SYLLABUS WAS CRIMINAL. (A SURVEY OF THOSE OF US FLYING THIS ACFT OVERWHELMINGLY CONDEMNED THE TRNING AND ONLY BY THREATENING TO GO PUBLIC CONVINCED THE COMPANY TO SPLIT THE MLG B FLEET FROM THE MLG A.) THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL OF OUR CREWS AND AFTER FLYING THE MLG B FOR 18 MONTHS I FINALLY SCREWED UP, TOO! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: WHEN ANALYST POINTED OUT THAT THE PMD 046 DEG R DID NOT INTERCEPT THE DAG 239 DEG R, RPTR SEEMED FLUSTERED AND SAID HE WAS POSITIVE THAT THE RADIALS HE RPTED WERE THE RADIALS HE WAS GIVEN BY BUR CLRNC DELIVERY, AND THAT HE HAD READ THEM BACK. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE THOUGHT THE ROUTE BTWN PMD AND DAG WAS AMENDED MORE OFTEN THAN NOT AND HE WONDERED WHY THEY DIDN'T SIMPLY CHANGE THE CENTER STORED ROUTE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.