B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 28000; Flight Crew Type 6000
Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Aircraft
On taxi out we had to stop to resolve an INS alignment issue. We completed the Before Takeoff checklist. At the line FMC's I pulled up the route page and verified 16R; Cupid 1 to Cupid; transition altitude and magenta line correct. LNAV/VNAV was engaged and we took off. Take off was normal. At approximately 1;000 FT while I was watching airspeed; rate of climb and degree of pitch the flight director commanded a left turn. I momentarily banked the a/c to the left for approximately two seconds when I realized that the departure called for a straight out to the shoreline. I leveled the wings called for heading select and started a turn back to the [runway] centerline. Not fast enough the Tokyo Controller asked why we were deviating to the left. We asked for direct to the first waypoint which the Controller obliged and then had us level off at 7;000 FT for crossing traffic. As far as I know there was no loss of separation laterally and definitely not vertically. After we cleaned up the flaps we tried to figure out why the flight director had commanded a left turn and we found that at some point between the checklist and the takeoff roll the FMC had dumped the departure. I have been on the 747 about 6 years and have never seen it do this before although I have heard anecdotal stories about flaws in the Honeywell system most notably the SFO incident a few years ago that almost put a 400 into the bay.
2 Pilot International Operation. Captain was PNF; F/O PF. Captain loaded route on ground during preflight setup. Loading included Departure Runway; SID (Cupid); Route of Flight; STAR Arrival and Landing Runway. During mileage check SABRE vs. FMC; route was 110 NM greater. (Excessive). Captain then stepped thru each segment on the legs page; starting with RW 16R; Cupid SID; FMC Route; STAR and Landing runway. A 'doubleback' was found on the STAR to a previous intersection. Doubleback was eliminated; route checked again for discontinuities; none found; and Route Mileage FMC was 3 NM greater than SABRE and deemed correct loading. During Pre-Takeoff check; F/O did confirm departure runway and SID via checklist. Both pilots had the Cupid SID page out for reference; Upon becoming airborne; as Captain was switching frequencies; he notice aircraft was in a left bank and told the PF to turn right per SID. At that time; both of us realized no SID was present. Captain reselected SID on FMC; but it would not take. Captain again tried re selecting Departure Runway and SID in order; but the FMC would not take it. NRT Departure Controller advised we were 3 miles left of course - PF was following FD Bars. Magenta line was from RW 16 to Cupid. Captain told PF to return to centerline. NRT Departure Controller said we were now 2 miles left of course. Captain told Controller correcting to centerline; we have lost the SID on the FMC; Request Radar Vectors. Controller then cleared us direct to CUPID. RW 16L was not in use. No traffic/TCAS maneuvers needed or encountered. Upon clearing 10;000 FT; the rest of the route was confirmed to be loaded correctly on both the legs page and the route page; including STAR and the landing runway. Later in the flight; the STAR also dropped out. Given previous events; crew had checked it and reinstalled the STAR.
B747 flight crew reports SID's and STAR's dropping out of the FMC after takeoff; resulting in a track deviation. The missing STAR is detected and replaced prior to any deviations.