A321
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Training / Qualification
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Other / Unknown
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Aircraft; Human Factors
We got our clearance and verified the route. My First Officer; who was new to the Airplane and the Company; entered the route into the FMS. I read the information that was in the FMS and the First Officer looked at the information on the release and ATC clearance. Little did I know that he had misread both our release flight plan and the actual clearance (which was the same as our filed route.) The file route looked like this: KCLT MERIL6 MERIL RDU J207 FKN J79 JOANI J79 JFK KRANN KBOS. What was entered in the FMS was: FKN JOANI J79 JFK KRANN3 [KBOS.] I read back what was in the FMS which got an affirmative response from the pilot flying. It wasn't until just after FKN that we found out that the route which had been entered was incorrect. The Controller cleared us to Salisbury and we were back on the correct course; a four mile deviation.We captains need to be reminded that the person sitting next to us may not have been at this airline for 20 years or more. There may be some confusion with day to day operations; as there was in this case. Had I been more proactive; I could have caught our error. When I read our route back during the verification process; I hesitated at the part that said FKN JOANI; that didn't sound right to me. When I got an affirmative response from the First Officer...I moved on. Next time I won't.
The Captain of an A321 failed to note when his First Officer; new to the airline; loaded the route in the FMS incorrectly. A track deviation ensued.