B757-200
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 7; Flight Crew Total 13600; Flight Crew Type 9000
Situational Awareness; Confusion
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors
We were cleared for takeoff from Runway 25 with a clearance to turn left direct Bradford (BDF) and climb to 12;000 feet. At 400 feet AGL we selected direct BDF and LNAV. At approximately 3400 feet MSL the Controller queried us about our heading. We informed the Controller we were cleared direct BDF (by this point our heading was approximately 050 degrees (on course direct to BDF). The Controller informed us that our heading should have been approximately 200 degrees (for direct BDF). We were at a loss as to why the FMC was showing us an eventual course of approximately 039 degrees and conveyed our concern to the Controller. The Controller then cleared us direct STL. It was during the execution of direct STL that we noticed the leg distance to BDF was showing greater than 3;000 miles!!! (We had inadvertently selected the wrong BDF when loading the flight plan). We finished executing direct STL and the rest of flight was uneventful. Prior to takeoff; we had received a brief 'insufficient fuel' message. We discussed the possible reasons for the message including winds and accuracy of points loaded in FMC. We checked for any irregularities and still missed the fact that the wrong BDF was loaded.
[After realizing we were off course] I re-entered BDF in the flight plan. Two BDF points came up as they had when I [initially] loaded the flight plan. When I selected the first one a BDF point over 3;100 miles away came up; which it had not done during preflight; which seemed odd. The remainder of the flight was uneventful.
B757-200 flight crew reported ATC alerted them to a track deviation that resulted when they loaded the 'wrong' BDF in the FMC.