Medium Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 64.4; Flight Crew Total 8875.5; Flight Crew Type 820.5
Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface; Communication Breakdown
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; Procedure
We were scheduled to depart PHKO midmorning. At PHKO; route clearance is not given until 10 minutes prior to the actual time of departure; i.e. when our passengers arrive. I was PIC. However; it was the SIC; also Captain qualified and type-rated; who was flying this leg. While I was loading the bags; the SIC was getting our clearance. I had previously filed Direct UPP D CEBEN D ADOPE D HELOP A332 HEKAB D FOZZI D SEDAR D OLM. However; it has been my experience that this clearance is not always approved since it cuts across oceanic airways. Often; we are cleared to APACK R463 AUNTI A332 HELOP; then as filed. So to ensure we have an accurate flight plan with correct ETP's; while I file the more direct route; I will print out BOTH flight plans. If I'm cleared the more northern route up over APACK and AUNTI; then I simply upload the alternate flight plan to our FMS and use the alternate flight plan printout as our Master Document. On this occasion; we were cleared a bit differently. Direct APACK R463 ADOPE; then as filed. The SIC had studied the clearance and correctly modified the FMS Legs page. When I entered the cockpit to assist with engine start; I asked how we were cleared. The SIC communicated to me correctly our clearance; when I heard we were cleared to APACK R463 ADOPE; I incorrectly assumed we were cleared to APACK then onto AUNTI for the more northern track on A332. So; while taxiing out; I recalled the alternate flight plan to uplink into our FMS and pulled out the alternate print copy of our flight plan with the more northern route up over A332 to be used as our Master Document. We made a quick comparison of the overall distance and found that the FMS distance disagreed with the distance on our Flight Plan printout. I explained this away as the difference being that APACK was NOT on the flight plan printout. I had simply route planned direct to AUNTI; then A332. This was a red flag that should have caused closer scrutiny. While airborne and in the enroute climb phase; I had the SIC verify with me Leg distances and Lat & Long coordinates per our SOP for each Leg segment and intersection. The other mistake I made was that the FMS routing can be modified in two ways. One is by modifying the Flight Plan page. In this case; one enters the routing as you have filed or have been cleared. The other way is to simply modify the 'Legs' page of the FMS and insert the new fix. Sadly; this is the option I had chosen; which led to our navigation error. I inserted APACK to fly directly there as cleared. Our next fix on the FMS was to AUNTI; then onto A332 to HALLI HELOP; then as filed. However; our actual clearance was to APACK R463 ADOPE; then as filed. This meant after flying to AUNTI; we would fly on the southern track to the next fix of ADOPE; then back up to the adjacent northern track to HELOP; then as filed. While climbing enroute; I asked for clearance direct to AUNTI with HCF. We were cleared as requested; by-passing APACK altogether. After reaching our cruise altitude of FL410; I began to transfer all the information from the first flight plan that the SIC had used as our Master Document to what I thought was the more accurate flight plan printout. I transferred our clearance of Direct APACK R463 APOPE; then As Filed. This still did not register with me. I made my first position report passing over AUNTI with ATC. I reported our estimated time for crossing over HALLI; our next fix; then HELOP as our 'next' fix after HALLI. While the SIC left the cockpit to use the lav; I received a SELCAL from ATC. They wanted me to confirm our next fix. I repeated and confirmed it was HALLI. When the SIC returned; I did not mention this to her; as this is a normal occurrence; I assumed they had had trouble in hearing my first transmission and were just verifying. I was also doing our 10 minute check after crossing AUNTI. After she returned; we requested and were cleared to climb to FL430. While climbing; it finally registered that thefix in our clearance; ADOPE; was not on our flight plan. Instead of flying from AUNTI to ADOPE and then back up north to HELOP; we were flying from AUNTI on the airway straight on to HALLI; then HELOP. This is undoubtedly why ATC was confirming my next fix. After some discussion with the SIC and confirming my error; I quickly requested a re-route from ATC for A332 to HALLI then HELOP then as filed. This request was approved by ATC. We have not been notified yet by ATC concerning this gross navigation error. In retrospect; from a human performance perspective; here is where I failed: After loading the baggage compartment and upon returning to the cockpit; I should have left the FMS set-up alone. I should have realized that the SIC had had the time to study the re-route and had the FMS correctly programmed. There was no need to use the alternate flight plan I had generated and printed out; as the only change to it was clearing us to APACK and AUNTI then on to ADOPE instead of the requested routing of UPP CEBEN ADOPE. Had I modified the FMS using the flight plan page instead of the Legs page; I would have amended the FMS routing by entering our actual clearance. This would have correctly routed us over ADOPE; not to HALLI; before the next fix of HELOP. We should not have disregarded so easily the discrepancy in distances between the FMS and flight plan printout. After loading the bags; I was too mentally rushed when I entered the cockpit to assist with engine start and checklist procedures. I should not have acted without more time for discussion and analysis with the SIC on what exactly our re-route in the clearance entailed. This was just plain stupidity and a rookie mistake! Fatigue was not a factor; as we had flown into Kona two days prior with a midmorning departure on this day.
CL300 Captain reports misunderstanding an oceanic clearance from PHKO; resulting in a track deviation before the error is detected and corrected.