Date: 201307
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZDV.ARTCC, CO
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Cruise
Airspace: Class E ZDV
ATC / advisory: Center ZDV
Aircraft component: FMS/FMC
Component problem: Design; Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Human-Machine Interface; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Second reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Aircraft; Procedure
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: The First Officer loaded the flight plan and LOC approach in ASE. We verified the PDC on this route as entered correctly. After discussing the flight and weather we decided to fly the visual approach into ASE. He then copied the route and loaded the visual approach into the primary flight plan. As we were doing this we were handed the weight and balance. What we missed was that the SID reloaded and took out two of our fixes between CONNR and DBL when we entered the visual approach. This is a very unusual situation in that the Approach affects the Departure airport SID. When we selected a different approach into ASE it deleted the SID. This is something new that only started when DEN went to the RNAV SID's. Since I don't fly ASE regularly so I missed that the SID got deleted when the visual to ASE was loaded.It would have been better to wait and run the Pre Start check after the FMS is done being loaded.


Second narrative: At the gate loaded the route into FMS as the PDC cleared us. Elected to enter the visual approach into ASE after loading the PDC routing. While enroute ZDV asked us if DEN departure had cleared us direct to DBL vs. our assigned BLDOG WERNR ZAKOR DBL routing. We double checked the PDC and realized what had happened. Center cleared us direct DBL; which is what we were actually flying at the time.The causes were distractions with the weight and balance being delivered immediately after the visual was loaded and our failure to re-verify the route after entering the new approach. The FMS dumping the previously entered routing also contributed to the problem. Always verify any changes made to the FMS routing/programming. If there is a distraction; then; if able; deal with that distraction later and continue the verification. When the Pre-Start checklist is called for; take a moment to double-check the routing; even if we believe that we had done it before.


Synopsis: A flight crew entered the PDC ASE clearance in the FMS then changed the arrival to a visual; but did not they realize until ATC questioned their track that the visual approach programming caused two fixes to drop from the routing.