Date: 201709
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: CLT.Airport, VA
Aircraft: Regional Jet 700 ER/LR (CRJ700)
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Climb
Airspace: Class A ZDC
ATC / advisory: Center ZDC
Reporter organization: Government
Reporter function: Enroute; Supervisor / CIC
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Troubleshooting; Situational Awareness; Confusion; Human-Machine Interface
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 Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure; Airspace Structure; Chart Or Publication
Primary problem: Procedure

Narrative: The Raleigh/Liberty (R36/27) Controller notified me that Aircraft X took an early turn to the northeast towards RDU on the BARMY3 SID out of CLT. The controller questioned the pilot who corrected course. The pilot said it may be an FMS issue. I requested the pilot called the Area 2 desk when they reached their destination.A pilot for Aircraft X called and gave further details to a possible FMS issue. The pilots accepted the correct routing (KCLT.BARMY3.RDU [route to destination]) with a Runway 18L departure. The runway assignment was changed to Runway 18C and the pilot may have not had time to verify waypoints; which should have been the same. The pilot thought the runway change may have dropped waypoints (BARMY or BATTA); which caused the early turn to RDU.The issue was highlighted as the event of aircraft turning off of BARMY SID to points North has happened with enough frequency to question. Sometimes (not in this case) these early turns put aircraft into the RDU shelf (FL240-260); where RDU departures climb off the SHPRD SID head-on.The event was forward to ZDC TMU who inquired with company dispatch to see if FMS problems on the BARMY SID was a known issue; or if this was something new.This report is being written with hopes of identifying the source of BARMY SID turn issue. Is it clearance delivery; FMS; or pilot-action driven?


Second narrative: We had planned for 18L departure with the BARMY THREE Departure. We briefed and review the departure at the gate. As we pushed back; Ground Control changed our runway to 18C. We changed the runway in the FMS and verified the first waypoint in the performance checklist. We departed; and during the turn Washington Center asked about our routing; we were flying from BARMY to RDU; the FMS had dropped BATTA intersection off the route. We are not sure why departure fix dropped without our input. Washington Center then decided to keep us [on] our current routing.When reaffirming performance checklist look at all departure fixes again.


Synopsis: ZDC Center Controller and flight crew reported the aircraft turned early on an RNAV SID.