B737-300 captain attributed a track deviation to his failure to engage LNAV on the FMS after loading...

Attributes
ACN	1025442
Time
Date	201207
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	DEN.Airport
State Reference	CO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Climb
Route In Use	Direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	FMS/FMC
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 40
Events
Anomaly	Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Track / Heading All Types

Narrative:

While on the departure; we were initially given a 275 heading after departure from runway 25. Sometime around FL200; we were given direct zimmr; on course. I punched zimmr into the FMC page 1 route page; executed it; and thought I hit LNAV. First officer was making a PA at the time and I did not verify with him as I usually do. A few minutes later; ATC called and asked us if we were on a different arrival since we were about ten miles north of course. We said we were not and controller cleared us direct meeker and we resumed the arrival. Controller stated that there was no problem and no conflict. [We had a] routine flight after that. I did not verify pressing LNAV because the first officer was on the radio. I should have done it immediately after he got off the radio.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 Captain attributed a track deviation to his failure to engage LNAV on the FMS after loading a 'direct to' fix.

Narrative: While on the departure; we were initially given a 275 heading after departure from Runway 25. Sometime around FL200; we were given direct ZIMMR; on course. I punched ZIMMR into the FMC Page 1 Route page; executed it; and thought I hit LNAV. First Officer was making a PA at the time and I did not verify with him as I usually do. A few minutes later; ATC called and asked us if we were on a different arrival since we were about ten miles north of course. We said we were not and Controller cleared us direct MEEKER and we resumed the arrival. Controller stated that there was no problem and no conflict. [We had a] routine flight after that. I did not verify pressing LNAV because the First Officer was on the radio. I should have done it immediately after he got off the radio.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

B737-300 captain attributed a track deviation to his failure to engage LNAV on the FMS after loading a 'direct to' fix.