Flight cleared direct from vuz to tlh received poor VOR signal off tlh at 120 miles out.

Attributes
ACN	107605
Time
Date	198903
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ztl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 33000 agl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : tlh
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	107605
Person 2
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

Problem caused by gross deviation in bearing indications sent out by tlh VOR. On flight from bna to rsw we filed and were cleared via J39 to mgm and J20 to tlh. Near vvz we were given a heading to go direct tlh when able. Approximately 120 north of tlh the needle and CDI indicator tuned to tlh began wandering a lot and required a lot of chasing. ZTL then called and gave us a large heading change to the left to avoid traffic. We were cruising at FL330. We complied and told the controller of the tlh unreliability. I have flown this route often in the past month--always with the same spastic indications from the tlh VOR and told ZTL of the problem several times.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CLEARED DIRECT FROM VUZ TO TLH RECEIVED POOR VOR SIGNAL OFF TLH AT 120 MILES OUT.

Narrative: PROB CAUSED BY GROSS DEVIATION IN BEARING INDICATIONS SENT OUT BY TLH VOR. ON FLT FROM BNA TO RSW WE FILED AND WERE CLRED VIA J39 TO MGM AND J20 TO TLH. NEAR VVZ WE WERE GIVEN A HDG TO GO DIRECT TLH WHEN ABLE. APPROX 120 N OF TLH THE NEEDLE AND CDI INDICATOR TUNED TO TLH BEGAN WANDERING A LOT AND REQUIRED A LOT OF CHASING. ZTL THEN CALLED AND GAVE US A LARGE HDG CHANGE TO THE LEFT TO AVOID TFC. WE WERE CRUISING AT FL330. WE COMPLIED AND TOLD THE CTLR OF THE TLH UNRELIABILITY. I HAVE FLOWN THIS ROUTE OFTEN IN THE PAST MONTH--ALWAYS WITH THE SAME SPASTIC INDICATIONS FROM THE TLH VOR AND TOLD ZTL OF THE PROB SEVERAL TIMES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.