Narrative:

Prologue: our flight from ord to bos was approaching albany VOR from the west on J-82. Our filed routing after albany VOR was the gardner two arrival to boston. The captain was performing the duties of the PF, and I was acting as PNF. Both VHF navigation receivers were tuned to albany and the autoplt was engaged and tracking in the VOR mode. An omega waypoint for albany was programmed and displayed in the omega CDU's. The set up: about 75 mi west of albany, center revised our clearance as follows 'cleared to boston, direct gardner, the gardner 090 radial to the 42 DME fix, direct boston'. This revision was due to an air show taking place under the gardner two STAR arrival course. I copied and read back the clearance. I then tuned gardner VOR in the #2 UHF navigation receiver and set my HSI course selector for 090, the segment east of the VOR. I intended to follow our progress direct to gardner on the RMI. About 15 mins went by and suddenly center was inquiring 'are you proceeding direct gardner? It looks like you're outbound on the albany 090 degree radial. Turn right 120 degree and proceed direct gardner'. He was right, unobserved by me, we had gone direct albany and outbound on the albany 090 degree radial. What had happened: the captain had failed to tune in gardner and listen to the identifier of his navigation receiver, nor did I even look over to see if he had changed frequencys following receipt of the revised clearance. I did note that the #1 and #2 RMI needles were split, but that fact failed to register in my cerebral alarm center.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW MISINTERPRETS ATC CLRNC AND DEVIATES FROM ROUTE CLRNC. NECESSARY FOR ARTCC RADAR CTLR TO INTERVENE.

Narrative: PROLOGUE: OUR FLT FROM ORD TO BOS WAS APCHING ALBANY VOR FROM THE W ON J-82. OUR FILED ROUTING AFTER ALBANY VOR WAS THE GARDNER TWO ARR TO BOSTON. THE CAPT WAS PERFORMING THE DUTIES OF THE PF, AND I WAS ACTING AS PNF. BOTH VHF NAV RECEIVERS WERE TUNED TO ALBANY AND THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED AND TRACKING IN THE VOR MODE. AN OMEGA WAYPOINT FOR ALBANY WAS PROGRAMMED AND DISPLAYED IN THE OMEGA CDU'S. THE SET UP: ABOUT 75 MI W OF ALBANY, CENTER REVISED OUR CLRNC AS FOLLOWS 'CLRED TO BOSTON, DIRECT GARDNER, THE GARDNER 090 RADIAL TO THE 42 DME FIX, DIRECT BOSTON'. THIS REVISION WAS DUE TO AN AIR SHOW TAKING PLACE UNDER THE GARDNER TWO STAR ARR COURSE. I COPIED AND READ BACK THE CLRNC. I THEN TUNED GARDNER VOR IN THE #2 UHF NAV RECEIVER AND SET MY HSI COURSE SELECTOR FOR 090, THE SEGMENT E OF THE VOR. I INTENDED TO FOLLOW OUR PROGRESS DIRECT TO GARDNER ON THE RMI. ABOUT 15 MINS WENT BY AND SUDDENLY CENTER WAS INQUIRING 'ARE YOU PROCEEDING DIRECT GARDNER? IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE OUTBOUND ON THE ALBANY 090 DEG RADIAL. TURN RIGHT 120 DEG AND PROCEED DIRECT GARDNER'. HE WAS RIGHT, UNOBSERVED BY ME, WE HAD GONE DIRECT ALBANY AND OUTBOUND ON THE ALBANY 090 DEG RADIAL. WHAT HAD HAPPENED: THE CAPT HAD FAILED TO TUNE IN GARDNER AND LISTEN TO THE IDENTIFIER OF HIS NAV RECEIVER, NOR DID I EVEN LOOK OVER TO SEE IF HE HAD CHANGED FREQS FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF THE REVISED CLRNC. I DID NOTE THAT THE #1 AND #2 RMI NEEDLES WERE SPLIT, BUT THAT FACT FAILED TO REGISTER IN MY CEREBRAL ALARM CENTER.

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.