Narrative:

I was the first officer on flight from jfk to atl. The equipment was INS equipped. We were cleared via airways and direct various fixes. En route we had requested and deviated off course due to numerous thunderstorms and circuit breaker's showing on our colored radar. Approaching atl area (talking with atl center) we were cleared from our present position FL280 direct TOC VORTAC, then the macey nine arrival to atl hartsfield airport to cross womac at 13,000' MSL and 250 KTS. During the descent the controller asked if we were going to be able to meet our altitude at womac. We replied affirmative. Our altitude at the time was approximately FL200 and approximately 35 DME southwest of TOC VORTAC. Both VOR's were tuned to TOC. The controller came back immediately and said we were approaching womac at that time. We immediately tuned in atl VORTAC and saw that we were in fact at womac at that time (altitude approximately 190). 56 DME from atl the captain who was flying this leg immediately deployed flight spoilers and asked me to see if they wanted us to do a turn (360 degree) to remain over womac until 13,000'. Center said negative, gave us a vector and turned us over to atl approach who gave us vectors to approach at atl. I believe the reasons for this occurrence were twofold. The macey fix intersection has a published holding pattern with the DME limits of the hold outside the track, as opposed to the legend. Normal procedure of showing the hold DME values inside the pattern with the thunderstorms in the area and cockpit load at the time, both the captain and I had read this as the DME for macey off the atl and TOC vortacs (see attached). The second reason for the occurrence was that both VOR's were tuned to the toccoa VORTAC rather than having one VOR on TOC and one on atl VORTAC. I feel the corrective action is for charts to be standardized in the depiction of DME hold value as per their legend, and with dual navigation receivers and navaids not to have both tuned to the same station as to eliminate the principle of double-checking ones position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF WDB ENROUTE ATL MISNAVIGATED AND MISSED CROSSING ALT WOMAC INTERSECTION. ARTCC CTLR INTERVENED.

Narrative: I WAS THE F/O ON FLT FROM JFK TO ATL. THE EQUIPMENT WAS INS EQUIPPED. WE WERE CLRED VIA AIRWAYS AND DIRECT VARIOUS FIXES. ENRTE WE HAD REQUESTED AND DEVIATED OFF COURSE DUE TO NUMEROUS TSTMS AND CB'S SHOWING ON OUR COLORED RADAR. APCHING ATL AREA (TALKING WITH ATL CENTER) WE WERE CLRED FROM OUR PRESENT POSITION FL280 DIRECT TOC VORTAC, THEN THE MACEY NINE ARR TO ATL HARTSFIELD ARPT TO CROSS WOMAC AT 13,000' MSL AND 250 KTS. DURING THE DSCNT THE CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET OUR ALT AT WOMAC. WE REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. OUR ALT AT THE TIME WAS APPROX FL200 AND APPROX 35 DME SW OF TOC VORTAC. BOTH VOR'S WERE TUNED TO TOC. THE CTLR CAME BACK IMMEDIATELY AND SAID WE WERE APCHING WOMAC AT THAT TIME. WE IMMEDIATELY TUNED IN ATL VORTAC AND SAW THAT WE WERE IN FACT AT WOMAC AT THAT TIME (ALT APPROX 190). 56 DME FROM ATL THE CAPT WHO WAS FLYING THIS LEG IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED FLT SPOILERS AND ASKED ME TO SEE IF THEY WANTED US TO DO A TURN (360 DEG) TO REMAIN OVER WOMAC UNTIL 13,000'. CENTER SAID NEGATIVE, GAVE US A VECTOR AND TURNED US OVER TO ATL APCH WHO GAVE US VECTORS TO APCH AT ATL. I BELIEVE THE REASONS FOR THIS OCCURRENCE WERE TWOFOLD. THE MACEY FIX INTXN HAS A PUBLISHED HOLDING PATTERN WITH THE DME LIMITS OF THE HOLD OUTSIDE THE TRACK, AS OPPOSED TO THE LEGEND. NORMAL PROC OF SHOWING THE HOLD DME VALUES INSIDE THE PATTERN WITH THE TSTMS IN THE AREA AND COCKPIT LOAD AT THE TIME, BOTH THE CAPT AND I HAD READ THIS AS THE DME FOR MACEY OFF THE ATL AND TOC VORTACS (SEE ATTACHED). THE SECOND REASON FOR THE OCCURRENCE WAS THAT BOTH VOR'S WERE TUNED TO THE TOCCOA VORTAC RATHER THAN HAVING ONE VOR ON TOC AND ONE ON ATL VORTAC. I FEEL THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS FOR CHARTS TO BE STANDARDIZED IN THE DEPICTION OF DME HOLD VALUE AS PER THEIR LEGEND, AND WITH DUAL NAV RECEIVERS AND NAVAIDS NOT TO HAVE BOTH TUNED TO THE SAME STATION AS TO ELIMINATE THE PRINCIPLE OF DOUBLE-CHECKING ONES POSITION.

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.