Air carrier medium large transport track heading deviation at cruise altitude. Flight crew tuned in ...

Attributes
ACN	128376
Time
Date	198911
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dbq
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	128376
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	128373
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route to ord, between mason city, ia, and jamesville VOR, we turned 10 mi south of course. As my first officer was navigating east of mason city, he thought I was tuned into jamesville. I had the correct inbound selected, so he tuned in his VOR to match my frequency and turned right to intercept. My first officer seemed a little uncomfortable with turn. He did not think he was so far north of course. During this time period I was getting the ATIS, doing my passenger announcement and working with the ACARS, when ZAU advised us we were 10 mi south of course, heading direct for dbq VOR. With my VOR tuned into dbq for a position report, my first officer thought I had put the inbound turn on the jet arwy, which I did, but tuned in dbq. After discovering our mistake, we asked for direct jamesville, which ZAU said was ok. We should have checked each other. This was a very busy period, in which a 2-M crew must be aware of each other's actions. A lesson learned: 'double check' to prevent such an error.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HEADING DEVIATION AT CRUISE ALT. FLT CREW TUNED IN THE WRONG VOR.

Narrative: ENRTE TO ORD, BTWN MASON CITY, IA, AND JAMESVILLE VOR, WE TURNED 10 MI S OF COURSE. AS MY F/O WAS NAVIGATING E OF MASON CITY, HE THOUGHT I WAS TUNED INTO JAMESVILLE. I HAD THE CORRECT INBND SELECTED, SO HE TUNED IN HIS VOR TO MATCH MY FREQ AND TURNED RIGHT TO INTERCEPT. MY F/O SEEMED A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH TURN. HE DID NOT THINK HE WAS SO FAR N OF COURSE. DURING THIS TIME PERIOD I WAS GETTING THE ATIS, DOING MY PAX ANNOUNCEMENT AND WORKING WITH THE ACARS, WHEN ZAU ADVISED US WE WERE 10 MI S OF COURSE, HDG DIRECT FOR DBQ VOR. WITH MY VOR TUNED INTO DBQ FOR A POS RPT, MY F/O THOUGHT I HAD PUT THE INBND TURN ON THE JET ARWY, WHICH I DID, BUT TUNED IN DBQ. AFTER DISCOVERING OUR MISTAKE, WE ASKED FOR DIRECT JAMESVILLE, WHICH ZAU SAID WAS OK. WE SHOULD HAVE CHKED EACH OTHER. THIS WAS A VERY BUSY PERIOD, IN WHICH A 2-M CREW MUST BE AWARE OF EACH OTHER'S ACTIONS. A LESSON LEARNED: 'DOUBLE CHK' TO PREVENT SUCH AN ERROR.

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.

Air carrier medium large transport track heading deviation at cruise altitude. Flight crew tuned in the wrong VOR.