Narrative:

Shortly after departure from johnstown, PA, after having made contact with ZOB and radar contact, center asked us where we were going. I was the first officer and PNF. On taxiout during the before takeoff checklist, the captain quickly briefed the SID (one of several) for this non-tower controled airport. This SID climbed us out northeast of jst on the 048 degree right. I was not at all clear about this departure or how it would feed us onto the route (V12 out of jst to agc). We were IFR in blowing snow and rain, climbing to 8000' MSL. The captain who did not appear to understand about the filed route seemed puzzled about center's inquiry. I told the captain that the route (V12) was west on the jst 272 degree right, and we were northeast of the VORTAC. The captain got very upset and gave me no directions to respond to center and seemed confused. I took the initiative because I knew the route to respond to ATC. I said, 'air carrier identify is off course, please give us a vector back to course.' center turned us to 270 degree heading, which I assumed was to intercept the course outbnd. During this time the captain told me to fly while he fished through the IFR charts to see what the course was--his first course familiarization. He didn't assume the PNF duties fnav and communication, so when center called again there was ambiguity over what anyone was supposed to do. My HSI was set up for the 274 degree right. I wanted to compare that situation to the RMI needles, which I thought were set to VOR mode for jst. The RMI needles were pointing 180 degrees, so I took it upon myself, since no one seemed to be in charge, to turn to the station on that information and speed up the intercept. However, to my dismay, I had the RMI set to ADF mode. Center called in again as I erringly navigation'd toward jst on the ADF display and again asked where we were going. The captain, already fit to be tied, got even more upset and erratic seeing what was taking place. Finally center told us to forget the intercept and radar vectored us to pit approach control's airspace and handed us off. I realized my navigation error and my erroneous assumptions--the captain accepted blame for not doing his job right, and we progressed into pit on the ILS runway 32 west/O further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT TRACK DEVIATION AT COMPLETION OF SID FROM JST.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER DEP FROM JOHNSTOWN, PA, AFTER HAVING MADE CONTACT WITH ZOB AND RADAR CONTACT, CENTER ASKED US WHERE WE WERE GOING. I WAS THE F/O AND PNF. ON TAXIOUT DURING THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST, THE CAPT QUICKLY BRIEFED THE SID (ONE OF SEVERAL) FOR THIS NON-TWR CTLED ARPT. THIS SID CLBED US OUT NE OF JST ON THE 048 DEG R. I WAS NOT AT ALL CLEAR ABOUT THIS DEP OR HOW IT WOULD FEED US ONTO THE RTE (V12 OUT OF JST TO AGC). WE WERE IFR IN BLOWING SNOW AND RAIN, CLBING TO 8000' MSL. THE CAPT WHO DID NOT APPEAR TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE FILED RTE SEEMED PUZZLED ABOUT CTR'S INQUIRY. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT THE RTE (V12) WAS W ON THE JST 272 DEG R, AND WE WERE NE OF THE VORTAC. THE CAPT GOT VERY UPSET AND GAVE ME NO DIRECTIONS TO RESPOND TO CENTER AND SEEMED CONFUSED. I TOOK THE INITIATIVE BECAUSE I KNEW THE RTE TO RESPOND TO ATC. I SAID, 'ACR IDENT IS OFF COURSE, PLEASE GIVE US A VECTOR BACK TO COURSE.' CENTER TURNED US TO 270 DEG HDG, WHICH I ASSUMED WAS TO INTERCEPT THE COURSE OUTBND. DURING THIS TIME THE CAPT TOLD ME TO FLY WHILE HE FISHED THROUGH THE IFR CHARTS TO SEE WHAT THE COURSE WAS--HIS FIRST COURSE FAMILIARIZATION. HE DIDN'T ASSUME THE PNF DUTIES FNAV AND COM, SO WHEN CENTER CALLED AGAIN THERE WAS AMBIGUITY OVER WHAT ANYONE WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. MY HSI WAS SET UP FOR THE 274 DEG R. I WANTED TO COMPARE THAT SITUATION TO THE RMI NEEDLES, WHICH I THOUGHT WERE SET TO VOR MODE FOR JST. THE RMI NEEDLES WERE POINTING 180 DEGS, SO I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF, SINCE NO ONE SEEMED TO BE IN CHARGE, TO TURN TO THE STATION ON THAT INFO AND SPEED UP THE INTERCEPT. HOWEVER, TO MY DISMAY, I HAD THE RMI SET TO ADF MODE. CENTER CALLED IN AGAIN AS I ERRINGLY NAV'D TOWARD JST ON THE ADF DISPLAY AND AGAIN ASKED WHERE WE WERE GOING. THE CAPT, ALREADY FIT TO BE TIED, GOT EVEN MORE UPSET AND ERRATIC SEEING WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE. FINALLY CENTER TOLD US TO FORGET THE INTERCEPT AND RADAR VECTORED US TO PIT APCH CTL'S AIRSPACE AND HANDED US OFF. I REALIZED MY NAV ERROR AND MY ERRONEOUS ASSUMPTIONS--THE CAPT ACCEPTED BLAME FOR NOT DOING HIS JOB RIGHT, AND WE PROGRESSED INTO PIT ON THE ILS RWY 32 W/O FURTHER INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.