Narrative:

Proceeding northeast along J37 from montgomery to spartanburg a little past the changeover point but still on montgomery for navigation, I received a vector heading from atl center for traffic. Navigation 2 was not yet receiving spartanburg so kept navigation 1 on montgomery for airway information. Copilot then exited the cockpit for physiological needs. Atl center then issued me another vector to rejoin the airway J37 to spartanburg, thence flight planned route. I armed the VOR/localizer for the autoplt to capture and track the airway and it did so, as defined by navigation 1. After several mins I observed navigation 2 to be tuned improperly to 114.7, instead of 115.7 which is spartanburg, so I corrected it. At that point I became distracted by some interruption which I honestly cannot recall. Maybe a call from the F/a's to cool down the cabin or a frequency change from center, the result of which I failed to retune navigation 1 to 115.7. A few mins later atl center questioned whether I was proceeding direct to 115.7, to which I responded in the affirmative. Atl center then advised me that my position was 30 DME south of spartanburg and center then cleared me direct to greensboro. Copilot then returned. The wrong frequency selected, failure to change VOR frequencys at the mid changeover point, failure to promptly investigate the lack of reception of an anticipated NAVAID, a minor distraction, back-up crew member absent, and the pseudo security of constant radar control complete with vectors, were all links in this chain of errors. I am ashamed of myself for allowing these all too familiar foes to defeat me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HEADING DEVIATION WHEN PIC TUNED IN THE WRONG VOR.

Narrative: PROCEEDING NE ALONG J37 FROM MONTGOMERY TO SPARTANBURG A LITTLE PAST THE CHANGEOVER POINT BUT STILL ON MONTGOMERY FOR NAVIGATION, I RECEIVED A VECTOR HDG FROM ATL CENTER FOR TFC. NAV 2 WAS NOT YET RECEIVING SPARTANBURG SO KEPT NAV 1 ON MONTGOMERY FOR AIRWAY INFO. COPLT THEN EXITED THE COCKPIT FOR PHYSIOLOGICAL NEEDS. ATL CENTER THEN ISSUED ME ANOTHER VECTOR TO REJOIN THE AIRWAY J37 TO SPARTANBURG, THENCE FLT PLANNED ROUTE. I ARMED THE VOR/LOC FOR THE AUTOPLT TO CAPTURE AND TRACK THE AIRWAY AND IT DID SO, AS DEFINED BY NAV 1. AFTER SEVERAL MINS I OBSERVED NAV 2 TO BE TUNED IMPROPERLY TO 114.7, INSTEAD OF 115.7 WHICH IS SPARTANBURG, SO I CORRECTED IT. AT THAT POINT I BECAME DISTRACTED BY SOME INTERRUPTION WHICH I HONESTLY CANNOT RECALL. MAYBE A CALL FROM THE F/A'S TO COOL DOWN THE CABIN OR A FREQ CHANGE FROM CENTER, THE RESULT OF WHICH I FAILED TO RETUNE NAV 1 TO 115.7. A FEW MINS LATER ATL CENTER QUESTIONED WHETHER I WAS PROCEEDING DIRECT TO 115.7, TO WHICH I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. ATL CENTER THEN ADVISED ME THAT MY POSITION WAS 30 DME S OF SPARTANBURG AND CENTER THEN CLRED ME DIRECT TO GREENSBORO. COPLT THEN RETURNED. THE WRONG FREQ SELECTED, FAILURE TO CHANGE VOR FREQS AT THE MID CHANGEOVER POINT, FAILURE TO PROMPTLY INVESTIGATE THE LACK OF RECEPTION OF AN ANTICIPATED NAVAID, A MINOR DISTR, BACK-UP CREW MEMBER ABSENT, AND THE PSEUDO SECURITY OF CONSTANT RADAR CTL COMPLETE WITH VECTORS, WERE ALL LINKS IN THIS CHAIN OF ERRORS. I AM ASHAMED OF MYSELF FOR ALLOWING THESE ALL TOO FAMILIAR FOES TO DEFEAT ME.

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.