Narrative:

The captain was flying the aircraft from dfw-iah. En route navigation was VOR and omega. North of navasota on the cougar 4 arrival to iah, houston center gave us vectors to the east for our descent. Their last clearance before handing us over to houston approach was direct to an intersection on the cougar 4 arrival via omega navigation. We were then handed off to approach. At this time the captain was attempting to insert the intersection into the omega. Several mistakes were made inserting the data for the intersection so our turn to the intersection was delayed. At this point I asked the captain if he wanted a vector from center to the intersection. He said 'I've almost got it'. When switched to approach, we were cleared to a new intersection on the arrival. This intersection was also not programmed into the omega. Again I asked the captain if he wanted a vector to the intersection. His reply was, 'I'll get it'. Several input errors were made attempting to insert the intersection and our turn to the intersection was delayed. Approach then asked us our heading and repeated our clearance to the intersection including a heading to get there. I think this situation occurred because the captain had not used the omega enough to be proficient at adding new way points quickly. We were very close to the intersection mentioned and he took too long inputting the waypoint data. Also, upon seeing the mistakes made, I, as copilot, should have just asked approach or center for a vector or inputted the data myself. It was the first leg I had flown with this captain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT TRACK HEADING DEVIATION TRYING TO FLY DIRECT TO STAR INTERSECTION VIA OMEGA NAVIGATION.

Narrative: THE CAPT WAS FLYING THE ACFT FROM DFW-IAH. ENRTE NAV WAS VOR AND OMEGA. N OF NAVASOTA ON THE COUGAR 4 ARR TO IAH, HOUSTON CTR GAVE US VECTORS TO THE E FOR OUR DSNT. THEIR LAST CLRNC BEFORE HANDING US OVER TO HOUSTON APCH WAS DIRECT TO AN INTXN ON THE COUGAR 4 ARR VIA OMEGA NAV. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO APCH. AT THIS TIME THE CAPT WAS ATTEMPTING TO INSERT THE INTXN INTO THE OMEGA. SEVERAL MISTAKES WERE MADE INSERTING THE DATA FOR THE INTXN SO OUR TURN TO THE INTXN WAS DELAYED. AT THIS POINT I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WANTED A VECTOR FROM CTR TO THE INTXN. HE SAID 'I'VE ALMOST GOT IT'. WHEN SWITCHED TO APCH, WE WERE CLRED TO A NEW INTXN ON THE ARR. THIS INTXN WAS ALSO NOT PROGRAMMED INTO THE OMEGA. AGAIN I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WANTED A VECTOR TO THE INTXN. HIS REPLY WAS, 'I'LL GET IT'. SEVERAL INPUT ERRORS WERE MADE ATTEMPTING TO INSERT THE INTXN AND OUR TURN TO THE INTXN WAS DELAYED. APCH THEN ASKED US OUR HDG AND REPEATED OUR CLRNC TO THE INTXN INCLUDING A HDG TO GET THERE. I THINK THIS SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE THE CAPT HAD NOT USED THE OMEGA ENOUGH TO BE PROFICIENT AT ADDING NEW WAY POINTS QUICKLY. WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE INTXN MENTIONED AND HE TOOK TOO LONG INPUTTING THE WAYPOINT DATA. ALSO, UPON SEEING THE MISTAKES MADE, I, AS COPLT, SHOULD HAVE JUST ASKED APCH OR CTR FOR A VECTOR OR INPUTTED THE DATA MYSELF. IT WAS THE FIRST LEG I HAD FLOWN WITH THIS CAPT.

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.