Narrative:

Prior to departing roswell, I copied and read back our clearance to albuquerque. The clearance involved a victor arwy using a VOR that was out of service at the time (cnx VOR), so I anticipated radar vectors from center to albuquerque at some point prior to reaching the change over point to cnz VOR on the arwy. The problem, however, resulted from flying the wrong right from row VOR. We flew the right that was a part of our regular clearance, instead of the right that we were cleared to use. Neither myself nor my copilot considered that the arwy specified in our clearance was different than the arwy we were normally cleared. The problem was discovered by center once they established radar contact with us. The controller did not ask us to alter our heading or course to reintercept the other arwy, but instead told us to maintain present heading to join a right from abq VOR. Factors contributing to the error were a nonstandard clearance, an inoperative VOR specified in the clearance as part of the clearance, pilot expectation that the clearance would be standard, and delay in establishing radar contact, since roswell does not have radar capability. The cause of the occurrence was pilot failure to confirm the clearance by reference to the chart to doublechk the arwy radials. The occurrence could have been prevented if the pilots had referred to the chart. However, clrncs involving inoperative navaids are impossible to adhere to anyway. We flew into and out of roswell several times later throughout the day, and the roswell controller never seemed to realize that cnx VOR was out of service until we so informed him, since he always issued clearance to albuquerque using cnx as part of the clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT FLEW WRONG RADIAL OUT OF ROW VOR.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEPARTING ROSWELL, I COPIED AND READ BACK OUR CLRNC TO ALBUQUERQUE. THE CLRNC INVOLVED A VICTOR ARWY USING A VOR THAT WAS OUT OF SVC AT THE TIME (CNX VOR), SO I ANTICIPATED RADAR VECTORS FROM CTR TO ALBUQUERQUE AT SOME POINT PRIOR TO REACHING THE CHANGE OVER POINT TO CNZ VOR ON THE ARWY. THE PROB, HOWEVER, RESULTED FROM FLYING THE WRONG R FROM ROW VOR. WE FLEW THE R THAT WAS A PART OF OUR REGULAR CLRNC, INSTEAD OF THE R THAT WE WERE CLRED TO USE. NEITHER MYSELF NOR MY COPLT CONSIDERED THAT THE ARWY SPECIFIED IN OUR CLRNC WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE ARWY WE WERE NORMALLY CLRED. THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED BY CTR ONCE THEY ESTABLISHED RADAR CONTACT WITH US. THE CTLR DID NOT ASK US TO ALTER OUR HDG OR COURSE TO REINTERCEPT THE OTHER ARWY, BUT INSTEAD TOLD US TO MAINTAIN PRESENT HDG TO JOIN A R FROM ABQ VOR. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ERROR WERE A NONSTANDARD CLRNC, AN INOPERATIVE VOR SPECIFIED IN THE CLRNC AS PART OF THE CLRNC, PLT EXPECTATION THAT THE CLRNC WOULD BE STANDARD, AND DELAY IN ESTABLISHING RADAR CONTACT, SINCE ROSWELL DOES NOT HAVE RADAR CAPABILITY. THE CAUSE OF THE OCCURRENCE WAS PLT FAILURE TO CONFIRM THE CLRNC BY REFERENCE TO THE CHART TO DOUBLECHK THE ARWY RADIALS. THE OCCURRENCE COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF THE PLTS HAD REFERRED TO THE CHART. HOWEVER, CLRNCS INVOLVING INOPERATIVE NAVAIDS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO ADHERE TO ANYWAY. WE FLEW INTO AND OUT OF ROSWELL SEVERAL TIMES LATER THROUGHOUT THE DAY, AND THE ROSWELL CTLR NEVER SEEMED TO REALIZE THAT CNX VOR WAS OUT OF SVC UNTIL WE SO INFORMED HIM, SINCE HE ALWAYS ISSUED CLRNC TO ALBUQUERQUE USING CNX AS PART OF THE CLRNC.

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.