Narrative:

First trip of the month, both captain and I (first officer) just back from vacation (both of us had not flown for 1 week, and in the past 6 weeks each had flown approximately 4 days total). We were both well acquainted with each other, and with our common 'just got back from vacation' syndrome. I was on the alert for 2 things: 1) avoiding the sense of complacency that can set in on the first day back when things are going just splendidly, as if the trip was 'meant' to be uneventful, and 2) forcing myself to check, double-check and triple-check the big items like confign, clearance, other air traffic, good crew communication. (By the way, the second officer was reasonably current, and aware of our 'vacationosis.') nonetheless, we got way off course on a pretty sunday evening by an act of omission committed by both the captain and me, and undetected by the second officer. On departure, climbing out, we were fling a published SID heading to a published across radial, at which crossing we were to turn to the right to a new published SID heading and then intercept and track outbnd on an arwy radial from a different VOR. We were set up for the cross radial (from a remote VOR pae) when prior to crossing, departure control gave us an early turn to the right to intercept the arwy radial from the airport's VOR on field (sea-tac). We both, captain and I, changed VOR selections from the remote VOR to the arwy VOR. That was done correctly. However, we did not change the course selectors from the cross radial to the arwy radial. The difference is 13 D egs, and the erroneous cross radial course allowed us to intercept and track outbnd form the arwy VOR (on the field) exactly 13 degrees early. (Basic INS pilot student error! Dumb!) this 'phantom' arwy we were now establishing ourselves on has an inviting characteristic: it brought us closer to the western flank of the tallest volcanic peak in washington state, mt rainier, and today the mountain was pristine white with the first snow of the season. Here is where I lost any chance of catching our mistake: I remember observing us intercept the 'arwy.' I don't recall resetting or double-(or triple-) checking the course setting. I distinctly recall the captain looking out and down to the mountain below, and I distinctly recall my preoccupation with installing 2 sun visors on my side window to cut the sun's glare. He's looking left, I'm looking right, and after a few (too many) mins on this bogus course, our ever-observant ARTCC center controller (we were switched from departure to center prior to intercepting the wrong radial) called us up and stated, 'turn right to heading 160 degrees and reintercept the arwy.' we acknowledged and complied and we were suddenly very ashamed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HEADING TRACK DEVIATION DURING A SID DEP.

Narrative: FIRST TRIP OF THE MONTH, BOTH CAPT AND I (F/O) JUST BACK FROM VACATION (BOTH OF US HAD NOT FLOWN FOR 1 WK, AND IN THE PAST 6 WKS EACH HAD FLOWN APPROX 4 DAYS TOTAL). WE WERE BOTH WELL ACQUAINTED WITH EACH OTHER, AND WITH OUR COMMON 'JUST GOT BACK FROM VACATION' SYNDROME. I WAS ON THE ALERT FOR 2 THINGS: 1) AVOIDING THE SENSE OF COMPLACENCY THAT CAN SET IN ON THE FIRST DAY BACK WHEN THINGS ARE GOING JUST SPLENDIDLY, AS IF THE TRIP WAS 'MEANT' TO BE UNEVENTFUL, AND 2) FORCING MYSELF TO CHK, DOUBLE-CHK AND TRIPLE-CHK THE BIG ITEMS LIKE CONFIGN, CLRNC, OTHER AIR TFC, GOOD CREW COM. (BY THE WAY, THE S/O WAS REASONABLY CURRENT, AND AWARE OF OUR 'VACATIONOSIS.') NONETHELESS, WE GOT WAY OFF COURSE ON A PRETTY SUNDAY EVENING BY AN ACT OF OMISSION COMMITTED BY BOTH THE CAPT AND ME, AND UNDETECTED BY THE S/O. ON DEP, CLBING OUT, WE WERE FLING A PUBLISHED SID HDG TO A PUBLISHED ACROSS RADIAL, AT WHICH XING WE WERE TO TURN TO THE RIGHT TO A NEW PUBLISHED SID HDG AND THEN INTERCEPT AND TRACK OUTBND ON AN ARWY RADIAL FROM A DIFFERENT VOR. WE WERE SET UP FOR THE CROSS RADIAL (FROM A REMOTE VOR PAE) WHEN PRIOR TO XING, DEP CTL GAVE US AN EARLY TURN TO THE RIGHT TO INTERCEPT THE ARWY RADIAL FROM THE ARPT'S VOR ON FIELD (SEA-TAC). WE BOTH, CAPT AND I, CHANGED VOR SELECTIONS FROM THE REMOTE VOR TO THE ARWY VOR. THAT WAS DONE CORRECTLY. HOWEVER, WE DID NOT CHANGE THE COURSE SELECTORS FROM THE CROSS RADIAL TO THE ARWY RADIAL. THE DIFFERENCE IS 13 D EGS, AND THE ERRONEOUS CROSS RADIAL COURSE ALLOWED US TO INTERCEPT AND TRACK OUTBND FORM THE ARWY VOR (ON THE FIELD) EXACTLY 13 DEGS EARLY. (BASIC INS PLT STUDENT ERROR! DUMB!) THIS 'PHANTOM' ARWY WE WERE NOW ESTABLISHING OURSELVES ON HAS AN INVITING CHARACTERISTIC: IT BROUGHT US CLOSER TO THE WESTERN FLANK OF THE TALLEST VOLCANIC PEAK IN WASHINGTON STATE, MT RAINIER, AND TODAY THE MOUNTAIN WAS PRISTINE WHITE WITH THE FIRST SNOW OF THE SEASON. HERE IS WHERE I LOST ANY CHANCE OF CATCHING OUR MISTAKE: I REMEMBER OBSERVING US INTERCEPT THE 'ARWY.' I DON'T RECALL RESETTING OR DOUBLE-(OR TRIPLE-) CHKING THE COURSE SETTING. I DISTINCTLY RECALL THE CAPT LOOKING OUT AND DOWN TO THE MOUNTAIN BELOW, AND I DISTINCTLY RECALL MY PREOCCUPATION WITH INSTALLING 2 SUN VISORS ON MY SIDE WINDOW TO CUT THE SUN'S GLARE. HE'S LOOKING LEFT, I'M LOOKING RIGHT, AND AFTER A FEW (TOO MANY) MINS ON THIS BOGUS COURSE, OUR EVER-OBSERVANT ARTCC CENTER CTLR (WE WERE SWITCHED FROM DEP TO CENTER PRIOR TO INTERCEPTING THE WRONG RADIAL) CALLED US UP AND STATED, 'TURN RIGHT TO HDG 160 DEGS AND REINTERCEPT THE ARWY.' WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED AND WE WERE SUDDENLY VERY ASHAMED.

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.