Narrative:

Our head F/a and our station manager at sxm engaged in an argument about a lack of meals for our outbnd flight to north.Y. The argument became quite heated with the station manager attempting to have the head F/a removed from the flight. The captain finally told the station people to shut the main door so we could get underway as we were about 10 mins late. As is routine in sxm, we received our IFR clearance upon taxi out which contained a change. The change was to fly B520 to durado (which is the 292 degree right out of sxm) instead of direct to our first waypoint (which is on the 018 degree right of sxm). The captain must listen to the clearance in addition to the first officer, but the captain was still discussing the catering incident with the head F/a. In the meantime I (first officer) was communicating with the weight and balance station personnel about our maximum permissible takeoff weight which the captain and I had computed. As we continued our taxi which requires up to backtrack down the runway, our only VLF omega navigation system went off-line. We took care of the F/a situation, got our VLF-omega back into operation and were cleared for takeoff. I forgot completely about our revised clearance and flew to our first waypoint. At about the 11 DME point north of sxm I remembered the new clearance and started a turn to the southwest advising the captain, who did not hear the initial clearance,that we had a revised routing. After the turn had been initiated sxm ATC told us to turn immediately to the southwest and advise when we were established on the 292 degree right of sxm. I believe we were completely distracted form our main task by the problems with our F/a and station manager. The additional complications with our weight and balance and our VLF-omega compounded the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW FAILED TO FLY AMENDED ROUTE BECAUSE OF A MAJOR DISTR.

Narrative: OUR HEAD F/A AND OUR STATION MGR AT SXM ENGAGED IN AN ARGUMENT ABOUT A LACK OF MEALS FOR OUR OUTBND FLT TO N.Y. THE ARGUMENT BECAME QUITE HEATED WITH THE STATION MGR ATTEMPTING TO HAVE THE HEAD F/A REMOVED FROM THE FLT. THE CAPT FINALLY TOLD THE STATION PEOPLE TO SHUT THE MAIN DOOR SO WE COULD GET UNDERWAY AS WE WERE ABOUT 10 MINS LATE. AS IS ROUTINE IN SXM, WE RECEIVED OUR IFR CLRNC UPON TAXI OUT WHICH CONTAINED A CHANGE. THE CHANGE WAS TO FLY B520 TO DURADO (WHICH IS THE 292 DEG R OUT OF SXM) INSTEAD OF DIRECT TO OUR FIRST WAYPOINT (WHICH IS ON THE 018 DEG R OF SXM). THE CAPT MUST LISTEN TO THE CLRNC IN ADDITION TO THE F/O, BUT THE CAPT WAS STILL DISCUSSING THE CATERING INCIDENT WITH THE HEAD F/A. IN THE MEANTIME I (F/O) WAS COMMUNICATING WITH THE WT AND BAL STATION PERSONNEL ABOUT OUR MAX PERMISSIBLE TKOF WT WHICH THE CAPT AND I HAD COMPUTED. AS WE CONTINUED OUR TAXI WHICH REQUIRES UP TO BACKTRACK DOWN THE RWY, OUR ONLY VLF OMEGA NAV SYS WENT OFF-LINE. WE TOOK CARE OF THE F/A SITUATION, GOT OUR VLF-OMEGA BACK INTO OPERATION AND WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. I FORGOT COMPLETELY ABOUT OUR REVISED CLRNC AND FLEW TO OUR FIRST WAYPOINT. AT ABOUT THE 11 DME POINT N OF SXM I REMEMBERED THE NEW CLRNC AND STARTED A TURN TO THE SW ADVISING THE CAPT, WHO DID NOT HEAR THE INITIAL CLRNC,THAT WE HAD A REVISED RTING. AFTER THE TURN HAD BEEN INITIATED SXM ATC TOLD US TO TURN IMMEDIATELY TO THE SW AND ADVISE WHEN WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE 292 DEG R OF SXM. I BELIEVE WE WERE COMPLETELY DISTRACTED FORM OUR MAIN TASK BY THE PROBS WITH OUR F/A AND STATION MGR. THE ADDITIONAL COMPLICATIONS WITH OUR WT AND BAL AND OUR VLF-OMEGA COMPOUNDED THE PROB.

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.