Narrative:

We were on an IFR flight plan for mexico city to miami. The clearance was B646 to canoa, direct key west VOR. Navigation is by omega. B646 is formed by the 245 degree bearing from fish hook ADF. On the commercial airline 3 and 4 chart, key west VOR appears to be very closely located to fish hook. From about 100 mi out of fish hook to canoa, the arwy is bordered on both sides by warning areas. I had some reason to doubt the accuracy of the omega as it required a large update before leaving mexico. As we got within 100 mi of fish hook I tuned in the 245 degree right of key west VOR. We appeared to the right of the radial. I turned to track the radial inbound to key west and established the aircraft on the radial. Once established, I had the first officer remain on key west as I tuned in key biscayne VOR to pick up the mia ATIS. At this time the first officer tried to contact mia radar on the frequency published on the chart. There was a problem on that frequency, and several mins were lost finding a suitable frequency. Mia radar told us we were north of the arwy in a hot warning area, and gave us an immediate turn to the south to intercept the 240 degree right of key west VOR. Several things contributed to the deviation into the warning area: 1) the omega did end up with a 4.8 mi error. My initial doubt led me to disconnect it earlier than I might normally have. 2) the arwy B676 is formed by a bearing from an ADF. I believe it is a means of navigation that should be outlawed. The ADF needles are never steady. If the warning areas come that close to the arwy, the VOR should be the primary means of navigation. 3) the chart is congested and it is difficult to determine how close one facility is to another. In this case, there was about 5 mi difference to the north. Tracking the 245 degree right put me that far off the arwy. 4) having to use a VOR to pick up the ATIS at a major airport like mia is a shame. It is hard to understand until very close in. My struggle to understand it distracted me from the navigation and allowed us to drift a bit north of the 245 degree right. 5) the flight plan was B646 to canoa, then direct to the VOR. There is no published radial from canoa to key west. I feel into the trap of using the ADF bearing as the radial. Not having flown the route before I was just not familiar enough with the pitfalls of the route.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT TRACK HEADING DEVIATION AND UNAUTH PENETRATION OF HOT WARNING AREA.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR MEXICO CITY TO MIAMI. THE CLRNC WAS B646 TO CANOA, DIRECT KEY WEST VOR. NAV IS BY OMEGA. B646 IS FORMED BY THE 245 DEG BEARING FROM FISH HOOK ADF. ON THE COMMERCIAL AIRLINE 3 AND 4 CHART, KEY WEST VOR APPEARS TO BE VERY CLOSELY LOCATED TO FISH HOOK. FROM ABOUT 100 MI OUT OF FISH HOOK TO CANOA, THE ARWY IS BORDERED ON BOTH SIDES BY WARNING AREAS. I HAD SOME REASON TO DOUBT THE ACCURACY OF THE OMEGA AS IT REQUIRED A LARGE UPDATE BEFORE LEAVING MEXICO. AS WE GOT WITHIN 100 MI OF FISH HOOK I TUNED IN THE 245 DEG R OF KEY WEST VOR. WE APPEARED TO THE RIGHT OF THE RADIAL. I TURNED TO TRACK THE RADIAL INBND TO KEY WEST AND ESTABLISHED THE ACFT ON THE RADIAL. ONCE ESTABLISHED, I HAD THE F/O REMAIN ON KEY WEST AS I TUNED IN KEY BISCAYNE VOR TO PICK UP THE MIA ATIS. AT THIS TIME THE F/O TRIED TO CONTACT MIA RADAR ON THE FREQ PUBLISHED ON THE CHART. THERE WAS A PROB ON THAT FREQ, AND SEVERAL MINS WERE LOST FINDING A SUITABLE FREQ. MIA RADAR TOLD US WE WERE N OF THE ARWY IN A HOT WARNING AREA, AND GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO THE S TO INTERCEPT THE 240 DEG R OF KEY WEST VOR. SEVERAL THINGS CONTRIBUTED TO THE DEVIATION INTO THE WARNING AREA: 1) THE OMEGA DID END UP WITH A 4.8 MI ERROR. MY INITIAL DOUBT LED ME TO DISCONNECT IT EARLIER THAN I MIGHT NORMALLY HAVE. 2) THE ARWY B676 IS FORMED BY A BEARING FROM AN ADF. I BELIEVE IT IS A MEANS OF NAV THAT SHOULD BE OUTLAWED. THE ADF NEEDLES ARE NEVER STEADY. IF THE WARNING AREAS COME THAT CLOSE TO THE ARWY, THE VOR SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY MEANS OF NAV. 3) THE CHART IS CONGESTED AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE HOW CLOSE ONE FAC IS TO ANOTHER. IN THIS CASE, THERE WAS ABOUT 5 MI DIFFERENCE TO THE N. TRACKING THE 245 DEG R PUT ME THAT FAR OFF THE ARWY. 4) HAVING TO USE A VOR TO PICK UP THE ATIS AT A MAJOR ARPT LIKE MIA IS A SHAME. IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND UNTIL VERY CLOSE IN. MY STRUGGLE TO UNDERSTAND IT DISTRACTED ME FROM THE NAV AND ALLOWED US TO DRIFT A BIT N OF THE 245 DEG R. 5) THE FLT PLAN WAS B646 TO CANOA, THEN DIRECT TO THE VOR. THERE IS NO PUBLISHED RADIAL FROM CANOA TO KEY WEST. I FEEL INTO THE TRAP OF USING THE ADF BEARING AS THE RADIAL. NOT HAVING FLOWN THE RTE BEFORE I WAS JUST NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THE PITFALLS OF THE RTE.

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.