Narrative:

On 12/90, I was captain on flight from mem to hou. It had been a long day with crew schedule waking me up, before I'd planned, to tell me of an addition onto the end of a trip assigned the day before. Fog and or winter WX greeted me at my previous stops which took it's toll. Approximately 200 mi from hou, we were given a heading of 225 degrees to intercept the 045 degree right of humble VOR. This pointed us directly at the VOR. With the dim light of the cockpit at night, I noticed this was the same right that forms the batsn one arrival. Near the VOR symbol drawn on the chart for humble VOR, the right has 'R045.' being tired, along with the dim light, I saw 'R245' instead. The wind drifted us south of course and because I had the wrong right set in, I did not catch it. Approximately 50-60 DME out, houston center said he showed me south of course. I said I showed north of course. I then realized my mistake, apologized to the controller and asked if it had or would cause a problem. He said no. A correction was given in heading and we continued with a landing at hobby. My first officer noticed the error but did not say anything. He was a new hire and was timid because of his probationary status with the airline. I always try to create a relaxed but professional atmosphere in the cockpit so my first officer can feel that he is not being continually judged. This was our first leg together since he joined the crew in mem. I've noticed this same timidity with many new hires in the last few months. Pressure on new hires should be relaxed and they encouraged to speak up and question anything they feel is questionable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HEADING DEVIATION ON VECTORS TO HOU.

Narrative: ON 12/90, I WAS CAPT ON FLT FROM MEM TO HOU. IT HAD BEEN A LONG DAY WITH CREW SCHEDULE WAKING ME UP, BEFORE I'D PLANNED, TO TELL ME OF AN ADDITION ONTO THE END OF A TRIP ASSIGNED THE DAY BEFORE. FOG AND OR WINTER WX GREETED ME AT MY PREVIOUS STOPS WHICH TOOK IT'S TOLL. APPROX 200 MI FROM HOU, WE WERE GIVEN A HDG OF 225 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE 045 DEG R OF HUMBLE VOR. THIS POINTED US DIRECTLY AT THE VOR. WITH THE DIM LIGHT OF THE COCKPIT AT NIGHT, I NOTICED THIS WAS THE SAME R THAT FORMS THE BATSN ONE ARR. NEAR THE VOR SYMBOL DRAWN ON THE CHART FOR HUMBLE VOR, THE R HAS 'R045.' BEING TIRED, ALONG WITH THE DIM LIGHT, I SAW 'R245' INSTEAD. THE WIND DRIFTED US S OF COURSE AND BECAUSE I HAD THE WRONG R SET IN, I DID NOT CATCH IT. APPROX 50-60 DME OUT, HOUSTON CTR SAID HE SHOWED ME S OF COURSE. I SAID I SHOWED N OF COURSE. I THEN REALIZED MY MISTAKE, APOLOGIZED TO THE CTLR AND ASKED IF IT HAD OR WOULD CAUSE A PROB. HE SAID NO. A CORRECTION WAS GIVEN IN HDG AND WE CONTINUED WITH A LNDG AT HOBBY. MY F/O NOTICED THE ERROR BUT DID NOT SAY ANYTHING. HE WAS A NEW HIRE AND WAS TIMID BECAUSE OF HIS PROBATIONARY STATUS WITH THE AIRLINE. I ALWAYS TRY TO CREATE A RELAXED BUT PROFESSIONAL ATMOSPHERE IN THE COCKPIT SO MY F/O CAN FEEL THAT HE IS NOT BEING CONTINUALLY JUDGED. THIS WAS OUR FIRST LEG TOGETHER SINCE HE JOINED THE CREW IN MEM. I'VE NOTICED THIS SAME TIMIDITY WITH MANY NEW HIRES IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. PRESSURE ON NEW HIRES SHOULD BE RELAXED AND THEY ENCOURAGED TO SPEAK UP AND QUESTION ANYTHING THEY FEEL IS QUESTIONABLE.

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.