Air carrier widebody transport track heading deviation.

Attributes
ACN	176275
Time
Date	199104
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : trm
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 27000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tower : fll
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : zla
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	176275
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After leveling off at 27000' we were proceeding direct to thermal VOR. Center handed us off to another sector. After checking in, the new controller cleared us direct to cimmeron VOR omega direct. Our omega seem to be off a little so we wanted to update the unit after thermal. We continued direct to thermal west/O letting the controller know we were doing so because of the relatively short distance to go. I was flying and the first officer was communincating. I started to tell the first officer to advise center what we were doing, but stopped in midsentence and let it slide trying, I guess, to be nurturing the situation. I normally insist that deviation from instructions be requested, but didn't in this case. Center called us and wanted to know what we were doing and gave us an immediate vector. Apparently he was using thermal as an arrival fix for inbound traffic and we were in conflict. I felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. This was not only a potential hazard to safe flight, but was against my cockpit discipline. Solution: don't be lulled into the 'mr nice guy' syndrome with your new crew while cockpit discipline deteriorates. Establish priorities in cockpit and enforce them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB TRACK HEADING DEVIATION.

Narrative: AFTER LEVELING OFF AT 27000' WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT TO THERMAL VOR. CTR HANDED US OFF TO ANOTHER SECTOR. AFTER CHKING IN, THE NEW CTLR CLRED US DIRECT TO CIMMERON VOR OMEGA DIRECT. OUR OMEGA SEEM TO BE OFF A LITTLE SO WE WANTED TO UPDATE THE UNIT AFTER THERMAL. WE CONTINUED DIRECT TO THERMAL W/O LETTING THE CTLR KNOW WE WERE DOING SO BECAUSE OF THE RELATIVELY SHORT DISTANCE TO GO. I WAS FLYING AND THE F/O WAS COMMUNINCATING. I STARTED TO TELL THE F/O TO ADVISE CTR WHAT WE WERE DOING, BUT STOPPED IN MIDSENTENCE AND LET IT SLIDE TRYING, I GUESS, TO BE NURTURING THE SITUATION. I NORMALLY INSIST THAT DEV FROM INSTRUCTIONS BE REQUESTED, BUT DIDN'T IN THIS CASE. CTR CALLED US AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING AND GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR. APPARENTLY HE WAS USING THERMAL AS AN ARR FIX FOR INBND TFC AND WE WERE IN CONFLICT. I FELT LIKE A KID CAUGHT WITH HIS HAND IN THE COOKIE JAR. THIS WAS NOT ONLY A POTENTIAL HAZARD TO SAFE FLT, BUT WAS AGAINST MY COCKPIT DISCIPLINE. SOLUTION: DON'T BE LULLED INTO THE 'MR NICE GUY' SYNDROME WITH YOUR NEW CREW WHILE COCKPIT DISCIPLINE DETERIORATES. ESTABLISH PRIORITIES IN COCKPIT AND ENFORCE THEM.

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.