Narrative:

On arrival into dca approximately 50-60 mi south of dca on the irons 2 STAR, controller at ZDC advised us we were heading northeast away from the arrival route and about 5 mi from the centerline of the radial inbound to dca. Previous to this, I had discussed with my first officer that the radial was requiring a lot of wind correction to the right and that it was strange that at the higher altitudes the wind was from the left. Then just seconds after that conversation, the controller mentioned our position as stated above. It became very apparent by comparing my VOR to my first officer's VOR that mine was not reading correct and in fact was inoperative. There was no flag or change on the to-from indicator. I rechanneled the radio and even pecked on the face at the HSI and needle remained stuck with needle 3/4 scale to the right. Prior to landing it became unstuck. The situation even became more difficult by the fact my first officer didn't understand that I wanted the controller to be aware of the navigation failure. The controller then gave us a frequency change and first officer was at a total loss of the need to advise the controller on the frequency we now just left. This first officer complicated the situation at a very busy time by his inability to follow directions given to him by me. This first officer has demonstrated problems on many previous trips and flts. On this particular trip I had discussed the problems in the cockpit with him on several occasions and still he was not performing well. His performance along with this navigation receiver made a bad situation even worse. He admitted that he felt that he had failed to do as instructed. Therefore, I feel that the undetected navigation failure and the failure of navigation warning flag along with first officer not following instructions to notify ATC when he was directed, left the controller to believe pilot error was the reason for such deviation from the STAR centerline. The cockpit became very busy thereafter and left no time to recontact previous controller to explain the problem. Controller was notified on the next frequency. I had had conversations with other capts about this first officer on occasions and the same conclusions about his performance was also reported by those I spoke to about him.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HDG DEV ON STAR INTO DCA.

Narrative: ON ARR INTO DCA APPROX 50-60 MI S OF DCA ON THE IRONS 2 STAR, CTLR AT ZDC ADVISED US WE WERE HDG NE AWAY FROM THE ARR RTE AND ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE CENTERLINE OF THE RADIAL INBOUND TO DCA. PREVIOUS TO THIS, I HAD DISCUSSED WITH MY FO THAT THE RADIAL WAS REQUIRING A LOT OF WIND CORRECTION TO THE R AND THAT IT WAS STRANGE THAT AT THE HIGHER ALTS THE WIND WAS FROM THE L. THEN JUST SECONDS AFTER THAT CONVERSATION, THE CTLR MENTIONED OUR POS AS STATED ABOVE. IT BECAME VERY APPARENT BY COMPARING MY VOR TO MY FO'S VOR THAT MINE WAS NOT READING CORRECT AND IN FACT WAS INOP. THERE WAS NO FLAG OR CHANGE ON THE TO-FROM INDICATOR. I RECHANNELED THE RADIO AND EVEN PECKED ON THE FACE AT THE HSI AND NEEDLE REMAINED STUCK WITH NEEDLE 3/4 SCALE TO THE R. PRIOR TO LNDG IT BECAME UNSTUCK. THE SITUATION EVEN BECAME MORE DIFFICULT BY THE FACT MY FO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT I WANTED THE CTLR TO BE AWARE OF THE NAV FAILURE. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE AND FO WAS AT A TOTAL LOSS OF THE NEED TO ADVISE THE CTLR ON THE FREQ WE NOW JUST LEFT. THIS FO COMPLICATED THE SITUATION AT A VERY BUSY TIME BY HIS INABILITY TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS GIVEN TO HIM BY ME. THIS FO HAS DEMONSTRATED PROBLEMS ON MANY PREVIOUS TRIPS AND FLTS. ON THIS PARTICULAR TRIP I HAD DISCUSSED THE PROBLEMS IN THE COCKPIT WITH HIM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS AND STILL HE WAS NOT PERFORMING WELL. HIS PERFORMANCE ALONG WITH THIS NAV RECEIVER MADE A BAD SITUATION EVEN WORSE. HE ADMITTED THAT HE FELT THAT HE HAD FAILED TO DO AS INSTRUCTED. THEREFORE, I FEEL THAT THE UNDETECTED NAV FAILURE AND THE FAILURE OF NAV WARNING FLAG ALONG WITH FO NOT FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS TO NOTIFY ATC WHEN HE WAS DIRECTED, LEFT THE CTLR TO BELIEVE PLT ERROR WAS THE REASON FOR SUCH DEV FROM THE STAR CENTERLINE. THE COCKPIT BECAME VERY BUSY THEREAFTER AND LEFT NO TIME TO RECONTACT PREVIOUS CTLR TO EXPLAIN THE PROBLEM. CTLR WAS NOTIFIED ON THE NEXT FREQ. I HAD HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER CAPTS ABOUT THIS FO ON OCCASIONS AND THE SAME CONCLUSIONS ABOUT HIS PERFORMANCE WAS ALSO RPTED BY THOSE I SPOKE TO ABOUT HIM.

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.