Narrative:

Flying from bos to dca our clearance included both high and low level airways. Our clearance was down J-174 to zizzi intersection where you turn right to ATR VOR on the 085 degree radial. After ATR we were cleared via V-308 to bilit intersection. While on J-174 and descending to some lower altitude (10000-14000 ft I think) I asked the first officer to put the ATR frequency and radial on his VOR. Once accomplished he left center frequency to copy the ATIS and notify company of our arrival. After passing the swl 69 DME fix and the first officer's radial had not centered as expected, it took some quick chart checking to figure out what had happened. By this time we were several mi past our turn point. The first officer had set the radial outbound from ATR instead of the inbound radial, instead of the 035 degree radial he had the 095 degree radial set. The first officer had been in this aircraft type about 3 months and was unfamiliar with this area. I should have been specific about the radial he was to set and checked more closely once he had set it in. I also feel combining high and low airways and the maps necessary only add to the confusion and probably should be eliminated whenever possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARRIER FLC FLIES MLG PAST INTXN WHERE THEY SHOULD HAVE TURNED PER THEIR CLRNC RTE.

Narrative: FLYING FROM BOS TO DCA OUR CLRNC INCLUDED BOTH HIGH AND LOW LEVEL AIRWAYS. OUR CLRNC WAS DOWN J-174 TO ZIZZI INTXN WHERE YOU TURN R TO ATR VOR ON THE 085 DEG RADIAL. AFTER ATR WE WERE CLRED VIA V-308 TO BILIT INTXN. WHILE ON J-174 AND DSNDING TO SOME LOWER ALT (10000-14000 FT I THINK) I ASKED THE FO TO PUT THE ATR FREQ AND RADIAL ON HIS VOR. ONCE ACCOMPLISHED HE LEFT CTR FREQ TO COPY THE ATIS AND NOTIFY COMPANY OF OUR ARR. AFTER PASSING THE SWL 69 DME FIX AND THE FO'S RADIAL HAD NOT CTRED AS EXPECTED, IT TOOK SOME QUICK CHART CHKING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. BY THIS TIME WE WERE SEVERAL MI PAST OUR TURN POINT. THE FO HAD SET THE RADIAL OUTBOUND FROM ATR INSTEAD OF THE INBOUND RADIAL, INSTEAD OF THE 035 DEG RADIAL HE HAD THE 095 DEG RADIAL SET. THE FO HAD BEEN IN THIS ACFT TYPE ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPECIFIC ABOUT THE RADIAL HE WAS TO SET AND CHKED MORE CLOSELY ONCE HE HAD SET IT IN. I ALSO FEEL COMBINING HIGH AND LOW AIRWAYS AND THE MAPS NECESSARY ONLY ADD TO THE CONFUSION AND PROBABLY SHOULD BE ELIMINATED WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

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.