Narrative:

The series of mistakes leading to this off-course error goes back to when we were at the gate in pns. Flight was from pns-mco. About 10 min before we were due to leave pns, clearance called and said that there was a ground stop of traffic to orlando and several other fl peninsula airports due to WX. Update was to be in about an hour. Clearance ground said he would check into situation and see if there was anything he could do. At about 3 min to push he asked: if he could get us released, how long it would take us to get to the runway. I said 5-7 mins. (I am beginning to get sucked into the trap). He comes back in a min or so and tells us to get to the runway as quickly as possible as he's told center we are already at the runway. (I continue to get sucked into the trap of being rushed). As I learned later, in the rush to get ready, I set my airspeed bug to the wrong number, 10 KTS off where it should have been placed. I only realized this during the takeoff. Continuing to be rushed, I reached for airspeed bug knob but instead turned the VOR/ADF switch, which on this first officer medium large transport is a knob with ADF on 1 side and VOR on other. Depending on which way the knob is positioned determines if you look at ADF or VOR. As soon as I turned the ADF/VOR knob, I realized it and I thought I then returned it to its original position, displaying VOR on both 1 and 2 needles. (I had not). I adjusted air speed bug and continued. I was flying this leg. We took off so we're turned north and vectored roughly north. We were switched to jax center who cleared us to FL210 and continued the north vector. We were held on the north vector somewhat longer than the usual case. Center eventually cleared us direct cew and on course J-2. Climbing through roughly FL180 for FL210, center provided a wake-up call, asking where we were heading. We said we were turning to intercept airway. He said we missed it, to turn to 050 degree heading. We did so, and for the first time I realized I had twisted the VOR/ADF knob so that both needles would show ADF, #1 needle behind because it was pointing at pickens (south of pns). #2 needle not pointing at anything since there is no #2 ADF. At the point the controller provided me my wake up call, I believe we were not yet in, but about to accidently fly into R-2918. I appreciate his assistance. If I said I'd never let anyone rush me ever again, I'd probably be lying to myself as much as to you. However, I do believe I've learned a lesson here. I will resist being rushed. I wish the captain had backed me up by being on cue. He may have picked up my mistake earlier. I know in this case, 2 heads would have been better than 1. That may have saved my navigation error, but I should have 1) not allowed myself to be rushed, and 2) should have been more sharp and caught my error earlier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV IN NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION.

Narrative: THE SERIES OF MISTAKES LEADING TO THIS OFF-COURSE ERROR GOES BACK TO WHEN WE WERE AT THE GATE IN PNS. FLT WAS FROM PNS-MCO. ABOUT 10 MIN BEFORE WE WERE DUE TO LEAVE PNS, CLRNC CALLED AND SAID THAT THERE WAS A GND STOP OF TFC TO ORLANDO AND SEVERAL OTHER FL PENINSULA ARPTS DUE TO WX. UPDATE WAS TO BE IN ABOUT AN HR. CLRNC GND SAID HE WOULD CHK INTO SITUATION AND SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING HE COULD DO. AT ABOUT 3 MIN TO PUSH HE ASKED: IF HE COULD GET US RELEASED, HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE US TO GET TO THE RWY. I SAID 5-7 MINS. (I AM BEGINNING TO GET SUCKED INTO THE TRAP). HE COMES BACK IN A MIN OR SO AND TELLS US TO GET TO THE RWY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AS HE'S TOLD CTR WE ARE ALREADY AT THE RWY. (I CONTINUE TO GET SUCKED INTO THE TRAP OF BEING RUSHED). AS I LEARNED LATER, IN THE RUSH TO GET READY, I SET MY AIRSPD BUG TO THE WRONG NUMBER, 10 KTS OFF WHERE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED. I ONLY REALIZED THIS DURING THE TKOF. CONTINUING TO BE RUSHED, I REACHED FOR AIRSPD BUG KNOB BUT INSTEAD TURNED THE VOR/ADF SWITCH, WHICH ON THIS FO MLG IS A KNOB WITH ADF ON 1 SIDE AND VOR ON OTHER. DEPENDING ON WHICH WAY THE KNOB IS POSITIONED DETERMINES IF YOU LOOK AT ADF OR VOR. AS SOON AS I TURNED THE ADF/VOR KNOB, I REALIZED IT AND I THOUGHT I THEN RETURNED IT TO ITS ORIGINAL POS, DISPLAYING VOR ON BOTH 1 AND 2 NEEDLES. (I HAD NOT). I ADJUSTED AIR SPEED BUG AND CONTINUED. I WAS FLYING THIS LEG. WE TOOK OFF SO WE'RE TURNED N AND VECTORED ROUGHLY N. WE WERE SWITCHED TO JAX CTR WHO CLRED US TO FL210 AND CONTINUED THE N VECTOR. WE WERE HELD ON THE N VECTOR SOMEWHAT LONGER THAN THE USUAL CASE. CTR EVENTUALLY CLRED US DIRECT CEW AND ON COURSE J-2. CLBING THROUGH ROUGHLY FL180 FOR FL210, CTR PROVIDED A WAKE-UP CALL, ASKING WHERE WE WERE HDG. WE SAID WE WERE TURNING TO INTERCEPT AIRWAY. HE SAID WE MISSED IT, TO TURN TO 050 DEG HDG. WE DID SO, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME I REALIZED I HAD TWISTED THE VOR/ADF KNOB SO THAT BOTH NEEDLES WOULD SHOW ADF, #1 NEEDLE BEHIND BECAUSE IT WAS POINTING AT PICKENS (S OF PNS). #2 NEEDLE NOT POINTING AT ANYTHING SINCE THERE IS NO #2 ADF. AT THE POINT THE CTLR PROVIDED ME MY WAKE UP CALL, I BELIEVE WE WERE NOT YET IN, BUT ABOUT TO ACCIDENTLY FLY INTO R-2918. I APPRECIATE HIS ASSISTANCE. IF I SAID I'D NEVER LET ANYONE RUSH ME EVER AGAIN, I'D PROBABLY BE LYING TO MYSELF AS MUCH AS TO YOU. HOWEVER, I DO BELIEVE I'VE LEARNED A LESSON HERE. I WILL RESIST BEING RUSHED. I WISH THE CAPT HAD BACKED ME UP BY BEING ON CUE. HE MAY HAVE PICKED UP MY MISTAKE EARLIER. I KNOW IN THIS CASE, 2 HEADS WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER THAN 1. THAT MAY HAVE SAVED MY NAV ERROR, BUT I SHOULD HAVE 1) NOT ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE RUSHED, AND 2) SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SHARP AND CAUGHT MY ERROR EARLIER.

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.