Narrative:

First officer flying the aircraft from pit to mci with the routing tvt direct rod direct vhp and then the STAR. Bad WX and delays had rushed us and we had not eaten. While climbing both of us had snack boxes which we had begun eating. Passing over tvt VOR I looked at the captain's VOR which had a frequency and flags on his HSI. This was not the next station so I looked at my map, saw tvt then ape which is a familiar route (but not going to mci) so I dialed in ape (which should have been rod) and began a left turn about 30 degrees left. As I rolled out on a heading directly to the VOR, center called and asked if we had been cleared via rod. Both of us immediately checked the frequency which was wrong and I started a turn to the right towards rod. We were climbing through 22000 ft, center mentioned we had traffic 6 mi away also at 22000 ft and to continue the turn to 290 degrees. We complied and were then cleared direct rod. The controller said no conflict was created. 2 factors were involved in this error. First, tight scheduling and delays which do not allow a crew to eat. I should have waited until we had reached cruise altitude when the workload was less demanding but we were 'starved.' second, 'familiarity breeds contempt.' instead of rechking our flight plan route I recognized the tvt-ape routing and dialed it in even though it was wrong. Never rely on memory. Just as an added note, this aircraft was not TCASII equipped, although I do not believe this would have helped in our situation, had we been closer to the other aircraft it would definitely have helped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON CLB AFTER RUSH DUE TO WX DELAYS AND NO TIME FOR MEALS. SET WRONG NAVAID. HDG DEV.

Narrative: FO FLYING THE ACFT FROM PIT TO MCI WITH THE ROUTING TVT DIRECT ROD DIRECT VHP AND THEN THE STAR. BAD WX AND DELAYS HAD RUSHED US AND WE HAD NOT EATEN. WHILE CLBING BOTH OF US HAD SNACK BOXES WHICH WE HAD BEGUN EATING. PASSING OVER TVT VOR I LOOKED AT THE CAPT'S VOR WHICH HAD A FREQ AND FLAGS ON HIS HSI. THIS WAS NOT THE NEXT STATION SO I LOOKED AT MY MAP, SAW TVT THEN APE WHICH IS A FAMILIAR RTE (BUT NOT GOING TO MCI) SO I DIALED IN APE (WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN ROD) AND BEGAN A L TURN ABOUT 30 DEGS L. AS I ROLLED OUT ON A HDG DIRECTLY TO THE VOR, CTR CALLED AND ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED VIA ROD. BOTH OF US IMMEDIATELY CHKED THE FREQ WHICH WAS WRONG AND I STARTED A TURN TO THE R TOWARDS ROD. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 22000 FT, CTR MENTIONED WE HAD TFC 6 MI AWAY ALSO AT 22000 FT AND TO CONTINUE THE TURN TO 290 DEGS. WE COMPLIED AND WERE THEN CLRED DIRECT ROD. THE CTLR SAID NO CONFLICT WAS CREATED. 2 FACTORS WERE INVOLVED IN THIS ERROR. FIRST, TIGHT SCHEDULING AND DELAYS WHICH DO NOT ALLOW A CREW TO EAT. I SHOULD HAVE WAITED UNTIL WE HAD REACHED CRUISE ALT WHEN THE WORKLOAD WAS LESS DEMANDING BUT WE WERE 'STARVED.' SECOND, 'FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT.' INSTEAD OF RECHKING OUR FLT PLAN RTE I RECOGNIZED THE TVT-APE ROUTING AND DIALED IT IN EVEN THOUGH IT WAS WRONG. NEVER RELY ON MEMORY. JUST AS AN ADDED NOTE, THIS ACFT WAS NOT TCASII EQUIPPED, ALTHOUGH I DO NOT BELIEVE THIS WOULD HAVE HELPED IN OUR SITUATION, HAD WE BEEN CLOSER TO THE OTHER ACFT IT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE HELPED.

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.