Commuter off course due not flying to intersection prior to turning to airway as indicated on CDI.

Attributes
ACN	223959
Time
Date	199210
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : v44
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 2502 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	223959
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

It was my leg to fly on flight from bwi to bdr, ct. Taxi and takeoff proceeded normally. Took off runway 33R, turned right and climbed. We were then cleared RNAV direct to paleo intersection, on course, up to 17000 ft MSL. Winds aloft were strong out of the southwest. Both the captain's and my VOR were dialed for the sea isle 276 degree radial. At 1 point, I was fine-tuning the power settings and briefly turned 10-15 degrees left of leading (160 degrees). The captain recognized this and told me to correct to the right, which I did. We were in and out of it but mostly IMC and the temperature was below 0 degrees C. Each of us was wondering if any ice might be building up on the LORAN antenna thus affecting reception. At about 4.2 DME from paleo, the captain announced his course alive and centered. My side indicated same. I turned left to fly eastbound V44 to sea isle. Pilots in the northeast know sea isle to be 'gigey,' but at about 12000 ft we each thought it to be dependable. The captain then took a moment to reprogram the LORAN to sea isle. At this point, the controller queried us for our distance from paleo and assigned us a 160 degree heading. We complied. He admonished us that we were 5-5 1/2 mi north of paleo and he really needed us to fly our assigned route to avoid swann intersection. We stated that our LORAN never showed us to be more than about 4 1/2 mi from paleo but since V44 was centered we were flying that eastbound. Corrective action: should not have spent so much attention finessing the power levers without scanning back to my heading. Should have flown the LORAN longer before transitioning to the VOR CDI. This is my first job ever as part of a 2 pilot crew and utilizing LORAN on IFR flts. I agree with the captain's later comments that I need to remember on my leg that the first priority is to precisely fly the airplane. I shouldn't be bashful to ask him to do some cockpit task. Winds aloft from southwest exacerbated the situation. Wonder when was the last time sea isle VOR has been inspected for tolerance variation? I need to know that the LORAN can be trusted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER OFF COURSE DUE NOT FLYING TO INTXN PRIOR TO TURNING TO AIRWAY AS INDICATED ON CDI.

Narrative: IT WAS MY LEG TO FLY ON FLT FROM BWI TO BDR, CT. TAXI AND TKOF PROCEEDED NORMALLY. TOOK OFF RWY 33R, TURNED R AND CLBED. WE WERE THEN CLRED RNAV DIRECT TO PALEO INTXN, ON COURSE, UP TO 17000 FT MSL. WINDS ALOFT WERE STRONG OUT OF THE SW. BOTH THE CAPT'S AND MY VOR WERE DIALED FOR THE SEA ISLE 276 DEG RADIAL. AT 1 POINT, I WAS FINE-TUNING THE PWR SETTINGS AND BRIEFLY TURNED 10-15 DEGS L OF LEADING (160 DEGS). THE CAPT RECOGNIZED THIS AND TOLD ME TO CORRECT TO THE R, WHICH I DID. WE WERE IN AND OUT OF IT BUT MOSTLY IMC AND THE TEMP WAS BELOW 0 DEGS C. EACH OF US WAS WONDERING IF ANY ICE MIGHT BE BUILDING UP ON THE LORAN ANTENNA THUS AFFECTING RECEPTION. AT ABOUT 4.2 DME FROM PALEO, THE CAPT ANNOUNCED HIS COURSE ALIVE AND CTRED. MY SIDE INDICATED SAME. I TURNED L TO FLY EBOUND V44 TO SEA ISLE. PLTS IN THE NE KNOW SEA ISLE TO BE 'GIGEY,' BUT AT ABOUT 12000 FT WE EACH THOUGHT IT TO BE DEPENDABLE. THE CAPT THEN TOOK A MOMENT TO REPROGRAM THE LORAN TO SEA ISLE. AT THIS POINT, THE CTLR QUERIED US FOR OUR DISTANCE FROM PALEO AND ASSIGNED US A 160 DEG HDG. WE COMPLIED. HE ADMONISHED US THAT WE WERE 5-5 1/2 MI N OF PALEO AND HE REALLY NEEDED US TO FLY OUR ASSIGNED RTE TO AVOID SWANN INTXN. WE STATED THAT OUR LORAN NEVER SHOWED US TO BE MORE THAN ABOUT 4 1/2 MI FROM PALEO BUT SINCE V44 WAS CTRED WE WERE FLYING THAT EBOUND. CORRECTIVE ACTION: SHOULD NOT HAVE SPENT SO MUCH ATTN FINESSING THE PWR LEVERS WITHOUT SCANNING BACK TO MY HDG. SHOULD HAVE FLOWN THE LORAN LONGER BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO THE VOR CDI. THIS IS MY FIRST JOB EVER AS PART OF A 2 PLT CREW AND UTILIZING LORAN ON IFR FLTS. I AGREE WITH THE CAPT'S LATER COMMENTS THAT I NEED TO REMEMBER ON MY LEG THAT THE FIRST PRIORITY IS TO PRECISELY FLY THE AIRPLANE. I SHOULDN'T BE BASHFUL TO ASK HIM TO DO SOME COCKPIT TASK. WINDS ALOFT FROM SW EXACERBATED THE SITUATION. WONDER WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME SEA ISLE VOR HAS BEEN INSPECTED FOR TOLERANCE VARIATION? I NEED TO KNOW THAT THE LORAN CAN BE TRUSTED.

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.