Narrative:

Departing ewr on SID we failed to intercept the 170 degree radial 115.4. There were numerous targets and I was watching them and TCASII. The captain called out the radial for the next turn and switched to the next radio. This was normal. I looked down at my VOR to/from flag and it said from. My attention had been diverted and I thought we had station passage. I turned to intercept the 204 degree radial. I was still watching traffic which didn't come closer than 1000 ft and 5 mi. Next, the controller gives us a turn and calls us off course 8 mi. Both of us were surprised. I'd had 115.7 on my radio. We'd done all the checklists and verified the departure. We'd both checked it but thought we saw 115.4. We used both frequencys regularly. Complacency I guess of trying to be careful. In future I'll pick up the SID and physically compare the numbers and doublechk. I thought I knew what I was doing. I was convinced I knew what I was doing and damn it, I didn't. I broke my normal habit pattern with this, too. That should send off red flags in the future, too. Doing everything the same as far as preflts helps, too.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG TUNED THE WRONG FREQ ON DEP AND WAS OFF COURSE BY SEVERAL MI.

Narrative: DEPARTING EWR ON SID WE FAILED TO INTERCEPT THE 170 DEG RADIAL 115.4. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TARGETS AND I WAS WATCHING THEM AND TCASII. THE CAPT CALLED OUT THE RADIAL FOR THE NEXT TURN AND SWITCHED TO THE NEXT RADIO. THIS WAS NORMAL. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY VOR TO/FROM FLAG AND IT SAID FROM. MY ATTN HAD BEEN DIVERTED AND I THOUGHT WE HAD STATION PASSAGE. I TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE 204 DEG RADIAL. I WAS STILL WATCHING TFC WHICH DIDN'T COME CLOSER THAN 1000 FT AND 5 MI. NEXT, THE CTLR GIVES US A TURN AND CALLS US OFF COURSE 8 MI. BOTH OF US WERE SURPRISED. I'D HAD 115.7 ON MY RADIO. WE'D DONE ALL THE CHKLISTS AND VERIFIED THE DEP. WE'D BOTH CHKED IT BUT THOUGHT WE SAW 115.4. WE USED BOTH FREQS REGULARLY. COMPLACENCY I GUESS OF TRYING TO BE CAREFUL. IN FUTURE I'LL PICK UP THE SID AND PHYSICALLY COMPARE THE NUMBERS AND DOUBLECHK. I THOUGHT I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING. I WAS CONVINCED I KNEW WHAT I WAS DOING AND DAMN IT, I DIDN'T. I BROKE MY NORMAL HABIT PATTERN WITH THIS, TOO. THAT SHOULD SEND OFF RED FLAGS IN THE FUTURE, TOO. DOING EVERYTHING THE SAME AS FAR AS PREFLTS HELPS, TOO.

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.