Narrative:

We were deviating around WX north of orlando on J53. We were heading 320 degrees to clear WX trying to then go over craig and then the arrival into atl. We were instructed to fly 270 degrees and intercept J119 to taylor then dublin and the arrival. The first officer, who was flying, checked the chart. J119 was 186 degree radial. I said that's 306 degrees inbound. He said ok and we turned inbound. Center said again fly 270 degrees and intercept J119 into taylor 'did you get that?' we replied 'we were working on it.' they said he had traffic over gainesville sbound and he needed us on J119. We rogered, checked the chart and yes 186 degrees out is '006' in -- not '306' degree. We reset and got in J119. Could have been prevented by better basic math. However, with WX deviation going on and not too sure how far away J119 was, I figured too quickly and first officer didn't catch it. Maybe center could have said 'intercept J119 you are 20 mi east of it' or something like that to take away some of the urgency of the situation. Also, with a glass cockpit, one gets out of the habit of setting courses on airways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF AN MLG ACR ACFT INADVERTENTLY SET THE WRONG VOR RADIAL IN THE FMC RESULTING IN BEING OFF COURSE BY 20 MI. ATC CTLR INTERVENED AND THE MISTAKE WAS CORRECTED.

Narrative: WE WERE DEVIATING AROUND WX N OF ORLANDO ON J53. WE WERE HDG 320 DEGS TO CLR WX TRYING TO THEN GO OVER CRAIG AND THEN THE ARR INTO ATL. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO FLY 270 DEGS AND INTERCEPT J119 TO TAYLOR THEN DUBLIN AND THE ARR. THE FO, WHO WAS FLYING, CHKED THE CHART. J119 WAS 186 DEG RADIAL. I SAID THAT'S 306 DEGS INBOUND. HE SAID OK AND WE TURNED INBOUND. CTR SAID AGAIN FLY 270 DEGS AND INTERCEPT J119 INTO TAYLOR 'DID YOU GET THAT?' WE REPLIED 'WE WERE WORKING ON IT.' THEY SAID HE HAD TFC OVER GAINESVILLE SBOUND AND HE NEEDED US ON J119. WE ROGERED, CHKED THE CHART AND YES 186 DEGS OUT IS '006' IN -- NOT '306' DEG. WE RESET AND GOT IN J119. COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY BETTER BASIC MATH. HOWEVER, WITH WX DEV GOING ON AND NOT TOO SURE HOW FAR AWAY J119 WAS, I FIGURED TOO QUICKLY AND FO DIDN'T CATCH IT. MAYBE CTR COULD HAVE SAID 'INTERCEPT J119 YOU ARE 20 MI E OF IT' OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE URGENCY OF THE SIT. ALSO, WITH A GLASS COCKPIT, ONE GETS OUT OF THE HABIT OF SETTING COURSES ON AIRWAYS.

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.