Narrative:

First officer flying. Given heading of 030 degrees to intercept bld 160 degree radial. Flight attendant entered cockpit. I was talking to flight attendant when first officer started a turn towards north to intercept the radial. Flight attendant left cockpit. I then noticed that we had not yet come close to intercepting the bld radial (on my side). I immediately told the first officer to return to the 030 degree heading. About that time ZLA asked us for our heading and to immediately turn to a 060 degree heading and descend to FL270, which was done rapidly. Apparently there would have been a conflict with an air carrier Y flight in our vicinity. (The air carrier Y flight was also given a turn away from us.) after things settled down, my first officer and I discussed what had happened. We discovered that he had mistuned the bld VOR to the trm VOR and was turning to intercept the right radial, but wrong VOR. I believe that I would have caught this error earlier if not for the short distraction with the flight attendant. Also, tuning and identing the bld VOR would have eliminated the whole thing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF AN MLG ACR ACFT FAILED TO FOLLOW CLRNC AND DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED TRACK DUE TO MISTUNING VOR NAV RESULTING IN ATC INTERVENTION TO TURN RPTING ACFT AND ANOTHER TO AN OFF COLLISION COURSE TO AVOID EACH OTHER.

Narrative: FO FLYING. GIVEN HDG OF 030 DEGS TO INTERCEPT BLD 160 DEG RADIAL. FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED COCKPIT. I WAS TALKING TO FLT ATTENDANT WHEN FO STARTED A TURN TOWARDS N TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL. FLT ATTENDANT LEFT COCKPIT. I THEN NOTICED THAT WE HAD NOT YET COME CLOSE TO INTERCEPTING THE BLD RADIAL (ON MY SIDE). I IMMEDIATELY TOLD THE FO TO RETURN TO THE 030 DEG HDG. ABOUT THAT TIME ZLA ASKED US FOR OUR HDG AND TO IMMEDIATELY TURN TO A 060 DEG HDG AND DSND TO FL270, WHICH WAS DONE RAPIDLY. APPARENTLY THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT WITH AN ACR Y FLT IN OUR VICINITY. (THE ACR Y FLT WAS ALSO GIVEN A TURN AWAY FROM US.) AFTER THINGS SETTLED DOWN, MY FO AND I DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE DISCOVERED THAT HE HAD MISTUNED THE BLD VOR TO THE TRM VOR AND WAS TURNING TO INTERCEPT THE RIGHT RADIAL, BUT WRONG VOR. I BELIEVE THAT I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS ERROR EARLIER IF NOT FOR THE SHORT DISTR WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT. ALSO, TUNING AND IDENTING THE BLD VOR WOULD HAVE ELIMINATED THE WHOLE THING.

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.