Alert ARTCC radar controller catches flight crew deviation. Heading track deviation.

Attributes
ACN	266021
Time
Date	199403
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : llc
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 25000 msl bound upper : 25300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Military
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 280
ASRS Report	266021
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	266092
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 1000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After passing llc VOR I set 067 degrees in obs instead of 054 degrees due to misreading chart. Approximately 36 DME ATC issued a left 15 degree turn and cleared us to go direct bam. Very shortly after we got a 'traffic, traffic' on the TCASII. Shortly after that we got an RA to 'climb, climb.' the first officer followed the RA, climbing 300 ft. First officer saw traffic pass below us approximately 1000 ft at which time the TCASII reported 'clear of conflict.' there were no ATC advisories issued during this time and when we asked the controller if there had been a conflict he told us there had been no conflict. No other communications about this event were made by ATC. The controller asked us about our clearance and I told him we were cleared on J-32. There were no further discussions with ATC. The type of military aircraft involved is unknown to me. The first officer has no military backgnd and only described it as 'a big gray military looking airplane.' after some thought about the near miss my perception is that this military aircraft may have popped up out of the nearby MOA and taken a staffing run on us. The closure and the abruptness of the TCASII RA was not what I would consider the normal speed range. I find it odd that ATC never called out any traffic nor mentioned any after we asked about a possible conflict. The controller just said that we were getting close to some restr airspace. Supplemental information from acn 266092: I checked the chart and selected the proper radial from the VOR. About 3 mins later the captain checked his chart and said the proper radial is 15 degrees to the right. I looked down again at my chart, checked the VOR, and the jet airway number agreed with him. I was ahead of the aircraft position. I feel that I had contributed to this incident by not rechking my position and looking at the VOR frequency on the jct airway. Also, I did not keep track of my flight plan times en route. I allowed myself to be influenced out of the right course believing I was wrong. I should have been more aware of my exact position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALERT ARTCC RADAR CTLR CATCHES FLC DEV. HDG TRACK DEV.

Narrative: AFTER PASSING LLC VOR I SET 067 DEGS IN OBS INSTEAD OF 054 DEGS DUE TO MISREADING CHART. APPROX 36 DME ATC ISSUED A L 15 DEG TURN AND CLRED US TO GO DIRECT BAM. VERY SHORTLY AFTER WE GOT A 'TFC, TFC' ON THE TCASII. SHORTLY AFTER THAT WE GOT AN RA TO 'CLB, CLB.' THE FO FOLLOWED THE RA, CLBING 300 FT. FO SAW TFC PASS BELOW US APPROX 1000 FT AT WHICH TIME THE TCASII RPTED 'CLR OF CONFLICT.' THERE WERE NO ATC ADVISORIES ISSUED DURING THIS TIME AND WHEN WE ASKED THE CTLR IF THERE HAD BEEN A CONFLICT HE TOLD US THERE HAD BEEN NO CONFLICT. NO OTHER COMS ABOUT THIS EVENT WERE MADE BY ATC. THE CTLR ASKED US ABOUT OUR CLRNC AND I TOLD HIM WE WERE CLRED ON J-32. THERE WERE NO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH ATC. THE TYPE OF MIL ACFT INVOLVED IS UNKNOWN TO ME. THE FO HAS NO MIL BACKGND AND ONLY DESCRIBED IT AS 'A BIG GRAY MIL LOOKING AIRPLANE.' AFTER SOME THOUGHT ABOUT THE NEAR MISS MY PERCEPTION IS THAT THIS MIL ACFT MAY HAVE POPPED UP OUT OF THE NEARBY MOA AND TAKEN A STAFFING RUN ON US. THE CLOSURE AND THE ABRUPTNESS OF THE TCASII RA WAS NOT WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER THE NORMAL SPD RANGE. I FIND IT ODD THAT ATC NEVER CALLED OUT ANY TFC NOR MENTIONED ANY AFTER WE ASKED ABOUT A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. THE CTLR JUST SAID THAT WE WERE GETTING CLOSE TO SOME RESTR AIRSPACE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 266092: I CHKED THE CHART AND SELECTED THE PROPER RADIAL FROM THE VOR. ABOUT 3 MINS LATER THE CAPT CHKED HIS CHART AND SAID THE PROPER RADIAL IS 15 DEGS TO THE R. I LOOKED DOWN AGAIN AT MY CHART, CHKED THE VOR, AND THE JET AIRWAY NUMBER AGREED WITH HIM. I WAS AHEAD OF THE ACFT POS. I FEEL THAT I HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT BY NOT RECHKING MY POS AND LOOKING AT THE VOR FREQ ON THE JCT AIRWAY. ALSO, I DID NOT KEEP TRACK OF MY FLT PLAN TIMES ENRTE. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE INFLUENCED OUT OF THE RIGHT COURSE BELIEVING I WAS WRONG. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF MY EXACT POS.

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.