Narrative:

PF at the time of incident was a dhc-8 captain who had been assigned to serve as first officer at the last min. Although we received a required right seat check every 6 months (part of recurrent check ride) it is believed that he had not actually performed first officer duties for nearly 3 yrs. There was a good deal of confusion in accomplishing the normal flow of checklists and system checks, ATC communication, etc as I had to back the first officer up to an unusual degree. Apparently, I incorrectly programmed the RNAV reference station as lyf versus klyh prior to taxi which put our start point off by about 5 mi. Shortly after takeoff the first officer voiced some confusion as to the course he should fly. I glanced over to his side and realized that his VOR was not tuned to lyh, and so I selected the HSI selector to utilize the RNAV from my side, which inputted RNAV information to the flight director. Then I quickly switched to lyh VOR frequency on the first officer's navigation radio, but did not refer to it for back-up navigation information at this point, as I was busy finishing the after takeoff checklist and calling our operations with our off report. When I returned my attention to the cockpit, I immediately noticed a heading of 270 degrees for a course of 219 degrees. The RNAV's wind correction was obviously incorrect, but it took me several more seconds to determine our actual track as the first officer still had not selected the 219 degree radial on his HSI. We initiated a turn back on course just as center inquired as to our navigation status. Problems: having a policy of scheduling capts and first officer's who meet minimal currency requirements of 1 right seat landing every 6 months (soon to become once a yr) does not ensure right seat proficiency. There is no safety of flight requirement to call off-times so soon after takeoff. The 10000 ft policy should be reinstituted in our company. Obviously if we had properly set all navigation system before takeoff the experience would have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT ACTING AS FO FAILED TO PROPERLY SET UP NAVAIDS.

Narrative: PF AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT WAS A DHC-8 CAPT WHO HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO SERVE AS FO AT THE LAST MIN. ALTHOUGH WE RECEIVED A REQUIRED R SEAT CHK EVERY 6 MONTHS (PART OF RECURRENT CHK RIDE) IT IS BELIEVED THAT HE HAD NOT ACTUALLY PERFORMED FO DUTIES FOR NEARLY 3 YRS. THERE WAS A GOOD DEAL OF CONFUSION IN ACCOMPLISHING THE NORMAL FLOW OF CHKLISTS AND SYS CHKS, ATC COM, ETC AS I HAD TO BACK THE FO UP TO AN UNUSUAL DEG. APPARENTLY, I INCORRECTLY PROGRAMMED THE RNAV REF STATION AS LYF VERSUS KLYH PRIOR TO TAXI WHICH PUT OUR START POINT OFF BY ABOUT 5 MI. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE FO VOICED SOME CONFUSION AS TO THE COURSE HE SHOULD FLY. I GLANCED OVER TO HIS SIDE AND REALIZED THAT HIS VOR WAS NOT TUNED TO LYH, AND SO I SELECTED THE HSI SELECTOR TO UTILIZE THE RNAV FROM MY SIDE, WHICH INPUTTED RNAV INFO TO THE FLT DIRECTOR. THEN I QUICKLY SWITCHED TO LYH VOR FREQ ON THE FO'S NAV RADIO, BUT DID NOT REFER TO IT FOR BACK-UP NAV INFO AT THIS POINT, AS I WAS BUSY FINISHING THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST AND CALLING OUR OPS WITH OUR OFF RPT. WHEN I RETURNED MY ATTN TO THE COCKPIT, I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED A HDG OF 270 DEGS FOR A COURSE OF 219 DEGS. THE RNAV'S WIND CORRECTION WAS OBVIOUSLY INCORRECT, BUT IT TOOK ME SEVERAL MORE SECONDS TO DETERMINE OUR ACTUAL TRACK AS THE FO STILL HAD NOT SELECTED THE 219 DEG RADIAL ON HIS HSI. WE INITIATED A TURN BACK ON COURSE JUST AS CTR INQUIRED AS TO OUR NAV STATUS. PROBS: HAVING A POLICY OF SCHEDULING CAPTS AND FO'S WHO MEET MINIMAL CURRENCY REQUIREMENTS OF 1 R SEAT LNDG EVERY 6 MONTHS (SOON TO BECOME ONCE A YR) DOES NOT ENSURE R SEAT PROFICIENCY. THERE IS NO SAFETY OF FLT REQUIREMENT TO CALL OFF-TIMES SO SOON AFTER TKOF. THE 10000 FT POLICY SHOULD BE REINSTITUTED IN OUR COMPANY. OBVIOUSLY IF WE HAD PROPERLY SET ALL NAV SYS BEFORE TKOF THE EXPERIENCE WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.