Heading track deviation creates a potential conflict for air carrier aircraft over mount rushmore.

Attributes
ACN	276672
Time
Date	199407
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rap
State Reference	SD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 205 flight time total : 10600 flight time type : 1025
ASRS Report	276672
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	276936
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Over mount rushmore, captain decided to disconnect autoplt and bank aircraft to the right to give passenger a good view of mount rushmore. Aircraft turned well inside the cleared airway track direct to rap and then rap to obh VOR. ATC called our flight to ask our heading since we were about to cause a conflict with other aircraft. I was off the radio, on the PA, giving an announcement about the view. Captain missed the radio calls. We then both heard ATC descend another aircraft 'immediately' for traffic. We later figured out this was because of our turn. ATC called us again, this time I responded. He asked heading. We were turning back on course by that time but he turned us further north to avoid traffic. I was very surprised to see how far from our cleared track we had strayed. My attention was directed outside and when I looked back in we were 10 mi from track. The turn just didn't seem that great to me so caused me no concern. Obviously I was mistaken as we strayed a great deal off our track. The situation was made worse by the captain's inattn to ATC's radio calls. Supplemental information from acn 276936: traffic conflict at 37000 ft. Descended other aircraft to 33000 ft. A previous radio transmission not heard but one was blocked by other aircraft making an inquiry.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV CREATES A POTENTIAL CONFLICT FOR ACR ACFT OVER MOUNT RUSHMORE.

Narrative: OVER MOUNT RUSHMORE, CAPT DECIDED TO DISCONNECT AUTOPLT AND BANK ACFT TO THE R TO GIVE PAX A GOOD VIEW OF MOUNT RUSHMORE. ACFT TURNED WELL INSIDE THE CLRED AIRWAY TRACK DIRECT TO RAP AND THEN RAP TO OBH VOR. ATC CALLED OUR FLT TO ASK OUR HDG SINCE WE WERE ABOUT TO CAUSE A CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT. I WAS OFF THE RADIO, ON THE PA, GIVING AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE VIEW. CAPT MISSED THE RADIO CALLS. WE THEN BOTH HEARD ATC DSND ANOTHER ACFT 'IMMEDIATELY' FOR TFC. WE LATER FIGURED OUT THIS WAS BECAUSE OF OUR TURN. ATC CALLED US AGAIN, THIS TIME I RESPONDED. HE ASKED HDG. WE WERE TURNING BACK ON COURSE BY THAT TIME BUT HE TURNED US FURTHER N TO AVOID TFC. I WAS VERY SURPRISED TO SEE HOW FAR FROM OUR CLRED TRACK WE HAD STRAYED. MY ATTN WAS DIRECTED OUTSIDE AND WHEN I LOOKED BACK IN WE WERE 10 MI FROM TRACK. THE TURN JUST DIDN'T SEEM THAT GREAT TO ME SO CAUSED ME NO CONCERN. OBVIOUSLY I WAS MISTAKEN AS WE STRAYED A GREAT DEAL OFF OUR TRACK. THE SIT WAS MADE WORSE BY THE CAPT'S INATTN TO ATC'S RADIO CALLS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 276936: TFC CONFLICT AT 37000 FT. DSNDED OTHER ACFT TO 33000 FT. A PREVIOUS RADIO XMISSION NOT HEARD BUT ONE WAS BLOCKED BY OTHER ACFT MAKING AN INQUIRY.

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.