Narrative:

We were on arrival to ewr after flying in from lfpg (paris). We were on a routing from alb V213 to sparta at 12000 ft MSL when ZBW cleared us to acove intersection to hold. We were just past alb, heading south at this time. I reached for my chart (ushi 3/4) and couldn't find it quickly realizing that I needed a low altitude chart. I didn't have it. The captain who was flying reached in his bag and pulled out a pile of charts and tossed them on the console meanwhile I'm looking over my ny area chart which I later realize is a high area chart. I started digging through the captain's pile of charts, not finding the needed low (us 25/26) as it later turned out to still be in his bag. At approximately 45 mi south of arb, ZBW asked us if we knew where acove intersection was. 'No' we said as we were having difficulty finding it, whereupon they informed us that we were 10 mi south of it, crossing into another sector, and started vectoring us towards it. We ultimately located the chart and the intersection. The problem was mine as I should have had all necessary charts for the flight. I'd started tailoring my flying charts for a particular series of flts to cut down on the amount of material I carry in my brain bag. I'd said to myself, 'how many times do I ever use my low altitude charts?' (never in our night operations). We were arriving during the evening on our pre-planned routing which was on a victor airway and I didn't have the charts according to 121.549 and our company operations manual. I had also accepted a clearance for an intersection that I couldn't identify nor did I tell ATC that we were having a problem locating it. They would have helped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC DEV FROM ATC CLRNC. NON ADHERENCE TO ATC INSTRUCTION.

Narrative: WE WERE ON ARR TO EWR AFTER FLYING IN FROM LFPG (PARIS). WE WERE ON A ROUTING FROM ALB V213 TO SPARTA AT 12000 FT MSL WHEN ZBW CLRED US TO ACOVE INTXN TO HOLD. WE WERE JUST PAST ALB, HEADING S AT THIS TIME. I REACHED FOR MY CHART (USHI 3/4) AND COULDN'T FIND IT QUICKLY REALIZING THAT I NEEDED A LOW ALT CHART. I DIDN'T HAVE IT. THE CAPT WHO WAS FLYING REACHED IN HIS BAG AND PULLED OUT A PILE OF CHARTS AND TOSSED THEM ON THE CONSOLE MEANWHILE I'M LOOKING OVER MY NY AREA CHART WHICH I LATER REALIZE IS A HIGH AREA CHART. I STARTED DIGGING THROUGH THE CAPT'S PILE OF CHARTS, NOT FINDING THE NEEDED LOW (US 25/26) AS IT LATER TURNED OUT TO STILL BE IN HIS BAG. AT APPROX 45 MI S OF ARB, ZBW ASKED US IF WE KNEW WHERE ACOVE INTXN WAS. 'NO' WE SAID AS WE WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY FINDING IT, WHEREUPON THEY INFORMED US THAT WE WERE 10 MI S OF IT, XING INTO ANOTHER SECTOR, AND STARTED VECTORING US TOWARDS IT. WE ULTIMATELY LOCATED THE CHART AND THE INTXN. THE PROB WAS MINE AS I SHOULD HAVE HAD ALL NECESSARY CHARTS FOR THE FLT. I'D STARTED TAILORING MY FLYING CHARTS FOR A PARTICULAR SERIES OF FLTS TO CUT DOWN ON THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL I CARRY IN MY BRAIN BAG. I'D SAID TO MYSELF, 'HOW MANY TIMES DO I EVER USE MY LOW ALT CHARTS?' (NEVER IN OUR NIGHT OPS). WE WERE ARRIVING DURING THE EVENING ON OUR PRE-PLANNED ROUTING WHICH WAS ON A VICTOR AIRWAY AND I DIDN'T HAVE THE CHARTS ACCORDING TO 121.549 AND OUR COMPANY OPS MANUAL. I HAD ALSO ACCEPTED A CLRNC FOR AN INTXN THAT I COULDN'T IDENT NOR DID I TELL ATC THAT WE WERE HAVING A PROB LOCATING IT. THEY WOULD HAVE HELPED.

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.