Narrative:

First officer was flying. After receiving and confirming a descent clearance to cross falko (10 mi fix south of brv VOR) at 10000 ft, first officer said he would begin his descent 30 mi prior to falko. At this point my attention was focused on getting ATIS information. ATC called back shortly after to ask if in fact we would make this clearance restr. At that time, first officer (who was using DME information from #1 VOR) checked the accuracy with the #2 VOR DME information. There was an error of approximately 30 mi between the #1 VORTAC and #2 VORTAC, both tuned to the same frequency. We requested, and were given relief from our initial clearance. We were issued a best of descent clearance. There were no conflicts with other traffic to my knowledge. After discussing this event with another captain, he said that he also had noticed that brv VORTAC had given him problems in the past. We checked our vortacs on several other frequencys and they were all normal. Could there be a TACAN frequency in close proximity to brv that is doing this? I've noticed a lot lately that first officer's have lost basic fundamentals of navigation. We did have a map! Maybe airline training should stress fundamentals instead of high tech. Cockpit resource management is fine, but it assumes 1 pilot can be out of the loop. Cockpit resource management also assumes that while 1 pilot is out of the loop, the other pilot will not make a mistake. If you stay in the loop, make helpful suggestions, cockpit resource management gives the first officer the power to tell you that he doesn't need your help! You can't win! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter flies the F-28 for a major domestic air carrier. He admits that he did not identify the DME portion of the brv VORTAC. The reporter agrees that this problem may be isolated to 1 aircraft in his air carrier. He will try to identify the aircraft, if this is the case, and forward another report to the ASRS. He is now aware of the FAA aviation safety hotline.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CREW BELIEVES THAT THEY WERE GETTING 2 DIFFERENT DME READINGS FROM THE BRV VOR.

Narrative: FO WAS FLYING. AFTER RECEIVING AND CONFIRMING A DSCNT CLRNC TO CROSS FALKO (10 MI FIX S OF BRV VOR) AT 10000 FT, FO SAID HE WOULD BEGIN HIS DSCNT 30 MI PRIOR TO FALKO. AT THIS POINT MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON GETTING ATIS INFO. ATC CALLED BACK SHORTLY AFTER TO ASK IF IN FACT WE WOULD MAKE THIS CLRNC RESTR. AT THAT TIME, FO (WHO WAS USING DME INFO FROM #1 VOR) CHKED THE ACCURACY WITH THE #2 VOR DME INFO. THERE WAS AN ERROR OF APPROX 30 MI BTWN THE #1 VORTAC AND #2 VORTAC, BOTH TUNED TO THE SAME FREQ. WE REQUESTED, AND WERE GIVEN RELIEF FROM OUR INITIAL CLRNC. WE WERE ISSUED A BEST OF DSCNT CLRNC. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS WITH OTHER TFC TO MY KNOWLEDGE. AFTER DISCUSSING THIS EVENT WITH ANOTHER CAPT, HE SAID THAT HE ALSO HAD NOTICED THAT BRV VORTAC HAD GIVEN HIM PROBS IN THE PAST. WE CHKED OUR VORTACS ON SEVERAL OTHER FREQS AND THEY WERE ALL NORMAL. COULD THERE BE A TACAN FREQ IN CLOSE PROX TO BRV THAT IS DOING THIS? I'VE NOTICED A LOT LATELY THAT FO'S HAVE LOST BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF NAV. WE DID HAVE A MAP! MAYBE AIRLINE TRAINING SHOULD STRESS FUNDAMENTALS INSTEAD OF HIGH TECH. COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT IS FINE, BUT IT ASSUMES 1 PLT CAN BE OUT OF THE LOOP. COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT ALSO ASSUMES THAT WHILE 1 PLT IS OUT OF THE LOOP, THE OTHER PLT WILL NOT MAKE A MISTAKE. IF YOU STAY IN THE LOOP, MAKE HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS, COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT GIVES THE FO THE PWR TO TELL YOU THAT HE DOESN'T NEED YOUR HELP! YOU CAN'T WIN! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR FLIES THE F-28 FOR A MAJOR DOMESTIC ACR. HE ADMITS THAT HE DID NOT IDENT THE DME PORTION OF THE BRV VORTAC. THE RPTR AGREES THAT THIS PROB MAY BE ISOLATED TO 1 ACFT IN HIS ACR. HE WILL TRY TO IDENT THE ACFT, IF THIS IS THE CASE, AND FORWARD ANOTHER RPT TO THE ASRS. HE IS NOW AWARE OF THE FAA AVIATION SAFETY HOTLINE.

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.