Narrative:

I was acting as so on our airline flight from newark, nj, to montego bay, jamaica, on feb/xx/95. We departed ewr (newark) at AM10 local time and were flying the published SID. The departure runway was runway 22R. We were subsequently cleared direct to coyle VOR. The captain and first officer selected a new frequency in the navigation radios and turned right to a heading of approximately 300 degrees. Within a min or so, the departure controller asked if we were proceeding direct to coyle. When he was told that we were, he asked us to fly 210 degrees for direct coyle. The captain and first officer then rechked their charts and discovered they had tuned the wrong VOR frequency. The contributing factors were: 1) poor cockpit discipline. This is a common problem at our airline, and in my opinion, is largely the result of on-going tensions between company management and the pilots. 2) 1 pilot (either the captain or first officer, I don't recall which) looked up the VOR frequency on the chart and tuned both navigation radios. This resulted in no verification, or xchk that the proper frequency had been selected. 3) the so at our airline as at most airlines, is not provided with navigation charts and is not normally involved in navigation duties. He, therefore, has no reasonable means of knowing when a navigation error is being committed. This largely defeats the purpose of a 3 pilot crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEV FROM CLRNC RTE -- WRONG NAV RADIO FREQ.

Narrative: I WAS ACTING AS SO ON OUR AIRLINE FLT FROM NEWARK, NJ, TO MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA, ON FEB/XX/95. WE DEPARTED EWR (NEWARK) AT AM10 LCL TIME AND WERE FLYING THE PUBLISHED SID. THE DEP RWY WAS RWY 22R. WE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED DIRECT TO COYLE VOR. THE CAPT AND FO SELECTED A NEW FREQ IN THE NAV RADIOS AND TURNED R TO A HDG OF APPROX 300 DEGS. WITHIN A MIN OR SO, THE DEP CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE PROCEEDING DIRECT TO COYLE. WHEN HE WAS TOLD THAT WE WERE, HE ASKED US TO FLY 210 DEGS FOR DIRECT COYLE. THE CAPT AND FO THEN RECHKED THEIR CHARTS AND DISCOVERED THEY HAD TUNED THE WRONG VOR FREQ. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: 1) POOR COCKPIT DISCIPLINE. THIS IS A COMMON PROB AT OUR AIRLINE, AND IN MY OPINION, IS LARGELY THE RESULT OF ON-GOING TENSIONS BTWN COMPANY MGMNT AND THE PLTS. 2) 1 PLT (EITHER THE CAPT OR FO, I DON'T RECALL WHICH) LOOKED UP THE VOR FREQ ON THE CHART AND TUNED BOTH NAV RADIOS. THIS RESULTED IN NO VERIFICATION, OR XCHK THAT THE PROPER FREQ HAD BEEN SELECTED. 3) THE SO AT OUR AIRLINE AS AT MOST AIRLINES, IS NOT PROVIDED WITH NAV CHARTS AND IS NOT NORMALLY INVOLVED IN NAV DUTIES. HE, THEREFORE, HAS NO REASONABLE MEANS OF KNOWING WHEN A NAV ERROR IS BEING COMMITTED. THIS LARGELY DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF A 3 PLT CREW.

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.