Narrative:

We were departing lax for a morning orientation flight to las. The first officer, with whom I have flown quite a bit, was occupying the left seat, as he has completed upgrade and we are therefore permitted to swap seats. Our assigned SID, the loupe 9 departure, departs lax on a 250 degree heading. At some point socal departure will issue a left turn direct to the lax VOR. Aircraft are then expected to reverse course expeditiously toward the VOR, crossing it at or above 10000 ft, and departing on the 041 degree radial. As I came back onto ATC frequency after having called back our times to company, it appeared to me that we were crossing the coastline around pacific palisades, considerably south of the VOR. Shortly thereafter, socal departure asked if we were turning to join the SID, then issued us a heading to 050 degrees. As it turned out, the first officer was navigating off the #2 (first officer's) needle on the RMI due to force of habit, rather than the #1 (captain's) which he should have been watching while flying from the left seat. I had the #2 navigation radio tuned to the next NAVAID after lax, and it really wasn't pointing at anything yet. I was somewhat fatigued during this occurrence due to my starting to come down with a cold, and had resultantly had a poor night's sleep the night before. Furthermore, this guy is pretty sharp (or I wouldn't swap seats!) and the chances of him screwing up a simple departure are pretty slim. (Or so I thought!) in the future, I will refrain from swapping unless I'm feeling perfectly well, and I'll watch the other guy like a new hire on his first day!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG FAILED TO FOLLOW A SID DURING DEP RESULTING IN ATC INTERVENTION AND AN AMENDED CLRNC.

Narrative: WE WERE DEPARTING LAX FOR A MORNING ORIENTATION FLT TO LAS. THE FO, WITH WHOM I HAVE FLOWN QUITE A BIT, WAS OCCUPYING THE L SEAT, AS HE HAS COMPLETED UPGRADE AND WE ARE THEREFORE PERMITTED TO SWAP SEATS. OUR ASSIGNED SID, THE LOUPE 9 DEP, DEPARTS LAX ON A 250 DEG HDG. AT SOME POINT SOCAL DEP WILL ISSUE A L TURN DIRECT TO THE LAX VOR. ACFT ARE THEN EXPECTED TO REVERSE COURSE EXPEDITIOUSLY TOWARD THE VOR, XING IT AT OR ABOVE 10000 FT, AND DEPARTING ON THE 041 DEG RADIAL. AS I CAME BACK ONTO ATC FREQ AFTER HAVING CALLED BACK OUR TIMES TO COMPANY, IT APPEARED TO ME THAT WE WERE XING THE COASTLINE AROUND PACIFIC PALISADES, CONSIDERABLY S OF THE VOR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, SOCAL DEP ASKED IF WE WERE TURNING TO JOIN THE SID, THEN ISSUED US A HDG TO 050 DEGS. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE FO WAS NAVING OFF THE #2 (FO'S) NEEDLE ON THE RMI DUE TO FORCE OF HABIT, RATHER THAN THE #1 (CAPT'S) WHICH HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN WATCHING WHILE FLYING FROM THE L SEAT. I HAD THE #2 NAV RADIO TUNED TO THE NEXT NAVAID AFTER LAX, AND IT REALLY WASN'T POINTING AT ANYTHING YET. I WAS SOMEWHAT FATIGUED DURING THIS OCCURRENCE DUE TO MY STARTING TO COME DOWN WITH A COLD, AND HAD RESULTANTLY HAD A POOR NIGHT'S SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE. FURTHERMORE, THIS GUY IS PRETTY SHARP (OR I WOULDN'T SWAP SEATS!) AND THE CHANCES OF HIM SCREWING UP A SIMPLE DEP ARE PRETTY SLIM. (OR SO I THOUGHT!) IN THE FUTURE, I WILL REFRAIN FROM SWAPPING UNLESS I'M FEELING PERFECTLY WELL, AND I'LL WATCH THE OTHER GUY LIKE A NEW HIRE ON HIS FIRST DAY!

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.