Heading track deviation. Clearance interpretation.

Attributes
ACN	302003
Time
Date	199504
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : adm
State Reference	OK
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	302003
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	302004
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Clearance read, from over a point north of tul direct to adm and the boids 4 arrival dfw. Just prior to adm we received an amended clearance to turn left to 140 degrees and intercept the buj 031 degree radial and proceed via the buj 6 arrival to dfw. The first officer who was flying understood the clearance to be turn left to 140 degrees and intercept the bpr 031 degree radial and remain on the boids 4 arrival. I reprogrammed the omega and immediately noticed an error. After confirming it was not a programming error I noticed the wrong frequency in the first officer's navigation receiver. We started a left turn back to the 140 degree heading just as ATC asked about our heading. They appeared to be concerned about outbound dfw traffic at our altitude. There did not appear to be a traffic conflict just a potential. Had I not been heads down reprogramming and/or confirmed the first officer's frequency change I probably would have discovered the error prior to the heading change toward bpr.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV. CLRNC INTERP.

Narrative: CLRNC READ, FROM OVER A POINT N OF TUL DIRECT TO ADM AND THE BOIDS 4 ARR DFW. JUST PRIOR TO ADM WE RECEIVED AN AMENDED CLRNC TO TURN L TO 140 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE BUJ 031 DEG RADIAL AND PROCEED VIA THE BUJ 6 ARR TO DFW. THE FO WHO WAS FLYING UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC TO BE TURN L TO 140 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE BPR 031 DEG RADIAL AND REMAIN ON THE BOIDS 4 ARR. I REPROGRAMMED THE OMEGA AND IMMEDIATELY NOTICED AN ERROR. AFTER CONFIRMING IT WAS NOT A PROGRAMMING ERROR I NOTICED THE WRONG FREQ IN THE FO'S NAV RECEIVER. WE STARTED A L TURN BACK TO THE 140 DEG HDG JUST AS ATC ASKED ABOUT OUR HDG. THEY APPEARED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT OUTBOUND DFW TFC AT OUR ALT. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE A TFC CONFLICT JUST A POTENTIAL. HAD I NOT BEEN HEADS DOWN REPROGRAMMING AND/OR CONFIRMED THE FO'S FREQ CHANGE I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THE ERROR PRIOR TO THE HDG CHANGE TOWARD BPR.

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.