Flight crew slow in intercepting arrival radial.

Attributes
ACN	305630
Time
Date	199505
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Route In Use	arrival star : star enroute airway : zkc
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	305630
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ZKC cleared our aircraft to hold at rackk intersection on the qball 2 arrival to stl. Upon reaching rackk I was given the aircraft and commenced holding while the captain notified the company and passenger of our status. During the outbound leg of the holding pattern ZKC advised they would call my inbound turn. ZKC shortly cleared me to turn left from the holding pattern and intercept the qball 2 to stl. During my turn I crossed over the stl 155 degree radial inbound and established an intercept heading to reintercept the stl 155 degree radial inbound. The winds were from the west and fairly strong. The captain then came back online and took control of the aircraft. I then contacted company for our inbound gate. When I returned the captain advised that center had called and said we were 8 mi right of course. I checked my CDI and noted that we were still right of course but by approximately 1 DOT or less. In the future I will use a much larger intercept angle to establish the course faster. However, in my defense, it seemed that my intercept was adequate and that the course representation on my instruments was somewhat less than 8 mi.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC SLOW IN INTERCEPTING ARR RADIAL.

Narrative: ZKC CLRED OUR ACFT TO HOLD AT RACKK INTXN ON THE QBALL 2 ARR TO STL. UPON REACHING RACKK I WAS GIVEN THE ACFT AND COMMENCED HOLDING WHILE THE CAPT NOTIFIED THE COMPANY AND PAX OF OUR STATUS. DURING THE OUTBOUND LEG OF THE HOLDING PATTERN ZKC ADVISED THEY WOULD CALL MY INBOUND TURN. ZKC SHORTLY CLRED ME TO TURN L FROM THE HOLDING PATTERN AND INTERCEPT THE QBALL 2 TO STL. DURING MY TURN I CROSSED OVER THE STL 155 DEG RADIAL INBOUND AND ESTABLISHED AN INTERCEPT HDG TO REINTERCEPT THE STL 155 DEG RADIAL INBOUND. THE WINDS WERE FROM THE W AND FAIRLY STRONG. THE CAPT THEN CAME BACK ONLINE AND TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT. I THEN CONTACTED COMPANY FOR OUR INBOUND GATE. WHEN I RETURNED THE CAPT ADVISED THAT CTR HAD CALLED AND SAID WE WERE 8 MI R OF COURSE. I CHKED MY CDI AND NOTED THAT WE WERE STILL R OF COURSE BUT BY APPROX 1 DOT OR LESS. IN THE FUTURE I WILL USE A MUCH LARGER INTERCEPT ANGLE TO ESTABLISH THE COURSE FASTER. HOWEVER, IN MY DEFENSE, IT SEEMED THAT MY INTERCEPT WAS ADEQUATE AND THAT THE COURSE REPRESENTATION ON MY INSTS WAS SOMEWHAT LESS THAN 8 MI.

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.