Narrative:

After departing the chicago area and switching to the en route navigation facility, I accidentally set oxi (115.6) instead of gij (115.4). As I was moving the audio lever up to identify gij, I was stopped by a call from ATC who was assigning a vector, requesting an increased rate of climb, and changing the cleared altitude. There were subsequently numerous vectors between 040 degrees and 090 degrees and a handoff to center. Being busy with communications, I did not remember to go back and identify gij. When we were cleared direct to gij, we thought the long vectors had taken us somewhat north, but were still surprised by the south heading required to go to what we thought was gij. While we were trying to sort this out, ATC told us to turn left to 020 degrees to go direct gij. At that time I checked the radios and saw that the captain and I both had the wrong navigation frequency set. We followed the vector, tuned and idented gij and resumed normal navigation on J146. I think the high volume of communications and the frequent change in vector headings had a lot to do with our failure to recognize our error earlier. In our post flight discussion, the captain and I agreed that it would have been better for the PF to set his radio to ord to meet the ord departure restr, and for the PNF to set the first en route navigation fix prior to departure when things are less hectic and there is time to verify the frequency. To our knowledge, there was no traffic conflict as a result of this navigation error. Supplemental information from acn 314582: shortly after takeoff, I looked at the first officer's #2 navigation and saw the frequency 115.6 set on his radio. I wrongly assumed that was the correct frequency for gij, 115.4, and I set 115.6 on my #1 navigation radio. After numerous vectors, ZAU gave us a 180 degree heading, direct gij, on course. Southwest of gij, ZAU picked us up and assigned a vector back to gij. Preventive action: back to basics, tune and identify, set the PNF's navigation to the first en route fix frequency on the ground before entering the busy departure environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FO (PNF) SET THE WRONG VOR FREQ FOR A DIRECT NAV CLRNC AND CAPT (PF) FOLLOWED WITHOUT VERIFYING. ARTCC INTERVENED.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING THE CHICAGO AREA AND SWITCHING TO THE ENRTE NAV FACILITY, I ACCIDENTALLY SET OXI (115.6) INSTEAD OF GIJ (115.4). AS I WAS MOVING THE AUDIO LEVER UP TO IDENT GIJ, I WAS STOPPED BY A CALL FROM ATC WHO WAS ASSIGNING A VECTOR, REQUESTING AN INCREASED RATE OF CLB, AND CHANGING THE CLRED ALT. THERE WERE SUBSEQUENTLY NUMEROUS VECTORS BTWN 040 DEGS AND 090 DEGS AND A HDOF TO CTR. BEING BUSY WITH COMS, I DID NOT REMEMBER TO GO BACK AND IDENT GIJ. WHEN WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO GIJ, WE THOUGHT THE LONG VECTORS HAD TAKEN US SOMEWHAT N, BUT WERE STILL SURPRISED BY THE S HDG REQUIRED TO GO TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS GIJ. WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO SORT THIS OUT, ATC TOLD US TO TURN L TO 020 DEGS TO GO DIRECT GIJ. AT THAT TIME I CHKED THE RADIOS AND SAW THAT THE CAPT AND I BOTH HAD THE WRONG NAV FREQ SET. WE FOLLOWED THE VECTOR, TUNED AND IDENTED GIJ AND RESUMED NORMAL NAV ON J146. I THINK THE HIGH VOLUME OF COMS AND THE FREQUENT CHANGE IN VECTOR HDGS HAD A LOT TO DO WITH OUR FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE OUR ERROR EARLIER. IN OUR POST FLT DISCUSSION, THE CAPT AND I AGREED THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER FOR THE PF TO SET HIS RADIO TO ORD TO MEET THE ORD DEP RESTR, AND FOR THE PNF TO SET THE FIRST ENRTE NAV FIX PRIOR TO DEP WHEN THINGS ARE LESS HECTIC AND THERE IS TIME TO VERIFY THE FREQ. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT AS A RESULT OF THIS NAV ERROR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 314582: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, I LOOKED AT THE FO'S #2 NAV AND SAW THE FREQ 115.6 SET ON HIS RADIO. I WRONGLY ASSUMED THAT WAS THE CORRECT FREQ FOR GIJ, 115.4, AND I SET 115.6 ON MY #1 NAV RADIO. AFTER NUMEROUS VECTORS, ZAU GAVE US A 180 DEG HDG, DIRECT GIJ, ON COURSE. SW OF GIJ, ZAU PICKED US UP AND ASSIGNED A VECTOR BACK TO GIJ. PREVENTIVE ACTION: BACK TO BASICS, TUNE AND IDENT, SET THE PNF'S NAV TO THE FIRST ENRTE FIX FREQ ON THE GND BEFORE ENTERING THE BUSY DEP ENVIRONMENT.

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.