Track deviation. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	317556
Time
Date	199509
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : boy
State Reference	WY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 135 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	317556
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 : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain was flying and navigating. While current ATC instructions were to 'fly heading 310 degrees until receiving mullen pass, proceed direct and continue the glasr 3 arrival into sea.' our ground track took us directly overhead which we had been using for orientation in our VOR only equipped aircraft. Frequencys of boy and mlp are the same 117.8. Upon station passage at boy, the captain thought we were overhead mlp and proceeded to turn the aircraft to 255 degrees to track the arrival. It was a gradual turn which I didn't notice because I was turned, talking with the flight engineer. Upon notice of the heading change and discussion with the captain, we turned to the correct heading of 310 degrees. ZLC asked about our heading, and gave several course corrections to get us back on the proper ground track. There were no known traffic conflicts. Because of the long flight, excellent WX and easy ATC instructions crew complacency was a major factor. This deviation also stresses the need to verbalize actions within the cockpit for effective CRM.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRACK DEV.

Narrative: CAPT WAS FLYING AND NAVING. WHILE CURRENT ATC INSTRUCTIONS WERE TO 'FLY HDG 310 DEGS UNTIL RECEIVING MULLEN PASS, PROCEED DIRECT AND CONTINUE THE GLASR 3 ARR INTO SEA.' OUR GND TRACK TOOK US DIRECTLY OVERHEAD WHICH WE HAD BEEN USING FOR ORIENTATION IN OUR VOR ONLY EQUIPPED ACFT. FREQS OF BOY AND MLP ARE THE SAME 117.8. UPON STATION PASSAGE AT BOY, THE CAPT THOUGHT WE WERE OVERHEAD MLP AND PROCEEDED TO TURN THE ACFT TO 255 DEGS TO TRACK THE ARR. IT WAS A GRADUAL TURN WHICH I DIDN'T NOTICE BECAUSE I WAS TURNED, TALKING WITH THE FE. UPON NOTICE OF THE HDG CHANGE AND DISCUSSION WITH THE CAPT, WE TURNED TO THE CORRECT HDG OF 310 DEGS. ZLC ASKED ABOUT OUR HDG, AND GAVE SEVERAL COURSE CORRECTIONS TO GET US BACK ON THE PROPER GND TRACK. THERE WERE NO KNOWN TFC CONFLICTS. BECAUSE OF THE LONG FLT, EXCELLENT WX AND EASY ATC INSTRUCTIONS CREW COMPLACENCY WAS A MAJOR FACTOR. THIS DEV ALSO STRESSES THE NEED TO VERBALIZE ACTIONS WITHIN THE COCKPIT FOR EFFECTIVE CRM.

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.