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First officer of an medium large transport deviated from assigned airway due to misinterp of the chart airway indicator.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 324379 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199512 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hvq |
| State Reference | WV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 27000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 324379 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 324081 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
First officer (PF) misread en route chart for radial outbound from hvq on J8 (assigned). Flew out on J6 till center asked us which airway we were on. Labels for J6 and J8 are very close to each other on chart 8/9. One of these airways should be changed. In a dark cockpit it is very easy to get them confused especially if chart is distorted. Due to extremely late flight due to WX, my mind was not on monitoring his navigation, as he is a superb first officer and I had complete confidence in his abilities. I have heard many other flts queried about this problem in this area over my 16 yrs in airline operations. I should have sent in this form for this a long time ago. Please see if FAA can change designation of either J6 or J8 to something else. Also, student controller in center didn't notice our error as she was very busy and didn't monitor our progress as maybe she (or her instructor) could have. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the #8 and #9 chart to which he referred is a chart produced just for his company. Therefore, no comparison could be made to the united states and commercial made en route high altitude charts. He advised that he was going to discuss this matter with their operations and see if the reference to the 2 airways could be set apart further to reduce the possibility of using the wrong airway. He was operating a B737-200 type aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FO OF AN MLG DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED AIRWAY DUE TO MISINTERP OF THE CHART AIRWAY INDICATOR.
Narrative: FO (PF) MISREAD ENRTE CHART FOR RADIAL OUTBOUND FROM HVQ ON J8 (ASSIGNED). FLEW OUT ON J6 TILL CTR ASKED US WHICH AIRWAY WE WERE ON. LABELS FOR J6 AND J8 ARE VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER ON CHART 8/9. ONE OF THESE AIRWAYS SHOULD BE CHANGED. IN A DARK COCKPIT IT IS VERY EASY TO GET THEM CONFUSED ESPECIALLY IF CHART IS DISTORTED. DUE TO EXTREMELY LATE FLT DUE TO WX, MY MIND WAS NOT ON MONITORING HIS NAV, AS HE IS A SUPERB FO AND I HAD COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN HIS ABILITIES. I HAVE HEARD MANY OTHER FLTS QUERIED ABOUT THIS PROB IN THIS AREA OVER MY 16 YRS IN AIRLINE OPS. I SHOULD HAVE SENT IN THIS FORM FOR THIS A LONG TIME AGO. PLEASE SEE IF FAA CAN CHANGE DESIGNATION OF EITHER J6 OR J8 TO SOMETHING ELSE. ALSO, STUDENT CTLR IN CTR DIDN'T NOTICE OUR ERROR AS SHE WAS VERY BUSY AND DIDN'T MONITOR OUR PROGRESS AS MAYBE SHE (OR HER INSTRUCTOR) COULD HAVE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE #8 AND #9 CHART TO WHICH HE REFERRED IS A CHART PRODUCED JUST FOR HIS COMPANY. THEREFORE, NO COMPARISON COULD BE MADE TO THE UNITED STATES AND COMMERCIAL MADE ENRTE HIGH ALT CHARTS. HE ADVISED THAT HE WAS GOING TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER WITH THEIR OPS AND SEE IF THE REF TO THE 2 AIRWAYS COULD BE SET APART FURTHER TO REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF USING THE WRONG AIRWAY. HE WAS OPERATING A B737-200 TYPE ACFT.
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.