Narrative:

On climb out from slc on J173 we switched from slc VOR 087 degree radial to ekr 270 degree radial, 145 DME. On changing over we started to pick up a right crosswind correction to stay on course. Both captain's and first officer's CDI's/rddmi's showed on course ekr 270 degree radial. ZLC asked us if we were deviating for WX, we replied no. Center asked us to turn left 20 degrees to intercept the airway, then they said turn 30 degrees left now to reintercept the airway! Both captain's/first officer's CDI's and rddmi's were centered and showing the proper radial, ekr 270 degree radial for the j-rte. After being told to turn 30 degrees left, first officer called flight attendants to see if anybody was using personal electronic equipment. 1 first class passenger in seat xx was using a laptop computer. First officer asked the flight attendant to have passenger turn off laptop. Passenger did and flight continued to navigation normally rest of flight. The winds were forecast to be southwest at 60-80 KTS during climb out plus a front was moving through the rockies, so a 25 degree crab did not seem excessive as winds are sometimes 6+ hours old. Only when questioned by ZLC did we suspect something was wrong. Additionally ZLC called us by the wrong call sign a number of times when giving us altitude clrncs. At one point they cleared us to climb to FL330 (right call sign) then asked us to level at FL280 (wrong call sign). We asked for a clarification and they cleared us to FL290 (right call sign) then they cleared us to resume our climb (wrong call sign). Then, after clarification they told us stop our climb at FL290 at next center's request. We descended back to FL290 and switched frequencys. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he had always thought the electronic device problem was a bogus thing for someone who got off course. The first officer is the one who asked about anyone using personal electronic equipment. It was beautiful VFR WX but reporter says he would have been really sweating if it had been IFR in that mountainous area. There has been no further follow-up as far as the reporter knows. He did make a report to his company.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 FLC HAS COURSE DEV WITH CAUSE DETERMINED TO BE USE OF LAPTOP COMPUTER BY PAX.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM SLC ON J173 WE SWITCHED FROM SLC VOR 087 DEG RADIAL TO EKR 270 DEG RADIAL, 145 DME. ON CHANGING OVER WE STARTED TO PICK UP A R XWIND CORRECTION TO STAY ON COURSE. BOTH CAPT'S AND FO'S CDI'S/RDDMI'S SHOWED ON COURSE EKR 270 DEG RADIAL. ZLC ASKED US IF WE WERE DEVIATING FOR WX, WE REPLIED NO. CTR ASKED US TO TURN L 20 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY, THEN THEY SAID TURN 30 DEGS L NOW TO REINTERCEPT THE AIRWAY! BOTH CAPT'S/FO'S CDI'S AND RDDMI'S WERE CTRED AND SHOWING THE PROPER RADIAL, EKR 270 DEG RADIAL FOR THE J-RTE. AFTER BEING TOLD TO TURN 30 DEGS L, FO CALLED FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEE IF ANYBODY WAS USING PERSONAL ELECTRONIC EQUIP. 1 FIRST CLASS PAX IN SEAT XX WAS USING A LAPTOP COMPUTER. FO ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO HAVE PAX TURN OFF LAPTOP. PAX DID AND FLT CONTINUED TO NAV NORMALLY REST OF FLT. THE WINDS WERE FORECAST TO BE SW AT 60-80 KTS DURING CLBOUT PLUS A FRONT WAS MOVING THROUGH THE ROCKIES, SO A 25 DEG CRAB DID NOT SEEM EXCESSIVE AS WINDS ARE SOMETIMES 6+ HRS OLD. ONLY WHEN QUESTIONED BY ZLC DID WE SUSPECT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. ADDITIONALLY ZLC CALLED US BY THE WRONG CALL SIGN A NUMBER OF TIMES WHEN GIVING US ALT CLRNCS. AT ONE POINT THEY CLRED US TO CLB TO FL330 (RIGHT CALL SIGN) THEN ASKED US TO LEVEL AT FL280 (WRONG CALL SIGN). WE ASKED FOR A CLARIFICATION AND THEY CLRED US TO FL290 (RIGHT CALL SIGN) THEN THEY CLRED US TO RESUME OUR CLB (WRONG CALL SIGN). THEN, AFTER CLARIFICATION THEY TOLD US STOP OUR CLB AT FL290 AT NEXT CTR'S REQUEST. WE DSNDED BACK TO FL290 AND SWITCHED FREQS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT THE ELECTRONIC DEVICE PROB WAS A BOGUS THING FOR SOMEONE WHO GOT OFF COURSE. THE FO IS THE ONE WHO ASKED ABOUT ANYONE USING PERSONAL ELECTRONIC EQUIP. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL VFR WX BUT RPTR SAYS HE WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY SWEATING IF IT HAD BEEN IFR IN THAT MOUNTAINOUS AREA. THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER FOLLOW-UP AS FAR AS THE RPTR KNOWS. HE DID MAKE A RPT TO HIS COMPANY.

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.