Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff, runway 16R at rno. We had discussed the departure SID and transitions, along with the aircraft climb profile. The SID called for flyng outbound on the localizer back course for runway 34L, to 13 DME, then to join the hazen VOR (hzn) 230 degree radial for 13 mi, to join the fmg VOR, 207 degree radial to fmg, then on course. We all as a crew made the mistake of setting in 344 degrees on our obs on the HSI to navigation outbound on the localizer back course for runway 34L. We should have set in 164 degrees to give us proper sensing, on the HSI. We departed normally with gusty strong winds from the west. The HSI needle always showed full left deflection. We made small corrections (first officer was flying) to the left, expecting the needle to come alive. Meanwhile, the winds were also drifting us east of course. Our climb out was good, terrain was not a factor. We could even see the terrain. The departure controller asked if we were correcting to the localizer back course, we said yes. Eventually, at about 7 DME, he had us turn approximately 30 degrees right to reintercept. By this time we were at about 10000 ft MSL, and he gave us vectors left, to join up on the remainder of the SID. He noted that our position was about 1 mi east of course. We had not reached 13 DME on the localizer. Since we were turned early, we came up on the fmg 207 degree radial quicker than we had anticipated. We flew through that and corrected back to it, about 10 mi from the fmg VOR. By this time we were with ZOA. No remarks were made. I believe that our sloppy navigation on the SID was due to a lot of attention being paid to our new GPS navigation units in the aircraft. We spent a lot of time loading and reviewing the flight plan information. We did review the SID, but we all missed how to set up our instruments for departure. I believe that it would also be helpful if on the commercial plates it specified the front course heading for the departure. This would help when reviewing the plate prior to departure. It would also be consistent that whenever navigation is to be used with a localizer back course, whether an approach or SID, the front course be noted as a reminder on the plate. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated they knew better about how to set the navigation instruments for the departure. No one questioned the procedure during a thorough briefing for the departure. All were in agreement with an incorrect procedure. The flight crew simply forgot the sensing feature of their navigation instruments. Reporter could not offer a reason why they followed an incorrect procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727-200 DRIFTS L OF DEP COURSE OUT OF RNO BECAUSE INSTS ARE SET INCORRECTLY.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF, RWY 16R AT RNO. WE HAD DISCUSSED THE DEP SID AND TRANSITIONS, ALONG WITH THE ACFT CLB PROFILE. THE SID CALLED FOR FLYNG OUTBOUND ON THE LOC BACK COURSE FOR RWY 34L, TO 13 DME, THEN TO JOIN THE HAZEN VOR (HZN) 230 DEG RADIAL FOR 13 MI, TO JOIN THE FMG VOR, 207 DEG RADIAL TO FMG, THEN ON COURSE. WE ALL AS A CREW MADE THE MISTAKE OF SETTING IN 344 DEGS ON OUR OBS ON THE HSI TO NAV OUTBOUND ON THE LOC BACK COURSE FOR RWY 34L. WE SHOULD HAVE SET IN 164 DEGS TO GIVE US PROPER SENSING, ON THE HSI. WE DEPARTED NORMALLY WITH GUSTY STRONG WINDS FROM THE W. THE HSI NEEDLE ALWAYS SHOWED FULL L DEFLECTION. WE MADE SMALL CORRECTIONS (FO WAS FLYING) TO THE L, EXPECTING THE NEEDLE TO COME ALIVE. MEANWHILE, THE WINDS WERE ALSO DRIFTING US E OF COURSE. OUR CLBOUT WAS GOOD, TERRAIN WAS NOT A FACTOR. WE COULD EVEN SEE THE TERRAIN. THE DEP CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE CORRECTING TO THE LOC BACK COURSE, WE SAID YES. EVENTUALLY, AT ABOUT 7 DME, HE HAD US TURN APPROX 30 DEGS R TO REINTERCEPT. BY THIS TIME WE WERE AT ABOUT 10000 FT MSL, AND HE GAVE US VECTORS L, TO JOIN UP ON THE REMAINDER OF THE SID. HE NOTED THAT OUR POS WAS ABOUT 1 MI E OF COURSE. WE HAD NOT REACHED 13 DME ON THE LOC. SINCE WE WERE TURNED EARLY, WE CAME UP ON THE FMG 207 DEG RADIAL QUICKER THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED. WE FLEW THROUGH THAT AND CORRECTED BACK TO IT, ABOUT 10 MI FROM THE FMG VOR. BY THIS TIME WE WERE WITH ZOA. NO REMARKS WERE MADE. I BELIEVE THAT OUR SLOPPY NAV ON THE SID WAS DUE TO A LOT OF ATTN BEING PAID TO OUR NEW GPS NAV UNITS IN THE ACFT. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME LOADING AND REVIEWING THE FLT PLAN INFO. WE DID REVIEW THE SID, BUT WE ALL MISSED HOW TO SET UP OUR INSTS FOR DEP. I BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL IF ON THE COMMERCIAL PLATES IT SPECIFIED THE FRONT COURSE HDG FOR THE DEP. THIS WOULD HELP WHEN REVIEWING THE PLATE PRIOR TO DEP. IT WOULD ALSO BE CONSISTENT THAT WHENEVER NAV IS TO BE USED WITH A LOC BACK COURSE, WHETHER AN APCH OR SID, THE FRONT COURSE BE NOTED AS A REMINDER ON THE PLATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THEY KNEW BETTER ABOUT HOW TO SET THE NAV INSTS FOR THE DEP. NO ONE QUESTIONED THE PROC DURING A THOROUGH BRIEFING FOR THE DEP. ALL WERE IN AGREEMENT WITH AN INCORRECT PROC. THE FLC SIMPLY FORGOT THE SENSING FEATURE OF THEIR NAV INSTS. RPTR COULD NOT OFFER A REASON WHY THEY FOLLOWED AN INCORRECT PROC.

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.