Air freighter flight crew sets up a casual heading for direct dpk and then get distracted. They drif...

Attributes
ACN	363590
Time
Date	199703
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dpk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny tower : abq
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute : direct
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 : 200 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 255
ASRS Report	363590
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

We were flying phl-bdl. The clearance was philadelphia 6 SID except change route to read: radar vectors to the cyn (coyle) 274 degree radial to ditch intersection. J225 jfk dpk dpk 2 arrival to bdl (windsor locks, ct). At some point along J225, we were cleared direct to deer park. We tuned dpk, made a slight right turn, and before getting locked in on a good heading, began getting busy reviewing the approach, setting airspeed bugs, etc. Well, there happened to be about a 50-60 KT wind from the west. We were blown considerably off course (probably not that much if we had been in center airspace). The captain noticed our error about the same time that the controller gave us a left turn toward dpk. A moment later, he gave us a radical (about 90 degree) turn to the left and mumbled something about leaving his airspace. I think the controllers then changed because the next transmission seemed to be from a different voice. He asked what our heading had been for dpk and said that our course would have taken us 20 mi east of dpk. At this time, we were over dpk and the rest of the trip was uneventful. As you probably assume when you get a report from a night cargo operator, fatigue was a factor. We had already been on duty about 11 hours. The strength of the wind at such a low altitude was a factor. And this route is just extremely busy. It is fraught with altitude, airspeed, course, and frequency changes as well as crossing restrs. There are ample opportunities to screw up even if you were rested and the wind was calm. I believe that it gets the busiest just about the time that you're able to get the bdl ATIS which means that we're trying to brief an approach and set up for landing at the most inconvenient and distracting time. I know that the bdl ATIS is available by telephone. I'm going to suggest to my company that they make the bdl ATIS available to us on the ground in phl or make a cell phone available in phl so that we can know the WX and approach before we takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR FREIGHTER FLC SETS UP A CASUAL HEADING FOR DIRECT DPK AND THEN GET DISTRACTED. THEY DRIFT OFF COURSE DUE TO HIGH WINDS FROM THE W. CTLR GIVES THEM A WAKE UP CALL AND A VECTOR.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING PHL-BDL. THE CLRNC WAS PHILADELPHIA 6 SID EXCEPT CHANGE RTE TO READ: RADAR VECTORS TO THE CYN (COYLE) 274 DEG RADIAL TO DITCH INTXN. J225 JFK DPK DPK 2 ARR TO BDL (WINDSOR LOCKS, CT). AT SOME POINT ALONG J225, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO DEER PARK. WE TUNED DPK, MADE A SLIGHT R TURN, AND BEFORE GETTING LOCKED IN ON A GOOD HEADING, BEGAN GETTING BUSY REVIEWING THE APCH, SETTING AIRSPD BUGS, ETC. WELL, THERE HAPPENED TO BE ABOUT A 50-60 KT WIND FROM THE W. WE WERE BLOWN CONSIDERABLY OFF COURSE (PROBABLY NOT THAT MUCH IF WE HAD BEEN IN CTR AIRSPACE). THE CAPT NOTICED OUR ERROR ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT THE CTLR GAVE US A L TURN TOWARD DPK. A MOMENT LATER, HE GAVE US A RADICAL (ABOUT 90 DEG) TURN TO THE L AND MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT LEAVING HIS AIRSPACE. I THINK THE CTLRS THEN CHANGED BECAUSE THE NEXT XMISSION SEEMED TO BE FROM A DIFFERENT VOICE. HE ASKED WHAT OUR HEADING HAD BEEN FOR DPK AND SAID THAT OUR COURSE WOULD HAVE TAKEN US 20 MI E OF DPK. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE OVER DPK AND THE REST OF THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. AS YOU PROBABLY ASSUME WHEN YOU GET A RPT FROM A NIGHT CARGO OPERATOR, FATIGUE WAS A FACTOR. WE HAD ALREADY BEEN ON DUTY ABOUT 11 HRS. THE STRENGTH OF THE WIND AT SUCH A LOW ALT WAS A FACTOR. AND THIS RTE IS JUST EXTREMELY BUSY. IT IS FRAUGHT WITH ALT, AIRSPD, COURSE, AND FREQ CHANGES AS WELL AS XING RESTRS. THERE ARE AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO SCREW UP EVEN IF YOU WERE RESTED AND THE WIND WAS CALM. I BELIEVE THAT IT GETS THE BUSIEST JUST ABOUT THE TIME THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO GET THE BDL ATIS WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRIEF AN APCH AND SET UP FOR LNDG AT THE MOST INCONVENIENT AND DISTRACTING TIME. I KNOW THAT THE BDL ATIS IS AVAILABLE BY TELEPHONE. I'M GOING TO SUGGEST TO MY COMPANY THAT THEY MAKE THE BDL ATIS AVAILABLE TO US ON THE GND IN PHL OR MAKE A CELL PHONE AVAILABLE IN PHL SO THAT WE CAN KNOW THE WX AND APCH BEFORE WE TKOF.

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.

Air freighter flight crew sets up a casual heading for direct dpk and then get distracted. They drift off course due to high winds from the west. Controller gives them a wake up call and a vector.