Narrative:

Second flight to/from this airport in 3 days. Both crew members are very familiar with this airport, captain, filed flight plan, first officer received clearance and set-up cockpit for departure just prior to taxi out, while captain greeted and boarded passenger, (per company SOP). First officer was flying. (First officer in our company is actually a co-captain, flies 'as captain,' every other leg, from left seat.) I verified that all radios were properly tuned (navigation/communication transponder) and that the proper navigation radial was set. Something did not look right so I picked up the SID and read it, verifying that everything was set correctly. Off we go... After takeoff we contacted departure and were told to fly 090 degrees, intercept the zappa transition, as filed. This is exactly what we expected, had filed, were cleared, what the first officer 'set up' and what I 'verified.' it still did not look right! The transition radial is 057 degrees, that is what was set, and what we intercepted it seemed to happen quicker than normal. (Takeoff to intercepting the radial.) we flew outbound on this radial. At 40 DME I asked departure control for a left turn for WX. Zappa intersection was still ahead of us. The controller responded 'you are nowhere near the zappa transition.' immediately I knew what was wrong and what did not look right. The zappa transition is 057 degrees off of 'dhp' VOR, not 'fll' which we had tuned and were flying. Measuring the vors, radials, course flown, etc, showed that by flying the correct radial off of the wrong VOR resulted in 1) intercept point was 12 mi 'early,' 2) we were 7 mi off course and paralleled the course for about 30 mi. In a non radar environment the potential for a mid-air with this type of error is obvious. Likewise 'ground contact' is obvious hazard in mountainous area. Controller should have seen and called the error before I asked for a 'deviation' -- I'm sure he would have if traffic was involved. I do not believe our familiarity with the procedure (complacency) was a factor, we just misread the SID. The 057 degree radial off of 'dhp' passes very close to 'fll' VOR on the SID drawing making it easy to select the wrong frequency, but that is no excuse. After the mistake was sorted out the controller cleared us direct to a point +/-500 mi away which was on our flight plan. He said the mistake did not cause a problem, but I'm sure he wanted to get rid of us!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR LEAR JET 25D WAS CLRED 090 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE ZAPPA TRANSITION. FO, PF, SET 057 DEG HDG OFF FLL VERSUS DHP FOR ZAPPA. HAD REQUESTED DEV FOR WX AND WAS ADVISED BY CTLR OF NAV ERROR. WAS CLRED DIRECT TO A POINT 500 MI DOWN RANGE.

Narrative: SECOND FLT TO/FROM THIS ARPT IN 3 DAYS. BOTH CREW MEMBERS ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS ARPT, CAPT, FILED FLT PLAN, FO RECEIVED CLRNC AND SET-UP COCKPIT FOR DEP JUST PRIOR TO TAXI OUT, WHILE CAPT GREETED AND BOARDED PAX, (PER COMPANY SOP). FO WAS FLYING. (FO IN OUR COMPANY IS ACTUALLY A CO-CAPT, FLIES 'AS CAPT,' EVERY OTHER LEG, FROM L SEAT.) I VERIFIED THAT ALL RADIOS WERE PROPERLY TUNED (NAV/COM XPONDER) AND THAT THE PROPER NAV RADIAL WAS SET. SOMETHING DID NOT LOOK RIGHT SO I PICKED UP THE SID AND READ IT, VERIFYING THAT EVERYTHING WAS SET CORRECTLY. OFF WE GO... AFTER TKOF WE CONTACTED DEP AND WERE TOLD TO FLY 090 DEGS, INTERCEPT THE ZAPPA TRANSITION, AS FILED. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE EXPECTED, HAD FILED, WERE CLRED, WHAT THE FO 'SET UP' AND WHAT I 'VERIFIED.' IT STILL DID NOT LOOK RIGHT! THE TRANSITION RADIAL IS 057 DEGS, THAT IS WHAT WAS SET, AND WHAT WE INTERCEPTED IT SEEMED TO HAPPEN QUICKER THAN NORMAL. (TKOF TO INTERCEPTING THE RADIAL.) WE FLEW OUTBOUND ON THIS RADIAL. AT 40 DME I ASKED DEP CTL FOR A L TURN FOR WX. ZAPPA INTXN WAS STILL AHEAD OF US. THE CTLR RESPONDED 'YOU ARE NOWHERE NEAR THE ZAPPA TRANSITION.' IMMEDIATELY I KNEW WHAT WAS WRONG AND WHAT DID NOT LOOK RIGHT. THE ZAPPA TRANSITION IS 057 DEGS OFF OF 'DHP' VOR, NOT 'FLL' WHICH WE HAD TUNED AND WERE FLYING. MEASURING THE VORS, RADIALS, COURSE FLOWN, ETC, SHOWED THAT BY FLYING THE CORRECT RADIAL OFF OF THE WRONG VOR RESULTED IN 1) INTERCEPT POINT WAS 12 MI 'EARLY,' 2) WE WERE 7 MI OFF COURSE AND PARALLELED THE COURSE FOR ABOUT 30 MI. IN A NON RADAR ENVIRONMENT THE POTENTIAL FOR A MID-AIR WITH THIS TYPE OF ERROR IS OBVIOUS. LIKEWISE 'GND CONTACT' IS OBVIOUS HAZARD IN MOUNTAINOUS AREA. CTLR SHOULD HAVE SEEN AND CALLED THE ERROR BEFORE I ASKED FOR A 'DEV' -- I'M SURE HE WOULD HAVE IF TFC WAS INVOLVED. I DO NOT BELIEVE OUR FAMILIARITY WITH THE PROC (COMPLACENCY) WAS A FACTOR, WE JUST MISREAD THE SID. THE 057 DEG RADIAL OFF OF 'DHP' PASSES VERY CLOSE TO 'FLL' VOR ON THE SID DRAWING MAKING IT EASY TO SELECT THE WRONG FREQ, BUT THAT IS NO EXCUSE. AFTER THE MISTAKE WAS SORTED OUT THE CTLR CLRED US DIRECT TO A POINT +/-500 MI AWAY WHICH WAS ON OUR FLT PLAN. HE SAID THE MISTAKE DID NOT CAUSE A PROB, BUT I'M SURE HE WANTED TO GET RID OF US!

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.