B737-500 failed to make the turn required by the ward 4 STAR at pxt. They got more than 4 mi off cou...

Attributes
ACN	366055
Time
Date	199704
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pxt
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc tower : rhv
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-500
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	366055
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
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:

Our filed flight plan called for us to fly directly from ric VOR to pxt VOR then to join the ward 4 arrival into ewr. It was the captain's leg and although he had a number of yrs experience in the B737-100 series, this was his second month on the B737-300/500 series aircraft. We were proceeding in LNAV mode directly to pxt. About 10 mi west of pxt, I went off the radios to get the ATIS and contact company per our procedures in preparation for our arrival. After finishing this (about 1 min off the radio monitoring) I returned to monitoring radio #1 and gave the captain the ATIS information card. He mentioned that we had a similar call sign situation going on with ZDC and he had already messed up 1 call. I turned my attention to the MCP and noted we were now in heading mode and should be in LNAV. I mentioned this to the captain. We had just crossed over the pxt VOR and should have turned to intercept the airway. The captain turned the heading cursor back to the left to 360 degree heading to rejoin the airway and the aircraft responded correctly. This would provide an intercept heading and allow us to engage the LNAV mode. I selected the progress page 3 on the CDU screen for the FMC and noted verbally we were now 4.3 NM east of the airways. Just then, ZDC called us and told us we were off the airway and to come left to 010 degrees to intercept the airway and the ward 4 arrival (which we had just started to do on our own). There is an MOA around pxt, but no mention of its status came up.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-500 FAILED TO MAKE THE TURN REQUIRED BY THE WARD 4 STAR AT PXT. THEY GOT MORE THAN 4 MI OFF COURSE. THEY WERE CORRECTING WHEN ATC CALLED THEM ON THEIR MISTAKE.

Narrative: OUR FILED FLT PLAN CALLED FOR US TO FLY DIRECTLY FROM RIC VOR TO PXT VOR THEN TO JOIN THE WARD 4 ARR INTO EWR. IT WAS THE CAPT'S LEG AND ALTHOUGH HE HAD A NUMBER OF YRS EXPERIENCE IN THE B737-100 SERIES, THIS WAS HIS SECOND MONTH ON THE B737-300/500 SERIES ACFT. WE WERE PROCEEDING IN LNAV MODE DIRECTLY TO PXT. ABOUT 10 MI W OF PXT, I WENT OFF THE RADIOS TO GET THE ATIS AND CONTACT COMPANY PER OUR PROCS IN PREPARATION FOR OUR ARR. AFTER FINISHING THIS (ABOUT 1 MIN OFF THE RADIO MONITORING) I RETURNED TO MONITORING RADIO #1 AND GAVE THE CAPT THE ATIS INFO CARD. HE MENTIONED THAT WE HAD A SIMILAR CALL SIGN SIT GOING ON WITH ZDC AND HE HAD ALREADY MESSED UP 1 CALL. I TURNED MY ATTN TO THE MCP AND NOTED WE WERE NOW IN HDG MODE AND SHOULD BE IN LNAV. I MENTIONED THIS TO THE CAPT. WE HAD JUST CROSSED OVER THE PXT VOR AND SHOULD HAVE TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY. THE CAPT TURNED THE HDG CURSOR BACK TO THE L TO 360 DEG HDG TO REJOIN THE AIRWAY AND THE ACFT RESPONDED CORRECTLY. THIS WOULD PROVIDE AN INTERCEPT HDG AND ALLOW US TO ENGAGE THE LNAV MODE. I SELECTED THE PROGRESS PAGE 3 ON THE CDU SCREEN FOR THE FMC AND NOTED VERBALLY WE WERE NOW 4.3 NM E OF THE AIRWAYS. JUST THEN, ZDC CALLED US AND TOLD US WE WERE OFF THE AIRWAY AND TO COME L TO 010 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY AND THE WARD 4 ARR (WHICH WE HAD JUST STARTED TO DO ON OUR OWN). THERE IS AN MOA AROUND PXT, BUT NO MENTION OF ITS STATUS CAME UP.

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.

B737-500 failed to make the turn required by the ward 4 STAR at pxt. They got more than 4 mi off course. They were correcting when ATC called them on their mistake.