Narrative:

The first officer was flying. We had been originally given clearance direct to hnk VOR but were subsequently cleared to turn 20 degrees left and join V167 (the 128 degree radial outbound from the VOR, after the turn our heading was 180 degrees). We then set the HSI's to the airway radial and then immediately resumed a discussion about a harrowing episode involving a last-second leveloff clearance by a previous controller. After what seemed like a couple of mins had elapsed we both simultaneously noticed that we had passed the airway. We made an immediate left turn to a 090 degree heading to reintercept. Upon completing the turn the controller called to say we missed the airway. We told him we were in the turn to correct and asked him how it looked. He responded, 'you're 8 mi south of the airway.' thereafter he cleared us to reintercept from our present heading. The factors which seem to have lead to this inadvertent deviation were: 1) distraction from the task at hand, and 2) expectancy due to familiarity with the route. On this second point, we fly this route often and are accustomed to receiving such an intercept clearance. Generally, though, these are given much further from the airway and therefore take longer to reach the intercept point than occurred on this occasion. I believe we had a subconscious 'expectancy' that the intercept time would be longer than was actually the case.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A LEARJET, L35, FAILED TO INTERCEPT THE ASSIGNED AIRWAY BY OVERSHOOTING RESULTING IN ATC INTERVENTION TO VECTOR THEM BACK ON COURSE.

Narrative: THE FO WAS FLYING. WE HAD BEEN ORIGINALLY GIVEN CLRNC DIRECT TO HNK VOR BUT WERE SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED TO TURN 20 DEGS L AND JOIN V167 (THE 128 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND FROM THE VOR, AFTER THE TURN OUR HEADING WAS 180 DEGS). WE THEN SET THE HSI'S TO THE AIRWAY RADIAL AND THEN IMMEDIATELY RESUMED A DISCUSSION ABOUT A HARROWING EPISODE INVOLVING A LAST-SECOND LEVELOFF CLRNC BY A PREVIOUS CTLR. AFTER WHAT SEEMED LIKE A COUPLE OF MINS HAD ELAPSED WE BOTH SIMULTANEOUSLY NOTICED THAT WE HAD PASSED THE AIRWAY. WE MADE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO A 090 DEG HDG TO REINTERCEPT. UPON COMPLETING THE TURN THE CTLR CALLED TO SAY WE MISSED THE AIRWAY. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE IN THE TURN TO CORRECT AND ASKED HIM HOW IT LOOKED. HE RESPONDED, 'YOU'RE 8 MI S OF THE AIRWAY.' THEREAFTER HE CLRED US TO REINTERCEPT FROM OUR PRESENT HEADING. THE FACTORS WHICH SEEM TO HAVE LEAD TO THIS INADVERTENT DEV WERE: 1) DISTR FROM THE TASK AT HAND, AND 2) EXPECTANCY DUE TO FAMILIARITY WITH THE RTE. ON THIS SECOND POINT, WE FLY THIS RTE OFTEN AND ARE ACCUSTOMED TO RECEIVING SUCH AN INTERCEPT CLRNC. GENERALLY, THOUGH, THESE ARE GIVEN MUCH FURTHER FROM THE AIRWAY AND THEREFORE TAKE LONGER TO REACH THE INTERCEPT POINT THAN OCCURRED ON THIS OCCASION. I BELIEVE WE HAD A SUBCONSCIOUS 'EXPECTANCY' THAT THE INTERCEPT TIME WOULD BE LONGER THAN WAS ACTUALLY THE CASE.

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.