Narrative:

Destination phl on the cedar lake seven arrival and we were in an en route descent from (as I recall) FL250 to FL210. We had just crossed swl descending through 22000 ft and should have turned northeast on the 034 degree radial of swl. However, I was flying and misread the arrival plate. I turned to about 350 degrees to intercept the 353 degree radial because I had dialed in the radial off of sea ILS VOR (sie) which is the next fix on the arrival plate. We had gone about 10 DME or so when the controller (frequency 132.55) asked us if we were in a left turn. We weren't and we said so. He gave us an immediate turn to 090 degrees to rejoin the arrival and told us to tighten the turn and expedite the descent to FL210. He later asked us why we had turned in the direction we had after snow hill. I told him, I had made a navigation error in turning to the sea ILS radial. He responded that we had turned into the face of oncoming traffic at FL220. At the time I made the incorrect turn the first officer was engaged with a passenger service problem discussion with a flight attendant.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 ACR CAPT MISSET HIS HSI COURSE INDICATOR WHILE ON A STAR ARR RTE. THIS RESULTED IN THE CTLR QUESTIONING THE OUTBOUND TRACK FROM A VOR.

Narrative: DEST PHL ON THE CEDAR LAKE SEVEN ARR AND WE WERE IN AN ENRTE DSCNT FROM (AS I RECALL) FL250 TO FL210. WE HAD JUST CROSSED SWL DSNDING THROUGH 22000 FT AND SHOULD HAVE TURNED NE ON THE 034 DEG RADIAL OF SWL. HOWEVER, I WAS FLYING AND MISREAD THE ARR PLATE. I TURNED TO ABOUT 350 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE 353 DEG RADIAL BECAUSE I HAD DIALED IN THE RADIAL OFF OF SEA ILS VOR (SIE) WHICH IS THE NEXT FIX ON THE ARR PLATE. WE HAD GONE ABOUT 10 DME OR SO WHEN THE CTLR (FREQ 132.55) ASKED US IF WE WERE IN A L TURN. WE WEREN'T AND WE SAID SO. HE GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO 090 DEGS TO REJOIN THE ARR AND TOLD US TO TIGHTEN THE TURN AND EXPEDITE THE DSCNT TO FL210. HE LATER ASKED US WHY WE HAD TURNED IN THE DIRECTION WE HAD AFTER SNOW HILL. I TOLD HIM, I HAD MADE A NAV ERROR IN TURNING TO THE SEA ILS RADIAL. HE RESPONDED THAT WE HAD TURNED INTO THE FACE OF ONCOMING TFC AT FL220. AT THE TIME I MADE THE INCORRECT TURN THE FO WAS ENGAGED WITH A PAX SVC PROB DISCUSSION WITH A FLT ATTENDANT.

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.