Narrative:

On departure from rdu and en route to tpa, we were being vectored for the fay 2 departure (FAY2.fay). Rdu departure control gave us a 230 degree heading to intercept the departure and handed us off to ZDC on 133.85. At this time we were approximately 4 mi due east of the fay 2.fay departure 'dogleg' (rdu 210 degree radial and fay 360 degree radial or N3537.6/W07855.8). A new first officer was flying and after I checked in with ZDC, I felt it comfortable to go off the frequency to make required company reports to our operations people. The first officer had selected '230' on the afcas panel and armed 'navigation' so it would intercept the departure course once we arrived. As there were numerous thunderstorms in the area, I was busied with a string of unusual requests to and from operations. As is my practice, even when I am 'off the frequency' I leave the ATC radio volume up a little so I can hear it too. My workload was increased as I was prompting the first officer on WX avoidance once we intercepted the radial. As the aircraft captured the course, it automatically turned further right to 270 degrees to align itself, since we were so close to the dogleg it perhaps 'thought' a more perpendicular intercept angle necessary. At this same moment, I abandoned the operations radio and turned my attention to what was happening with the intercept. We were 1.2 mi due east of the dogleg. I told the first officer to reselect a shallower heading for the intercept just as ATC called to inquire what heading rdu gave us to intercept. The time period and distance were so short that I feel ATC was premature in their concern about our heading and does not fully understand the limitations and vagaries of aircraft filing flight plans as /F (FMS). The inexperienced first officer, rattled by all that was happening, responded by telling the ATC controller our FMS took over and turned to a 270 degree heading. ATC told us to turn back for the intercept, which by this time I had clicked the autoplt off and had returned to a heading that I showed had us perfectly aligned with the inbound course (360 degree radial) to fay. Even though the FMS did indeed command a more aggressive intercept, we showed we were still well east of course. Given the fact that the intercept put us right and the dogleg, I think ATC may have been unduly concerned about our undesired, although momentary change in heading. After all, we were still east of course. I admonished the first officer, however, for 'letting the automation fly him and he not fly the aircraft.' I also am meeting with our chief pilot to urge him to train these new guys to not get so complacent about automation and profiles. Aviate, navigation, communicate!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FK10. FO ALLOWED THE FLT GUIDANCE SYS TO ATTEMPT AN INTERCEPT OF A RADIAL AT TOO GREAT AN ANGLE.

Narrative: ON DEP FROM RDU AND ENRTE TO TPA, WE WERE BEING VECTORED FOR THE FAY 2 DEP (FAY2.FAY). RDU DEP CTL GAVE US A 230 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE DEP AND HANDED US OFF TO ZDC ON 133.85. AT THIS TIME WE WERE APPROX 4 MI DUE E OF THE FAY 2.FAY DEP 'DOGLEG' (RDU 210 DEG RADIAL AND FAY 360 DEG RADIAL OR N3537.6/W07855.8). A NEW FO WAS FLYING AND AFTER I CHKED IN WITH ZDC, I FELT IT COMFORTABLE TO GO OFF THE FREQ TO MAKE REQUIRED COMPANY RPTS TO OUR OPS PEOPLE. THE FO HAD SELECTED '230' ON THE AFCAS PANEL AND ARMED 'NAV' SO IT WOULD INTERCEPT THE DEP COURSE ONCE WE ARRIVED. AS THERE WERE NUMEROUS TSTMS IN THE AREA, I WAS BUSIED WITH A STRING OF UNUSUAL REQUESTS TO AND FROM OPS. AS IS MY PRACTICE, EVEN WHEN I AM 'OFF THE FREQ' I LEAVE THE ATC RADIO VOLUME UP A LITTLE SO I CAN HEAR IT TOO. MY WORKLOAD WAS INCREASED AS I WAS PROMPTING THE FO ON WX AVOIDANCE ONCE WE INTERCEPTED THE RADIAL. AS THE ACFT CAPTURED THE COURSE, IT AUTOMATICALLY TURNED FURTHER R TO 270 DEGS TO ALIGN ITSELF, SINCE WE WERE SO CLOSE TO THE DOGLEG IT PERHAPS 'THOUGHT' A MORE PERPENDICULAR INTERCEPT ANGLE NECESSARY. AT THIS SAME MOMENT, I ABANDONED THE OPS RADIO AND TURNED MY ATTN TO WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE INTERCEPT. WE WERE 1.2 MI DUE E OF THE DOGLEG. I TOLD THE FO TO RESELECT A SHALLOWER HDG FOR THE INTERCEPT JUST AS ATC CALLED TO INQUIRE WHAT HDG RDU GAVE US TO INTERCEPT. THE TIME PERIOD AND DISTANCE WERE SO SHORT THAT I FEEL ATC WAS PREMATURE IN THEIR CONCERN ABOUT OUR HDG AND DOES NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND THE LIMITATIONS AND VAGARIES OF ACFT FILING FLT PLANS AS /F (FMS). THE INEXPERIENCED FO, RATTLED BY ALL THAT WAS HAPPENING, RESPONDED BY TELLING THE ATC CTLR OUR FMS TOOK OVER AND TURNED TO A 270 DEG HDG. ATC TOLD US TO TURN BACK FOR THE INTERCEPT, WHICH BY THIS TIME I HAD CLICKED THE AUTOPLT OFF AND HAD RETURNED TO A HDG THAT I SHOWED HAD US PERFECTLY ALIGNED WITH THE INBOUND COURSE (360 DEG RADIAL) TO FAY. EVEN THOUGH THE FMS DID INDEED COMMAND A MORE AGGRESSIVE INTERCEPT, WE SHOWED WE WERE STILL WELL E OF COURSE. GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE INTERCEPT PUT US R AND THE DOGLEG, I THINK ATC MAY HAVE BEEN UNDULY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR UNDESIRED, ALTHOUGH MOMENTARY CHANGE IN HDG. AFTER ALL, WE WERE STILL E OF COURSE. I ADMONISHED THE FO, HOWEVER, FOR 'LETTING THE AUTOMATION FLY HIM AND HE NOT FLY THE ACFT.' I ALSO AM MEETING WITH OUR CHIEF PLT TO URGE HIM TO TRAIN THESE NEW GUYS TO NOT GET SO COMPLACENT ABOUT AUTOMATION AND PROFILES. AVIATE, NAV, COMMUNICATE!

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.