Narrative:

The first officer and I were both flying this route for the first time and were unfamiliar with the route. Approaching tatoosh I remarked that I needed to check the outbound radial on J512(?). By the time I had located it on my chart we were indicating 6 DME from the station (right overhead basically at FL330). I began a right turn -- there was an unusually large course change there, approximately 25 degrees. Just then the center controller queried us about our route and said we were 7 mi from the airway. Although I knew we had deviated I couldn't understand how we could be that far off course in so short a time frame. We were still only indicating 11 DME approximately from the VOR and at FL330. We corrected onto course but it seemed to take longer than it should have considering our proximity to the station. The next time I fly a new route I will be sure to anticipate course changes sooner and not presume that all airways are generally straight, ie, have minor course changes.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PIC DELAYS HER TURN OVER TOU VOR WHILE THE CORRECT RADIAL FOR THE OUTBOUND AIRWAY IS BEING CHKED. DURING THE R TURN, FOR A 25 DEG COURSE CHANGE, THE CTLR STATES THAT THEY ARE 6 MI TO THE L OF COURSE.

Narrative: THE FO AND I WERE BOTH FLYING THIS RTE FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE RTE. APCHING TATOOSH I REMARKED THAT I NEEDED TO CHK THE OUTBOUND RADIAL ON J512(?). BY THE TIME I HAD LOCATED IT ON MY CHART WE WERE INDICATING 6 DME FROM THE STATION (RIGHT OVERHEAD BASICALLY AT FL330). I BEGAN A R TURN -- THERE WAS AN UNUSUALLY LARGE COURSE CHANGE THERE, APPROX 25 DEGS. JUST THEN THE CTR CTLR QUERIED US ABOUT OUR RTE AND SAID WE WERE 7 MI FROM THE AIRWAY. ALTHOUGH I KNEW WE HAD DEVIATED I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE COULD BE THAT FAR OFF COURSE IN SO SHORT A TIME FRAME. WE WERE STILL ONLY INDICATING 11 DME APPROX FROM THE VOR AND AT FL330. WE CORRECTED ONTO COURSE BUT IT SEEMED TO TAKE LONGER THAN IT SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERING OUR PROX TO THE STATION. THE NEXT TIME I FLY A NEW RTE I WILL BE SURE TO ANTICIPATE COURSE CHANGES SOONER AND NOT PRESUME THAT ALL AIRWAYS ARE GENERALLY STRAIGHT, IE, HAVE MINOR COURSE CHANGES.

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.