A DC9 flight crew suffers a track position deviation on a direct clearance to sfk.

Attributes
ACN	419150
Time
Date	199811
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sfk
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 20000 msl bound upper : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob artcc : zny
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	419150
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13400 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	419279
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching sfk, I was getting pit ATIS on radio #2, as the ACARS was inoperative. The captain was working on a GPWS annunciator light problem. Apparently the aircraft drifted left of sfk and as the next (slt) VOR was pretty much in line with sfk, the captain tuned in slt and went direct. Center asked about this time if we were going direct (I think slt) and I told him we were in a turn. He switched us to ZOB and about 5 mins later, ZOB informed us new york had a problem with something we did. In my opinion, there will always be distrs in our job which take our attention away from flying details (the drift left of sfk) and will cause deviations which we catch constantly based on our level of alertness and amount of distraction at the time. All we can do is be aware. My captain, after discussing this, explained that ZOB had asked us if we were going direct slate run after the frequency change. Neither center controller indicated discontent or concern over our navigation. Supplemental information from acn 419279: I observed an annunciator amber caution GPWS inoperative light. While recycling GPWS circuit breaker, I was distraction and inadvertently and unintentionally drifted left of (a direct) course.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 FLC SUFFERS A TRACK POS DEV ON A DIRECT CLRNC TO SFK.

Narrative: APCHING SFK, I WAS GETTING PIT ATIS ON RADIO #2, AS THE ACARS WAS INOP. THE CAPT WAS WORKING ON A GPWS ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT PROB. APPARENTLY THE ACFT DRIFTED L OF SFK AND AS THE NEXT (SLT) VOR WAS PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH SFK, THE CAPT TUNED IN SLT AND WENT DIRECT. CTR ASKED ABOUT THIS TIME IF WE WERE GOING DIRECT (I THINK SLT) AND I TOLD HIM WE WERE IN A TURN. HE SWITCHED US TO ZOB AND ABOUT 5 MINS LATER, ZOB INFORMED US NEW YORK HAD A PROB WITH SOMETHING WE DID. IN MY OPINION, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE DISTRS IN OUR JOB WHICH TAKE OUR ATTN AWAY FROM FLYING DETAILS (THE DRIFT L OF SFK) AND WILL CAUSE DEVS WHICH WE CATCH CONSTANTLY BASED ON OUR LEVEL OF ALERTNESS AND AMOUNT OF DISTR AT THE TIME. ALL WE CAN DO IS BE AWARE. MY CAPT, AFTER DISCUSSING THIS, EXPLAINED THAT ZOB HAD ASKED US IF WE WERE GOING DIRECT SLATE RUN AFTER THE FREQ CHANGE. NEITHER CTR CTLR INDICATED DISCONTENT OR CONCERN OVER OUR NAV. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 419279: I OBSERVED AN ANNUNCIATOR AMBER CAUTION GPWS INOP LIGHT. WHILE RECYCLING GPWS CIRCUIT BREAKER, I WAS DISTR AND INADVERTENTLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY DRIFTED L OF (A DIRECT) COURSE.

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.