MD80 crew had autoplt capture a radial early and turned off course.

Attributes
ACN	420810
Time
Date	199811
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fuz
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	420810
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On departure at dfw we set up to intercept the ranger 022 degree radial. It was my leg from dfw to ewr. We were climbing to 10000 ft. Our first clearance on 118.55 was a turn to 080 degrees. The next clearance was to turn to a 350 degree heading to intercept the ranger 022 degree radial and climb to 17000 ft. We switched to ZFW on 134.15. We were then cleared to FL230. The VOR captured early and the autoplt rolled us out on a heading of about 020 degrees parallel to the 022 degree radial. I was correcting just as center called and had us stop climb at FL180. The controller asked our heading. The first officer replied about 020 degrees. The controller then said she did not now what heading we were given but to turn to 340 degrees to intercept the 022 degree radial. She then came back and asked what our last clearance had been. The first officer said he was not sure. I told him I was correcting back but he was changing frequencys and communicating 3 or 4 times with ATC. I was concerned that his response to ATC may have caused the ATC controller to file a report. During this time we did not see any aircraft conflicts and got no TCASII warning.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD AUTOPLT CAPTURE A RADIAL EARLY AND TURNED OFF COURSE.

Narrative: ON DEP AT DFW WE SET UP TO INTERCEPT THE RANGER 022 DEG RADIAL. IT WAS MY LEG FROM DFW TO EWR. WE WERE CLBING TO 10000 FT. OUR FIRST CLRNC ON 118.55 WAS A TURN TO 080 DEGS. THE NEXT CLRNC WAS TO TURN TO A 350 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE RANGER 022 DEG RADIAL AND CLB TO 17000 FT. WE SWITCHED TO ZFW ON 134.15. WE WERE THEN CLRED TO FL230. THE VOR CAPTURED EARLY AND THE AUTOPLT ROLLED US OUT ON A HDG OF ABOUT 020 DEGS PARALLEL TO THE 022 DEG RADIAL. I WAS CORRECTING JUST AS CTR CALLED AND HAD US STOP CLB AT FL180. THE CTLR ASKED OUR HDG. THE FO REPLIED ABOUT 020 DEGS. THE CTLR THEN SAID SHE DID NOT NOW WHAT HDG WE WERE GIVEN BUT TO TURN TO 340 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE 022 DEG RADIAL. SHE THEN CAME BACK AND ASKED WHAT OUR LAST CLRNC HAD BEEN. THE FO SAID HE WAS NOT SURE. I TOLD HIM I WAS CORRECTING BACK BUT HE WAS CHANGING FREQS AND COMMUNICATING 3 OR 4 TIMES WITH ATC. I WAS CONCERNED THAT HIS RESPONSE TO ATC MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ATC CTLR TO FILE A RPT. DURING THIS TIME WE DID NOT SEE ANY ACFT CONFLICTS AND GOT NO TCASII WARNING.

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.