Narrative:

The first contributing factor of our incident was that my chief pilot set me up to fly with a 70 yr old retired pilot, who for the past 6 yrs, only flies a handful of times a yr. I don't feel any person can stay realistically current, no matter what your past experience level is, and age is not always a factor, but this person is starting to see the problems of aging, when you fly that few times a yr. The event occurred on the textual obstacle departure procedure for runway 25 from ege airport, co. Before our passenger arrived, I reviewed the procedure, and before departing, we both took turns reading the procedure to each other and both felt we were ready. The procedure in itself seemed somewhat complex with a number of different vors and radials involved as navigation fixes, with the final radial taking you to rlg VOR. I believe we were to intercept the 231 degree radial (V8) to rlg. As we departed, the first few turns went smooth, but when we were supposed to dial in and intercept the radial and track to rlg, I realized the copilot put the correct VOR frequency in the radio, but never dialed in the correct radial. I then questioned him on our position and a very confused look came over him. This is not a good situation, because we are in mountainous terrain and in IMC. The copilot then dialed in the correct radial, but the reciprocal of what we needed on the HSI for positive sensing to rlg. As he dialed in the radial, we were on the center of the radial, but heading about 90 degrees from the course. Departure then told us he needed us up at 17000 ft right away, and asked if we were in a right turn direct rlg, which at this time this is what we were doing. I have a feeling other mistakes were made on the departure. I, as PF, was busy controling the aircraft in very turbulent, IMC conditions and was relying on the copilot to guide me to the fixes and set the altitudes in the alerter. Thinking back, I am unsure if we made it to one of the earlier fixes, I believe the 152 degree radial off of sxw to intercept the 322 degree radial off of dbl. I was so busy controling the aircraft, when he called us there, I turned but he already had the new radial in so I could not verify. Going back to our rlg intercept, after we made the turn to rlg, departure advised we were 6 mi off course on the departure. We apologized and thanked the controller for his assistance. I also feel in the confusion that the climb initially to 17000 ft may have been ignored or forgotten by the crew -- no new altitude set by the copilot. As captain of the aircraft I am responsible for the position of the aircraft and the copilot's actions, but a few chances would have helped. 1) stricter guidelines for part 91 copilot requirements on pilot operations. Some kind of formal school should be required. 2) all departure procedures should have to have a map description as well as textual, like sids/stars. This would have saved our crew on this day. The textuals can get to confusing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEARJET PLT WITH COPLT HE IS UNSURE OF GETS 6 MI OFF COURSE DURING DEP FROM MOUNTAIN ARPT THAT HAS VERY DEMANDING DEP PROC.

Narrative: THE FIRST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR OF OUR INCIDENT WAS THAT MY CHIEF PLT SET ME UP TO FLY WITH A 70 YR OLD RETIRED PLT, WHO FOR THE PAST 6 YRS, ONLY FLIES A HANDFUL OF TIMES A YR. I DON'T FEEL ANY PERSON CAN STAY REALISTICALLY CURRENT, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PAST EXPERIENCE LEVEL IS, AND AGE IS NOT ALWAYS A FACTOR, BUT THIS PERSON IS STARTING TO SEE THE PROBS OF AGING, WHEN YOU FLY THAT FEW TIMES A YR. THE EVENT OCCURRED ON THE TEXTUAL OBSTACLE DEP PROC FOR RWY 25 FROM EGE ARPT, CO. BEFORE OUR PAX ARRIVED, I REVIEWED THE PROC, AND BEFORE DEPARTING, WE BOTH TOOK TURNS READING THE PROC TO EACH OTHER AND BOTH FELT WE WERE READY. THE PROC IN ITSELF SEEMED SOMEWHAT COMPLEX WITH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT VORS AND RADIALS INVOLVED AS NAV FIXES, WITH THE FINAL RADIAL TAKING YOU TO RLG VOR. I BELIEVE WE WERE TO INTERCEPT THE 231 DEG RADIAL (V8) TO RLG. AS WE DEPARTED, THE FIRST FEW TURNS WENT SMOOTH, BUT WHEN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DIAL IN AND INTERCEPT THE RADIAL AND TRACK TO RLG, I REALIZED THE COPLT PUT THE CORRECT VOR FREQ IN THE RADIO, BUT NEVER DIALED IN THE CORRECT RADIAL. I THEN QUESTIONED HIM ON OUR POS AND A VERY CONFUSED LOOK CAME OVER HIM. THIS IS NOT A GOOD SIT, BECAUSE WE ARE IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND IN IMC. THE COPLT THEN DIALED IN THE CORRECT RADIAL, BUT THE RECIPROCAL OF WHAT WE NEEDED ON THE HSI FOR POSITIVE SENSING TO RLG. AS HE DIALED IN THE RADIAL, WE WERE ON THE CTR OF THE RADIAL, BUT HDG ABOUT 90 DEGS FROM THE COURSE. DEP THEN TOLD US HE NEEDED US UP AT 17000 FT RIGHT AWAY, AND ASKED IF WE WERE IN A R TURN DIRECT RLG, WHICH AT THIS TIME THIS IS WHAT WE WERE DOING. I HAVE A FEELING OTHER MISTAKES WERE MADE ON THE DEP. I, AS PF, WAS BUSY CTLING THE ACFT IN VERY TURBULENT, IMC CONDITIONS AND WAS RELYING ON THE COPLT TO GUIDE ME TO THE FIXES AND SET THE ALTS IN THE ALERTER. THINKING BACK, I AM UNSURE IF WE MADE IT TO ONE OF THE EARLIER FIXES, I BELIEVE THE 152 DEG RADIAL OFF OF SXW TO INTERCEPT THE 322 DEG RADIAL OFF OF DBL. I WAS SO BUSY CTLING THE ACFT, WHEN HE CALLED US THERE, I TURNED BUT HE ALREADY HAD THE NEW RADIAL IN SO I COULD NOT VERIFY. GOING BACK TO OUR RLG INTERCEPT, AFTER WE MADE THE TURN TO RLG, DEP ADVISED WE WERE 6 MI OFF COURSE ON THE DEP. WE APOLOGIZED AND THANKED THE CTLR FOR HIS ASSISTANCE. I ALSO FEEL IN THE CONFUSION THAT THE CLB INITIALLY TO 17000 FT MAY HAVE BEEN IGNORED OR FORGOTTEN BY THE CREW -- NO NEW ALT SET BY THE COPLT. AS CAPT OF THE ACFT I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POS OF THE ACFT AND THE COPLT'S ACTIONS, BUT A FEW CHANCES WOULD HAVE HELPED. 1) STRICTER GUIDELINES FOR PART 91 COPLT REQUIREMENTS ON PLT OPS. SOME KIND OF FORMAL SCHOOL SHOULD BE REQUIRED. 2) ALL DEP PROCS SHOULD HAVE TO HAVE A MAP DESCRIPTION AS WELL AS TEXTUAL, LIKE SIDS/STARS. THIS WOULD HAVE SAVED OUR CREW ON THIS DAY. THE TEXTUALS CAN GET TO CONFUSING.

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.