A DC10-10 flight crew departed from the assigned route near zun.

Attributes
ACN	451070
Time
Date	199910
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	NM
Altitude	msl single value : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 10
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute airway : j6.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	451070
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Controller reported flight 9 NM north off course. I misread the outbound course from zun as 059 degrees (should have been 073 degrees), which was the course from sjn. Sjn and zun are close together on the chart, and the magnetic north arrow from sjn points right to the frequency box for zun. So, right frequency, wrong course. Aircraft was VOR only, INS would have prevented the occurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10-10 FLC DEPARTED FROM THE ASSIGNED RTE NEAR ZUN.

Narrative: CTLR RPTED FLT 9 NM N OFF COURSE. I MISREAD THE OUTBOUND COURSE FROM ZUN AS 059 DEGS (SHOULD HAVE BEEN 073 DEGS), WHICH WAS THE COURSE FROM SJN. SJN AND ZUN ARE CLOSE TOGETHER ON THE CHART, AND THE MAGNETIC N ARROW FROM SJN POINTS RIGHT TO THE FREQ BOX FOR ZUN. SO, RIGHT FREQ, WRONG COURSE. ACFT WAS VOR ONLY, INS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE OCCURRENCE.

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.