Narrative:

While on an IFR flight plan from smo-crq, we deviated 40 degrees from our assigned heading. We were in the descent phase about 20 mi from crq. It was the first officer's leg and I was admiring the scenery on a beautiful cavu morning. We had been given several large vectors due to traffic. As we got closer to crq, we got assigned a left turn of about 30 degrees. At this time, we were given our expected runway assignment. I moved the heading bug to the assigned heading, then I proceeded to program the FMS for the appropriate runway. When I looked down to work on the FMS, I did not realize the first officer was still looking for a particular piece of scenery that I had tried to point our earlier. He continued past our assigned heading about 40 degrees. When I looked up from the FMS, I called the deviation to his attention. He immediately executed a 45 degree bank turn back to the proper heading. The controller queried us at this time and we told him we were correcting. There was no other aircraft in the immediate area. I believe this deviation was caused by a lack of communication between the first officer and myself and a preoccupation with FMS programming that wasn't entirely necessary. I should have let my first officer know that I was 'head down' and I should have not focused all of my attention on the FMS. I have learned that especially when in unfamiliar places it is imperative to leave all sightseeing to the passenger until all other duties are done. Doing too many 'heads down' things close to the airport makes us much more susceptible to stupid mistakes, especially in great WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR CREW BECOMES COMPLACENT WHILE SIGHT-SEEING DURING APCH TO CRQ, CA, UNTIL ATC QUESTIONS WHERE THEY ARE GOING.

Narrative: WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM SMO-CRQ, WE DEVIATED 40 DEGS FROM OUR ASSIGNED HDG. WE WERE IN THE DSCNT PHASE ABOUT 20 MI FROM CRQ. IT WAS THE FO'S LEG AND I WAS ADMIRING THE SCENERY ON A BEAUTIFUL CAVU MORNING. WE HAD BEEN GIVEN SEVERAL LARGE VECTORS DUE TO TFC. AS WE GOT CLOSER TO CRQ, WE GOT ASSIGNED A L TURN OF ABOUT 30 DEGS. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE GIVEN OUR EXPECTED RWY ASSIGNMENT. I MOVED THE HDG BUG TO THE ASSIGNED HDG, THEN I PROCEEDED TO PROGRAM THE FMS FOR THE APPROPRIATE RWY. WHEN I LOOKED DOWN TO WORK ON THE FMS, I DID NOT REALIZE THE FO WAS STILL LOOKING FOR A PARTICULAR PIECE OF SCENERY THAT I HAD TRIED TO POINT OUR EARLIER. HE CONTINUED PAST OUR ASSIGNED HDG ABOUT 40 DEGS. WHEN I LOOKED UP FROM THE FMS, I CALLED THE DEV TO HIS ATTN. HE IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A 45 DEG BANK TURN BACK TO THE PROPER HDG. THE CTLR QUERIED US AT THIS TIME AND WE TOLD HIM WE WERE CORRECTING. THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA. I BELIEVE THIS DEV WAS CAUSED BY A LACK OF COM BTWN THE FO AND MYSELF AND A PREOCCUPATION WITH FMS PROGRAMMING THAT WASN'T ENTIRELY NECESSARY. I SHOULD HAVE LET MY FO KNOW THAT I WAS 'HEAD DOWN' AND I SHOULD HAVE NOT FOCUSED ALL OF MY ATTN ON THE FMS. I HAVE LEARNED THAT ESPECIALLY WHEN IN UNFAMILIAR PLACES IT IS IMPERATIVE TO LEAVE ALL SIGHTSEEING TO THE PAX UNTIL ALL OTHER DUTIES ARE DONE. DOING TOO MANY 'HEADS DOWN' THINGS CLOSE TO THE ARPT MAKES US MUCH MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO STUPID MISTAKES, ESPECIALLY IN GREAT WX.

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.