Narrative:

I had flown the same trip, dal-lax-dal for the entire month. We were filed on the same route on every trip except for the last day I flew. Normally we are filed on the south route from lax-dal, which takes us over el paso then to dal. On the day of this occurrence, we were filed on the north route over abq. On climb out, we were cleared direct trm then flight planned route. I was climbing through FL310 as we passed over trm VOR. During the climb I was also engaged in a conversation with a pilot on our jump seat. I dialed in the outbound over trm and proceeded to track outbound on the airway which would take us on the southern route. After about 10 mi, the ATC controller asked if we were tracking the airway for the south route, which we acknowledged. Then we realized the mistake we had made. The correct airway is about 30 degrees north of the airway we were on. The controller told us to turn about 10 degrees left because he had traffic that he would have to move us around. After a few mins on a vector, we were cleared direct parker VOR for our assigned route. This situation shows that a sterile cockpit should not always end at 10000 ft. Because I was talking so much, I failed to rechk the flight plan, although I checked it and acknowledged the routing on the ground. Also, if I was busy with other tasks, I should have turned control of the aircraft over to the first officer. Complacency raises its ugly head when you least expect it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 CAPT ADMITTED TO TALKING TOO MUCH TO A JUMP SEATER WHICH CAUSED HIM TO SET IN THE WRONG OUTBOUND COURSE AFTER XING TRM.

Narrative: I HAD FLOWN THE SAME TRIP, DAL-LAX-DAL FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH. WE WERE FILED ON THE SAME RTE ON EVERY TRIP EXCEPT FOR THE LAST DAY I FLEW. NORMALLY WE ARE FILED ON THE S RTE FROM LAX-DAL, WHICH TAKES US OVER EL PASO THEN TO DAL. ON THE DAY OF THIS OCCURRENCE, WE WERE FILED ON THE N RTE OVER ABQ. ON CLBOUT, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TRM THEN FLT PLANNED RTE. I WAS CLBING THROUGH FL310 AS WE PASSED OVER TRM VOR. DURING THE CLB I WAS ALSO ENGAGED IN A CONVERSATION WITH A PLT ON OUR JUMP SEAT. I DIALED IN THE OUTBOUND OVER TRM AND PROCEEDED TO TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE AIRWAY WHICH WOULD TAKE US ON THE SOUTHERN RTE. AFTER ABOUT 10 MI, THE ATC CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE TRACKING THE AIRWAY FOR THE S RTE, WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED. THEN WE REALIZED THE MISTAKE WE HAD MADE. THE CORRECT AIRWAY IS ABOUT 30 DEGS N OF THE AIRWAY WE WERE ON. THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN ABOUT 10 DEGS L BECAUSE HE HAD TFC THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE US AROUND. AFTER A FEW MINS ON A VECTOR, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT PARKER VOR FOR OUR ASSIGNED RTE. THIS SIT SHOWS THAT A STERILE COCKPIT SHOULD NOT ALWAYS END AT 10000 FT. BECAUSE I WAS TALKING SO MUCH, I FAILED TO RECHK THE FLT PLAN, ALTHOUGH I CHKED IT AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE ROUTING ON THE GND. ALSO, IF I WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TASKS, I SHOULD HAVE TURNED CTL OF THE ACFT OVER TO THE FO. COMPLACENCY RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT.

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.