S80 flight crew are corrected by ZMP when observed flying off course due to wrong NAVAID utilized.

Attributes
ACN	511757
Time
Date	200105
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : gep.vortac
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp.artcc tracon : pct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute airway : j211.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	511757
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Climbing out of msp, we were on a heading of 240 degrees to intercept J21. We inadvertently dialed in msp VOR instead of gep VOR, which is what J21 is defined off of. Center advised us to continue and intercept off of gep, not msp. With the vors so close together, the clearance should come as a point and radial off of gep, not J21. More careful attention to the radials VOR will prevent this in the future.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: S80 FLC ARE CORRECTED BY ZMP WHEN OBSERVED FLYING OFF COURSE DUE TO WRONG NAVAID UTILIZED.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF MSP, WE WERE ON A HDG OF 240 DEGS TO INTERCEPT J21. WE INADVERTENTLY DIALED IN MSP VOR INSTEAD OF GEP VOR, WHICH IS WHAT J21 IS DEFINED OFF OF. CTR ADVISED US TO CONTINUE AND INTERCEPT OFF OF GEP, NOT MSP. WITH THE VORS SO CLOSE TOGETHER, THE CLRNC SHOULD COME AS A POINT AND RADIAL OFF OF GEP, NOT J21. MORE CAREFUL ATTN TO THE RADIALS VOR WILL PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE.

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.