A B727 first officer admitted that he, the flight engineer, and the captain were distracted by a fli...

Attributes
ACN	517700
Time
Date	200107
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bdl.airport
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl single value : 19000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	arrival star : swede
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 11000
ASRS Report	517700
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other spatial deviation
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Until the occurrence, captain was the PF and the copilot was the PNF. Flight attendant entered the cockpit and stated she had spilled some coffee on a passenger and would be filling out an incident report. At this point, we had passed the rka VOR on the arrival into bdl and the copilot had set up the next intersection on VOR #2. Captain told copilot to fly the aircraft and everything was set up. Copilot assumed the PF duties and flew off the captain's HSI. Captain had not set up the outbound course correctly and the copilot did not catch the error. Aircraft proceeded off course. Captain's attention was focused on the flight attendant and her incident report. ZBW eventually questioned us and we discovered and corrected our error. Contributing factors include: short layover the previous evening, long situation at the airport the day of the incident, captain's failure to set up the appropriate course, first officer's failure to catch the incorrect course, the flight engineer's failure to catch the mistake, and the captain's attention being diverted from the aircraft. Fatigue and a lack of adequate rest were the primary factors contributing to this occurrence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FO ADMITTED THAT HE, THE FE, AND THE CAPT WERE DISTRACTED BY A FLT ATTENDANT ISSUE, CAUSING A TRACK DEV IN BOS AIRSPACE.

Narrative: UNTIL THE OCCURRENCE, CAPT WAS THE PF AND THE COPLT WAS THE PNF. FLT ATTENDANT ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND STATED SHE HAD SPILLED SOME COFFEE ON A PAX AND WOULD BE FILLING OUT AN INCIDENT RPT. AT THIS POINT, WE HAD PASSED THE RKA VOR ON THE ARR INTO BDL AND THE COPLT HAD SET UP THE NEXT INTXN ON VOR #2. CAPT TOLD COPLT TO FLY THE ACFT AND EVERYTHING WAS SET UP. COPLT ASSUMED THE PF DUTIES AND FLEW OFF THE CAPT'S HSI. CAPT HAD NOT SET UP THE OUTBOUND COURSE CORRECTLY AND THE COPLT DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR. ACFT PROCEEDED OFF COURSE. CAPT'S ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON THE FLT ATTENDANT AND HER INCIDENT RPT. ZBW EVENTUALLY QUESTIONED US AND WE DISCOVERED AND CORRECTED OUR ERROR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE: SHORT LAYOVER THE PREVIOUS EVENING, LONG SIT AT THE ARPT THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, CAPT'S FAILURE TO SET UP THE APPROPRIATE COURSE, FO'S FAILURE TO CATCH THE INCORRECT COURSE, THE FE'S FAILURE TO CATCH THE MISTAKE, AND THE CAPT'S ATTN BEING DIVERTED FROM THE ACFT. FATIGUE AND A LACK OF ADEQUATE REST WERE THE PRIMARY FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS 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.

A B727 first officer admitted that he, the flight engineer, and the captain were distracted by a flight attendant issue, causing a track deviation in bos airspace.