Narrative:

En route at FL310 over lvs, the captain turned the aircraft briefly to show the passenger wagon mound, and talked about it to the flight attendant who happened to make a call on the cockpit at that time. I had my headset off at the time and he asked me to turn my overhead speaker down while he made a PA. After he turned the airplane briefly for a better view of wagon mound, he turned back with about a 30 degree intercept to rejoin the jet route in our clearance. He continued to talk to the flight attendant and I made a mental note that he would probably go through the airway, but to give him a few seconds to figure it out on his own. He mentioned something of interest and I soon forgot about my overhead speaker and my mental note. I suddenly remembered after we had been at least 5 mi off course and turned up my speaker to hear center yelling at us. We were encroaching on the separation between us and a citation (which showed about 7 mi lateral and 2000 ft vertical on TCASII). He had us call the supervisor at ZAB after the flight who gave the captain a reprimand. He did state, however, that separation was not lost and no further action would be taken. This was an example of how a crew should have been more proactive and remember that someone needs to be flying the airplane at all times. I turned into a passenger during his guided tour and should have been paying attention to my job, because obviously he was not.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD83 FLC EXPERIENCES A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WHEN THE ALLOW THEIR ACFT TO STRAY BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRWAY DURING A PAX TOUR OVER LVS, NM.

Narrative: ENRTE AT FL310 OVER LVS, THE CAPT TURNED THE ACFT BRIEFLY TO SHOW THE PAX WAGON MOUND, AND TALKED ABOUT IT TO THE FLT ATTENDANT WHO HAPPENED TO MAKE A CALL ON THE COCKPIT AT THAT TIME. I HAD MY HEADSET OFF AT THE TIME AND HE ASKED ME TO TURN MY OVERHEAD SPEAKER DOWN WHILE HE MADE A PA. AFTER HE TURNED THE AIRPLANE BRIEFLY FOR A BETTER VIEW OF WAGON MOUND, HE TURNED BACK WITH ABOUT A 30 DEG INTERCEPT TO REJOIN THE JET RTE IN OUR CLRNC. HE CONTINUED TO TALK TO THE FLT ATTENDANT AND I MADE A MENTAL NOTE THAT HE WOULD PROBABLY GO THROUGH THE AIRWAY, BUT TO GIVE HIM A FEW SECONDS TO FIGURE IT OUT ON HIS OWN. HE MENTIONED SOMETHING OF INTEREST AND I SOON FORGOT ABOUT MY OVERHEAD SPEAKER AND MY MENTAL NOTE. I SUDDENLY REMEMBERED AFTER WE HAD BEEN AT LEAST 5 MI OFF COURSE AND TURNED UP MY SPEAKER TO HEAR CTR YELLING AT US. WE WERE ENCROACHING ON THE SEPARATION BTWN US AND A CITATION (WHICH SHOWED ABOUT 7 MI LATERAL AND 2000 FT VERT ON TCASII). HE HAD US CALL THE SUPVR AT ZAB AFTER THE FLT WHO GAVE THE CAPT A REPRIMAND. HE DID STATE, HOWEVER, THAT SEPARATION WAS NOT LOST AND NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. THIS WAS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW A CREW SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROACTIVE AND REMEMBER THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO BE FLYING THE AIRPLANE AT ALL TIMES. I TURNED INTO A PAX DURING HIS GUIDED TOUR AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTN TO MY JOB, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY HE WAS NOT.

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.