A B737 flight crew has wrong VOR tuned and starts an early turn.

Attributes
ACN	519700
Time
Date	200107
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : kennedy 8
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	519700
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

PNF inadvertently tuned in J130 radial instead of J194 radial off hto fix. PNF advised PF that 'course was alive' and passing quickly. The PF noted that we were only 25 DME off jfk instead of 30 DME as depicted and began a slow right hard turn to intercept (about 5 NM early). New york departure asked us why we were turning, gave us a new vector, and stated we had turned towards another aircraft. No TCASII warnings or alerts. Human factors: our clearance was 'kennedy 8, wavey emjay, J194....' kennedy 8 departure pictorial only takes pilot to wavey intersection. Wavey is not on high chart. Emjay is not on kennedy 8 depiction -- only on high charts. Difficult to determine distance from wavey to emjay, if not legally impossible -- transition from departure to high chart confusing. Captain plans to contact operations to discuss issue.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW HAS WRONG VOR TUNED AND STARTS AN EARLY TURN.

Narrative: PNF INADVERTENTLY TUNED IN J130 RADIAL INSTEAD OF J194 RADIAL OFF HTO FIX. PNF ADVISED PF THAT 'COURSE WAS ALIVE' AND PASSING QUICKLY. THE PF NOTED THAT WE WERE ONLY 25 DME OFF JFK INSTEAD OF 30 DME AS DEPICTED AND BEGAN A SLOW R HARD TURN TO INTERCEPT (ABOUT 5 NM EARLY). NEW YORK DEP ASKED US WHY WE WERE TURNING, GAVE US A NEW VECTOR, AND STATED WE HAD TURNED TOWARDS ANOTHER ACFT. NO TCASII WARNINGS OR ALERTS. HUMAN FACTORS: OUR CLRNC WAS 'KENNEDY 8, WAVEY EMJAY, J194....' KENNEDY 8 DEP PICTORIAL ONLY TAKES PLT TO WAVEY INTXN. WAVEY IS NOT ON HIGH CHART. EMJAY IS NOT ON KENNEDY 8 DEPICTION -- ONLY ON HIGH CHARTS. DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE DISTANCE FROM WAVEY TO EMJAY, IF NOT LEGALLY IMPOSSIBLE -- TRANSITION FROM DEP TO HIGH CHART CONFUSING. CAPT PLANS TO CONTACT OPS TO DISCUSS ISSUE.

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.