Narrative:

En route to cmh from tpa approaching irq VORTAC prematurely turned on a 356 degree radial outbound instead of the 012 degree radial of J85 to spa VORTAC. The pilot flying mistakenly thought he was at spa instead of irq. As we were approaching irq, I, the pilot not flying, had gotten up to open the cockpit door. The flight attendant was bringing up some drinks. While I was getting the drinks placed in the appropriate places and relocking the door we were passing over irq VORTAC. By the time I had sat down, fasten my seat belt ATC called and quizzed us about the turn. I looked down at my HSI, which was tuned to spa 010 degrees and showed us left of course. I looked over to the pilot flyingsouth, his showed centered, but had the 356 radial. We realized the error and made a course correction. There didnT seem to be any traffic conflict. We proceeded on toward spa. With the new door procedure in place and flying manually en route in a 200 proves to be another distraction. The timing of the flight attendant coming up in the event was probably the most contributing factor since I, the pilot not flying, had to leave my seat. I feel if I hadnT had to do that, I would have been more aware of the turn at irq and possibly would have prevented the deviation, or at least caught it by my VOR deflection. I will be more aware now of possible turns or course changes as I have to get up to unlock the door.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B732 CREW, IN CRUISE AT FL290, DEPARTED A VOR ON THE WRONG RADIAL, CAUSING AT 16 DEG COURSE DEVIATION.

Narrative: ENRTE TO CMH FROM TPA APCHING IRQ VORTAC PREMATURELY TURNED ON A 356 DEG RADIAL OUTBOUND INSTEAD OF THE 012 DEG RADIAL OF J85 TO SPA VORTAC. THE PLT FLYING MISTAKENLY THOUGHT HE WAS AT SPA INSTEAD OF IRQ. AS WE WERE APCHING IRQ, I, THE PLT NOT FLYING, HAD GOTTEN UP TO OPEN THE COCKPIT DOOR. THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS BRINGING UP SOME DRINKS. WHILE I WAS GETTING THE DRINKS PLACED IN THE APPROPRIATE PLACES AND RELOCKING THE DOOR WE WERE PASSING OVER IRQ VORTAC. BY THE TIME I HAD SAT DOWN, FASTEN MY SEAT BELT ATC CALLED AND QUIZZED US ABOUT THE TURN. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY HSI, WHICH WAS TUNED TO SPA 010 DEGS AND SHOWED US L OF COURSE. I LOOKED OVER TO THE PLT FLYINGS, HIS SHOWED CTRED, BUT HAD THE 356 RADIAL. WE REALIZED THE ERROR AND MADE A COURSE CORRECTION. THERE DIDNT SEEM TO BE ANY TFC CONFLICT. WE PROCEEDED ON TOWARD SPA. WITH THE NEW DOOR PROC IN PLACE AND FLYING MANUALLY ENRTE IN A 200 PROVES TO BE ANOTHER DISTRACTION. THE TIMING OF THE FLT ATTENDANT COMING UP IN THE EVENT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR SINCE I, THE PLT NOT FLYING, HAD TO LEAVE MY SEAT. I FEEL IF I HADNT HAD TO DO THAT, I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE TURN AT IRQ AND POSSIBLY WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE DEVIATION, OR AT LEAST CAUGHT IT BY MY VOR DEFLECTION. I WILL BE MORE AWARE NOW OF POSSIBLE TURNS OR COURSE CHANGES AS I HAVE TO GET UP TO UNLOCK THE DOOR.

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.