Heading track deviation when amended clearance received but crew cannot find the required radial on ...

Attributes
ACN	542461
Time
Date	200203
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : bxk.vortac
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl single value : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : bxk1
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : private pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	542461
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Chart Or Publication Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight was en route phx-oak on the phx BXK1 departure, in ZAB airspace. Approximately 20 mi west of bxk on 262 degree radial going to blh, step climbing through approximately 15000 ft up to 35000 ft. ZAB called and without any heads up gave a long and unexpected clearance. Clearance was to turn 20 degrees right, intercept J212 to J65. PF turned aircraft 20 degrees right and began looking for new routing on us (hi) 2 chart. PNF read back clearance, with ZAB responding not correct. ZAB made a few calls to other aircraft then called us back and repeated clearance, PNF read back clearance. On the us (hi) 2 chart, J212 is very hard and confusing to locate west of bxk. You can locate J212 off palm springs (psp) but cannot pick up VOR yet. J212 can easily be defined east of bxk. But as you try to define J212 just west of bxk it takes a few moments to ensure the correct radial. After approximately 5 mins looking at chart and locating correct routing, setting up vors for appropriate navigation we were approximately 6-7 mi north of centerline J212. As we were making our correction back to course ZAB called and said we were north off course and to turn left back to course. The WX conditions were VMC. There was no known traffic in the area and no indication of any traffic conflict, either from ATC, radio xmissions or TCASII. A few items I believe that caused this to happen. Too aggressive heading intercept, we were going from 262 degree radial bxk to 269 degree radial bxk at 20 DME not very far between radials at this point, while trying to look up long clearance on hi chart. Delay in getting correct readback clearance with ATC while on intercept heading. Hearing intercept J routes and immediately looking on hi charts for new routing, in this case initial routing was on the phx.BXK1 we were flying. Crew on 4TH and final leg, 9 hours into duty day at this point and going from day to night. Next time I might ask ATC to define the initial intercept route off a VOR to ensure compliance while looking up the rest of the clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HEADING TRACK DEV WHEN AMENDED CLRNC RECEIVED BUT CREW CANNOT FIND THE REQUIRED RADIAL ON THEIR HI-LEVEL CHART 20 MI NW OF BXK, AZ.

Narrative: FLT WAS ENRTE PHX-OAK ON THE PHX BXK1 DEP, IN ZAB AIRSPACE. APPROX 20 MI W OF BXK ON 262 DEG RADIAL GOING TO BLH, STEP CLBING THROUGH APPROX 15000 FT UP TO 35000 FT. ZAB CALLED AND WITHOUT ANY HEADS UP GAVE A LONG AND UNEXPECTED CLRNC. CLRNC WAS TO TURN 20 DEGS R, INTERCEPT J212 TO J65. PF TURNED ACFT 20 DEGS R AND BEGAN LOOKING FOR NEW ROUTING ON US (HI) 2 CHART. PNF READ BACK CLRNC, WITH ZAB RESPONDING NOT CORRECT. ZAB MADE A FEW CALLS TO OTHER ACFT THEN CALLED US BACK AND REPEATED CLRNC, PNF READ BACK CLRNC. ON THE US (HI) 2 CHART, J212 IS VERY HARD AND CONFUSING TO LOCATE W OF BXK. YOU CAN LOCATE J212 OFF PALM SPRINGS (PSP) BUT CANNOT PICK UP VOR YET. J212 CAN EASILY BE DEFINED E OF BXK. BUT AS YOU TRY TO DEFINE J212 JUST W OF BXK IT TAKES A FEW MOMENTS TO ENSURE THE CORRECT RADIAL. AFTER APPROX 5 MINS LOOKING AT CHART AND LOCATING CORRECT ROUTING, SETTING UP VORS FOR APPROPRIATE NAV WE WERE APPROX 6-7 MI N OF CTRLINE J212. AS WE WERE MAKING OUR CORRECTION BACK TO COURSE ZAB CALLED AND SAID WE WERE N OFF COURSE AND TO TURN L BACK TO COURSE. THE WX CONDITIONS WERE VMC. THERE WAS NO KNOWN TFC IN THE AREA AND NO INDICATION OF ANY TFC CONFLICT, EITHER FROM ATC, RADIO XMISSIONS OR TCASII. A FEW ITEMS I BELIEVE THAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. TOO AGGRESSIVE HEADING INTERCEPT, WE WERE GOING FROM 262 DEG RADIAL BXK TO 269 DEG RADIAL BXK AT 20 DME NOT VERY FAR BTWN RADIALS AT THIS POINT, WHILE TRYING TO LOOK UP LONG CLRNC ON HI CHART. DELAY IN GETTING CORRECT READBACK CLRNC WITH ATC WHILE ON INTERCEPT HEADING. HEARING INTERCEPT J ROUTES AND IMMEDIATELY LOOKING ON HI CHARTS FOR NEW ROUTING, IN THIS CASE INITIAL ROUTING WAS ON THE PHX.BXK1 WE WERE FLYING. CREW ON 4TH AND FINAL LEG, 9 HRS INTO DUTY DAY AT THIS POINT AND GOING FROM DAY TO NIGHT. NEXT TIME I MIGHT ASK ATC TO DEFINE THE INITIAL INTERCEPT RTE OFF A VOR TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WHILE LOOKING UP THE REST OF THE CLRNC.

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.

Heading track deviation when amended clearance received but crew cannot find the required radial on their hi-level chart 20 mi northwest of bxk, az.