ARTCC radar controller intervened to advise pilot of cessna 421 that he was 5 mi south off course.

Attributes
ACN	543758
Time
Date	200204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : wheel
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse.artcc tower : msp.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Golden Eagle 421
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument non precision enroute airway : v27.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 8300 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	543758
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : returned to intended or assigned course
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were in radar and radio contact with ZSE, descending sbound on V27 between cec and wheel, and had been cleared for the VOR runway 14 approach into acv. Acv was MVFR and we were on top of a scattered-to-broken marine layer along the coast. We intended to use this approach to get below the layer, then cancel and proceed VFR to eka. My right seater had been checking me out in this aircraft, and although his name was listed as PIC on the flight plan, I was seated on the left and was sole manipulator throughout the flight. We are both legally current and qualified in this type of aircraft, but he had much more time in type than I. As we approached our inbound turn at wheel, my 'buddy' was yammering on and on, telling some story about which I remember absolutely nothing. I only recall that I was trying to show 'polite' attention to his story while simultaneously trying to keep track of the approach. My first clue that I'd missed something was when center called, asking if we intended to fly the VOR runway 14 approach. 'That's the plan,' I replied, wondering why he was asking about my intentions after we'd already been cleared for the approach. The 'oh, south..T!' came when the controller casually replied that we were now about 5 mi south of the final. Instead of 'turning and turning' we'd been 'talking and talking.' or rather 'talking and nodding.' since we were 'on top' and in VFR conditions, we promptly canceled IFR and kicked our own butts all the way to eka. There's a simple lesson here: 'gear up, flaps up, shut up.' when you're flying terminal procedures, keep your mind on your business and save the stories for the hangar. There's a reason why 135 and 121 operations are required to remain sterile below 10000 ft. There's just too much important stuff going on to fill the air with idle chit-chat. Furthermore, I should never have let another person take control of my concentration. In the future I will be more inclined to ask my cockpit mate to speak only when the subject is the business at hand and the safe completion thereof.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARTCC RADAR CTLR INTERVENED TO ADVISE PLT OF CESSNA 421 THAT HE WAS 5 MI S OFF COURSE.

Narrative: WE WERE IN RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WITH ZSE, DSNDING SBOUND ON V27 BTWN CEC AND WHEEL, AND HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE VOR RWY 14 APCH INTO ACV. ACV WAS MVFR AND WE WERE ON TOP OF A SCATTERED-TO-BROKEN MARINE LAYER ALONG THE COAST. WE INTENDED TO USE THIS APCH TO GET BELOW THE LAYER, THEN CANCEL AND PROCEED VFR TO EKA. MY R SEATER HAD BEEN CHKING ME OUT IN THIS ACFT, AND ALTHOUGH HIS NAME WAS LISTED AS PIC ON THE FLT PLAN, I WAS SEATED ON THE L AND WAS SOLE MANIPULATOR THROUGHOUT THE FLT. WE ARE BOTH LEGALLY CURRENT AND QUALIFIED IN THIS TYPE OF ACFT, BUT HE HAD MUCH MORE TIME IN TYPE THAN I. AS WE APCHED OUR INBOUND TURN AT WHEEL, MY 'BUDDY' WAS YAMMERING ON AND ON, TELLING SOME STORY ABOUT WHICH I REMEMBER ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I ONLY RECALL THAT I WAS TRYING TO SHOW 'POLITE' ATTN TO HIS STORY WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF THE APCH. MY FIRST CLUE THAT I'D MISSED SOMETHING WAS WHEN CTR CALLED, ASKING IF WE INTENDED TO FLY THE VOR RWY 14 APCH. 'THAT'S THE PLAN,' I REPLIED, WONDERING WHY HE WAS ASKING ABOUT MY INTENTIONS AFTER WE'D ALREADY BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH. THE 'OH, S..T!' CAME WHEN THE CTLR CASUALLY REPLIED THAT WE WERE NOW ABOUT 5 MI S OF THE FINAL. INSTEAD OF 'TURNING AND TURNING' WE'D BEEN 'TALKING AND TALKING.' OR RATHER 'TALKING AND NODDING.' SINCE WE WERE 'ON TOP' AND IN VFR CONDITIONS, WE PROMPTLY CANCELED IFR AND KICKED OUR OWN BUTTS ALL THE WAY TO EKA. THERE'S A SIMPLE LESSON HERE: 'GEAR UP, FLAPS UP, SHUT UP.' WHEN YOU'RE FLYING TERMINAL PROCS, KEEP YOUR MIND ON YOUR BUSINESS AND SAVE THE STORIES FOR THE HANGAR. THERE'S A REASON WHY 135 AND 121 OPS ARE REQUIRED TO REMAIN STERILE BELOW 10000 FT. THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH IMPORTANT STUFF GOING ON TO FILL THE AIR WITH IDLE CHIT-CHAT. FURTHERMORE, I SHOULD NEVER HAVE LET ANOTHER PERSON TAKE CTL OF MY CONCENTRATION. IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE MORE INCLINED TO ASK MY COCKPIT MATE TO SPEAK ONLY WHEN THE SUBJECT IS THE BUSINESS AT HAND AND THE SAFE COMPLETION THEREOF.

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.