Heading track deviation by the flight crew of a BE400-a during a test flight southwest of las.

Attributes
ACN	548806
Time
Date	200205
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : bty.vortac
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : l30.tracon
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Beechjet 400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 8200 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	548806
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : undershoot non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was doing a test flight out of las. We had 2 mechanics aboard. Departure occurred without any incident. The controller told us to turn to a heading of 250 degrees, climb to 11000 ft and intercept a radial to bty. A mechanic was in between our seats asking me questions on the pressurization gauge since that is the reason we were on the test flight. My sic was running the radio and said that he would be in control of the radial set-up. I saw that the altitude was set to 10000 ft. I stated to the sic, 'wasn't the altitude 11000 ft?' he said, 'no, it was 10000 ft.' I was going to ask him to verify with the controller but the mechanic was asking me another question. I put on my headset and my sic was getting excited saying we needed to turn to the right because we had proceeded through the radial that we were supposed to be on. I asked him what made him think that. He said, 'look at your needle,' which was set on the FMS to direct towards bty, not the radial. The sic turned the heading bug to the right. He also put the navigation source to VOR and had the right radial in. The radial was still in front of us. The controller yelled at us, 'are you on a 250 degree heading and why are you not at 11000 ft?' the sic said that we were intercepting the bty radial. The controller said that we were so far off it wasn't even funny. The controller was not a happy person.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV BY THE FLC OF A BE400-A DURING A TEST FLT SW OF LAS.

Narrative: I WAS DOING A TEST FLT OUT OF LAS. WE HAD 2 MECHS ABOARD. DEP OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN TO A HDG OF 250 DEGS, CLB TO 11000 FT AND INTERCEPT A RADIAL TO BTY. A MECH WAS IN BTWN OUR SEATS ASKING ME QUESTIONS ON THE PRESSURIZATION GAUGE SINCE THAT IS THE REASON WE WERE ON THE TEST FLT. MY SIC WAS RUNNING THE RADIO AND SAID THAT HE WOULD BE IN CTL OF THE RADIAL SET-UP. I SAW THAT THE ALT WAS SET TO 10000 FT. I STATED TO THE SIC, 'WASN'T THE ALT 11000 FT?' HE SAID, 'NO, IT WAS 10000 FT.' I WAS GOING TO ASK HIM TO VERIFY WITH THE CTLR BUT THE MECH WAS ASKING ME ANOTHER QUESTION. I PUT ON MY HEADSET AND MY SIC WAS GETTING EXCITED SAYING WE NEEDED TO TURN TO THE R BECAUSE WE HAD PROCEEDED THROUGH THE RADIAL THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ON. I ASKED HIM WHAT MADE HIM THINK THAT. HE SAID, 'LOOK AT YOUR NEEDLE,' WHICH WAS SET ON THE FMS TO DIRECT TOWARDS BTY, NOT THE RADIAL. THE SIC TURNED THE HDG BUG TO THE R. HE ALSO PUT THE NAV SOURCE TO VOR AND HAD THE R RADIAL IN. THE RADIAL WAS STILL IN FRONT OF US. THE CTLR YELLED AT US, 'ARE YOU ON A 250 DEG HDG AND WHY ARE YOU NOT AT 11000 FT?' THE SIC SAID THAT WE WERE INTERCEPTING THE BTY RADIAL. THE CTLR SAID THAT WE WERE SO FAR OFF IT WASN'T EVEN FUNNY. THE CTLR WAS NOT A HAPPY PERSON.

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.