Narrative:

We were flying flight abcd to lga on feb/wed/03. The approach in use at lga was the expressway visual runway 31, and we were cleared to cross the dials fix at 2500 ft, and cleared the approach to the runway. The first officer was the PF, and as it was his first trip off of IOE and his first time executing this approach at night, I was trying to give him 'tips' on how to make the approach (ie, configuring the plane and descent rates, etc). He was doing fine, but with trying to pay attention inside and outside I misjudged our position to the long island expressway Z(lie), the reference to follow after crossing dials, and we began our downwind leg early. This early turn, added to the strong northwest winds that evening, kept us further south of the lie than desired given the close proximity of the jfk airport. Almost immediately the lga tower controller caught our error and directed us to fly a 040 degree heading and to maintain our present altitude of 2200 ft. We did so. The controller pointed out traffic we were following and we proceeded with the approach and landing uneventfully. Before I left the airport that night, I phoned the lga tower cabin attendant just to make sure what if any reactions there might be to our error, and to apologize for said error. The controller was polite and understanding of the event. The major factor to the error was the misjudging of our turn after dials. Although I had shot this particular approach several times, I believe trying to help out my first officer got more attention than where we were outside. In the future, I think I will try to find out if a new first officer has shot this particular approach before, and if so, if it was at night. If he/she has not seen the approach during the day, I'll probably take that leg and explain the 'tips' as I do it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARRIVING E145 AT LGA OVERSHOOTS TURN ON CHARTED VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE FLYING FLT ABCD TO LGA ON FEB/WED/03. THE APCH IN USE AT LGA WAS THE EXPRESSWAY VISUAL RWY 31, AND WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS THE DIALS FIX AT 2500 FT, AND CLRED THE APCH TO THE RWY. THE FO WAS THE PF, AND AS IT WAS HIS FIRST TRIP OFF OF IOE AND HIS FIRST TIME EXECUTING THIS APCH AT NIGHT, I WAS TRYING TO GIVE HIM 'TIPS' ON HOW TO MAKE THE APCH (IE, CONFIGURING THE PLANE AND DSCNT RATES, ETC). HE WAS DOING FINE, BUT WITH TRYING TO PAY ATTN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE I MISJUDGED OUR POS TO THE LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY Z(LIE), THE REF TO FOLLOW AFTER XING DIALS, AND WE BEGAN OUR DOWNWIND LEG EARLY. THIS EARLY TURN, ADDED TO THE STRONG NW WINDS THAT EVENING, KEPT US FURTHER S OF THE LIE THAN DESIRED GIVEN THE CLOSE PROX OF THE JFK ARPT. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE LGA TWR CTLR CAUGHT OUR ERROR AND DIRECTED US TO FLY A 040 DEG HDG AND TO MAINTAIN OUR PRESENT ALT OF 2200 FT. WE DID SO. THE CTLR POINTED OUT TFC WE WERE FOLLOWING AND WE PROCEEDED WITH THE APCH AND LNDG UNEVENTFULLY. BEFORE I LEFT THE ARPT THAT NIGHT, I PHONED THE LGA TWR CAB JUST TO MAKE SURE WHAT IF ANY REACTIONS THERE MIGHT BE TO OUR ERROR, AND TO APOLOGIZE FOR SAID ERROR. THE CTLR WAS POLITE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE EVENT. THE MAJOR FACTOR TO THE ERROR WAS THE MISJUDGING OF OUR TURN AFTER DIALS. ALTHOUGH I HAD SHOT THIS PARTICULAR APCH SEVERAL TIMES, I BELIEVE TRYING TO HELP OUT MY FO GOT MORE ATTN THAN WHERE WE WERE OUTSIDE. IN THE FUTURE, I THINK I WILL TRY TO FIND OUT IF A NEW FO HAS SHOT THIS PARTICULAR APCH BEFORE, AND IF SO, IF IT WAS AT NIGHT. IF HE/SHE HAS NOT SEEN THE APCH DURING THE DAY, I'LL PROBABLY TAKE THAT LEG AND EXPLAIN THE 'TIPS' AS I DO IT.

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.