Narrative:

Asked by ATC (toronto) to confirm routing after eck. Then discovered that although routing had been selected in INS, navigation had not been engaged. Aircraft had continued on heading rather than turing to new course. I had not flown DC10 for nearly 90 days. First officer was flying first trip after IOE, and so had been displaced from DC9 captain. Nearly constant questions, answers, and discussions relative to duties, procedures, etc, were occurring. Other INS equipped aircraft that I have flown did not require the additional step of selecting navigation when operating on autoplt and cleared direct to a fix en route. Simply selecting direct to cleared fix was all that was required. A lack of recent experience in the aircraft by myself and an inexperienced crew plus night flying conditions contributed to this oversight. The aircraft had 3 MEL's, we had difficulty communicating with ground crew on pushback. The APU shut down while starting first engine leaving us in the dark with no power. Takeoff numbers were late arriving. The departure turn after takeoff was opposite that expected. We had had numerous distrs. The primary cause to this navigation error was lack of recent experience by me, inexperience of crew, and need for additional steps needed to engage navigation function compared to similar aircraft.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC10 FLT CREW FAILS TO COMPLY WITH ASSIGNED ROUTING.

Narrative: ASKED BY ATC (TORONTO) TO CONFIRM ROUTING AFTER ECK. THEN DISCOVERED THAT ALTHOUGH ROUTING HAD BEEN SELECTED IN INS, NAV HAD NOT BEEN ENGAGED. ACFT HAD CONTINUED ON HDG RATHER THAN TURING TO NEW COURSE. I HAD NOT FLOWN DC10 FOR NEARLY 90 DAYS. FO WAS FLYING FIRST TRIP AFTER IOE, AND SO HAD BEEN DISPLACED FROM DC9 CAPT. NEARLY CONSTANT QUESTIONS, ANSWERS, AND DISCUSSIONS RELATIVE TO DUTIES, PROCS, ETC, WERE OCCURRING. OTHER INS EQUIPPED ACFT THAT I HAVE FLOWN DID NOT REQUIRE THE ADDITIONAL STEP OF SELECTING NAV WHEN OPERATING ON AUTOPLT AND CLRED DIRECT TO A FIX ENRTE. SIMPLY SELECTING DIRECT TO CLRED FIX WAS ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED. A LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE ACFT BY MYSELF AND AN INEXPERIENCED CREW PLUS NIGHT FLYING CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OVERSIGHT. THE ACFT HAD 3 MEL'S, WE HAD DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH GND CREW ON PUSHBACK. THE APU SHUT DOWN WHILE STARTING FIRST ENG LEAVING US IN THE DARK WITH NO PWR. TKOF NUMBERS WERE LATE ARRIVING. THE DEP TURN AFTER TKOF WAS OPPOSITE THAT EXPECTED. WE HAD HAD NUMEROUS DISTRS. THE PRIMARY CAUSE TO THIS NAV ERROR WAS LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE BY ME, INEXPERIENCE OF CREW, AND NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STEPS NEEDED TO ENGAGE NAV FUNCTION COMPARED TO SIMILAR ACFT.

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.