B737-300 crew did not go to the waypoint they were cleared to.

Attributes
ACN	600011
Time
Date	200311
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : lkt.vor
State Reference	ID
Altitude	msl single value : 33000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 189 flight time total : 4330 flight time type : 4125
ASRS Report	600011
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued advisory none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During climb out from seattle we were given direct lkt VOR. I was hand flying at the time. The captain read back direct lkt and selected what I thought was direct lkt in the legs page and asked me to verify the fix. I was looking on the ehsi and the fix was out of scale and I could not read his CDU due to flying and glare on his screen. I accepted his input without actually seeing what was selected on the CDU and proceeded to go to 'lkt' or so I thought. We then leveled off at cruise and shortly thereafter the flight attendant was ready with our breakfast meals. I got out of the seat to pick up the meals and when I returned to situation down, I noticed we were now direct dbs which is very near lkt. Instead of querying the captain, I assumed we were now direct a new fix (next one in route of flight) and did not mention our newly assigned fix because this captain is very experienced and has been in seattle and on this equipment for a very long time. As we approached dbs, ZSE contacted us and said we were approximately 10 NM away from lkt and requested what our previously assigned clearance was from our previous controller. We reported back we thought we were direct dbs. We then were cleared further down the line. It turned out the captain had misread dbs for lkt and had been thinking we were direct salmon (lkt) the whole time we were inbound the dbs. Human factors: I was hand flying and the glare on the CDU and the fix being off scale kept me from adequately identing the fix on the captain's CDU before executing the fix. Circumstance had me leaving the seat to get the meals before I could verify the fix at cruise with autoplt on. I assumed the captain had received a new clearance when I was out of the seat getting our breakfasts. I was satisfied with the fix I saw in the legs page because I trusted the captain's experience on such a routine item, especially on a route we routinely fly every month. I should have queried the dbs fix when I noticed it. At no time was the aircraft in danger of coming within the airspace of another aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW DID NOT GO TO THE WAYPOINT THEY WERE CLRED TO.

Narrative: DURING CLBOUT FROM SEATTLE WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT LKT VOR. I WAS HAND FLYING AT THE TIME. THE CAPT READ BACK DIRECT LKT AND SELECTED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS DIRECT LKT IN THE LEGS PAGE AND ASKED ME TO VERIFY THE FIX. I WAS LOOKING ON THE EHSI AND THE FIX WAS OUT OF SCALE AND I COULD NOT READ HIS CDU DUE TO FLYING AND GLARE ON HIS SCREEN. I ACCEPTED HIS INPUT WITHOUT ACTUALLY SEEING WHAT WAS SELECTED ON THE CDU AND PROCEEDED TO GO TO 'LKT' OR SO I THOUGHT. WE THEN LEVELED OFF AT CRUISE AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE FLT ATTENDANT WAS READY WITH OUR BREAKFAST MEALS. I GOT OUT OF THE SEAT TO PICK UP THE MEALS AND WHEN I RETURNED TO SIT DOWN, I NOTICED WE WERE NOW DIRECT DBS WHICH IS VERY NEAR LKT. INSTEAD OF QUERYING THE CAPT, I ASSUMED WE WERE NOW DIRECT A NEW FIX (NEXT ONE IN RTE OF FLT) AND DID NOT MENTION OUR NEWLY ASSIGNED FIX BECAUSE THIS CAPT IS VERY EXPERIENCED AND HAS BEEN IN SEATTLE AND ON THIS EQUIP FOR A VERY LONG TIME. AS WE APCHED DBS, ZSE CONTACTED US AND SAID WE WERE APPROX 10 NM AWAY FROM LKT AND REQUESTED WHAT OUR PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED CLRNC WAS FROM OUR PREVIOUS CTLR. WE RPTED BACK WE THOUGHT WE WERE DIRECT DBS. WE THEN WERE CLRED FURTHER DOWN THE LINE. IT TURNED OUT THE CAPT HAD MISREAD DBS FOR LKT AND HAD BEEN THINKING WE WERE DIRECT SALMON (LKT) THE WHOLE TIME WE WERE INBOUND THE DBS. HUMAN FACTORS: I WAS HAND FLYING AND THE GLARE ON THE CDU AND THE FIX BEING OFF SCALE KEPT ME FROM ADEQUATELY IDENTING THE FIX ON THE CAPT'S CDU BEFORE EXECUTING THE FIX. CIRCUMSTANCE HAD ME LEAVING THE SEAT TO GET THE MEALS BEFORE I COULD VERIFY THE FIX AT CRUISE WITH AUTOPLT ON. I ASSUMED THE CAPT HAD RECEIVED A NEW CLRNC WHEN I WAS OUT OF THE SEAT GETTING OUR BREAKFASTS. I WAS SATISFIED WITH THE FIX I SAW IN THE LEGS PAGE BECAUSE I TRUSTED THE CAPT'S EXPERIENCE ON SUCH A ROUTINE ITEM, ESPECIALLY ON A RTE WE ROUTINELY FLY EVERY MONTH. I SHOULD HAVE QUERIED THE DBS FIX WHEN I NOTICED IT. AT NO TIME WAS THE ACFT IN DANGER OF COMING WITHIN THE AIRSPACE OF ANOTHER 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.