Narrative:

We were on the spuds 1 arrival to phl at 9000 ft MSL with autoplt on. I was the PF. We were told to fly a heading of 180 degrees after spuds for vectors to the visual approach to runway 26. After spuds; I selected a heading of 180 degrees; and asked my first officer to 'clean up the FMS.' this means that the ILS 26 approach in the FMS; as a back-up to the visual runway 26; will be configured for a vector to the final approach course; and the remaining arrival procedure will be deleted. I then selected 'green needles' (radio navigation course guidance mode) to be set up for the ILS back-up. Not far north of bojid; the approach controllers asked us to proceed direct bojid and resume flying the spuds 1 arrival. I asked the first officer to re-enter the spuds 1 into the FMS; select direct bojid; and verify that the ILS runway 26 was still loaded in the FMS. The first officer; being new to the aircraft; was initially uncertain how to do this. I told him which keys to select to get started. Once direct bojid was entered; I switched from heading mode to navigation mode to follow the FMS course. We then compared the published spuds 1 arrival and ILS runway 26 with the waypoints in the FMS to verify that they matched. Suddenly I realized that although I had selected navigation mode; I had not switched from 'green needles' to 'white needles' (FMS course guidance). Thus we were still flying the 180 degree heading. We had passed bojid and were nearly to hifal and slightly right of course. I immediately turned toward the next waypoint; eyrie. We overshot the turn at hifal which resulted in being a mi or two right of course between hifal and eyrie before getting back on course by eyrie. The approach controller did not say anything about our deviation. We were then given vectors for the visual to runway 26; and an uneventful approach and landing. In retrospect; I should have done several things differently. First; since I was flying with a new first officer; I should not have called for the FMS to be cleared up until I was sure we would not be told to rejoin the arrival. Also; when I realized that the first officer was unsure of how to reload the spuds 1; I should have xferred the flying duties to the first officer and reloaded the arrival myself. Although at the time I felt that I was flying the aircraft while he programmed the FMS; even my brief coaching of him was enough to distract me from my primary duty to fly the aircraft. I have always tried to follow the rule of one pilot flying while the other programs the FMS; but I will now be even more cautious to make sure that the PF is not distraction like I was.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 FLT CREW FLYING THE SPUDS ARR TO PHL DEVIATED FROM THE CHARTED TRACK WHEN THE CAPT BECAME INVOLVED WITH THE FO REPROGRAMMING THE ARR.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE SPUDS 1 ARR TO PHL AT 9000 FT MSL WITH AUTOPLT ON. I WAS THE PF. WE WERE TOLD TO FLY A HDG OF 180 DEGS AFTER SPUDS FOR VECTORS TO THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 26. AFTER SPUDS; I SELECTED A HDG OF 180 DEGS; AND ASKED MY FO TO 'CLEAN UP THE FMS.' THIS MEANS THAT THE ILS 26 APCH IN THE FMS; AS A BACK-UP TO THE VISUAL RWY 26; WILL BE CONFIGURED FOR A VECTOR TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE; AND THE REMAINING ARR PROC WILL BE DELETED. I THEN SELECTED 'GREEN NEEDLES' (RADIO NAV COURSE GUIDANCE MODE) TO BE SET UP FOR THE ILS BACK-UP. NOT FAR N OF BOJID; THE APCH CTLRS ASKED US TO PROCEED DIRECT BOJID AND RESUME FLYING THE SPUDS 1 ARR. I ASKED THE FO TO RE-ENTER THE SPUDS 1 INTO THE FMS; SELECT DIRECT BOJID; AND VERIFY THAT THE ILS RWY 26 WAS STILL LOADED IN THE FMS. THE FO; BEING NEW TO THE ACFT; WAS INITIALLY UNCERTAIN HOW TO DO THIS. I TOLD HIM WHICH KEYS TO SELECT TO GET STARTED. ONCE DIRECT BOJID WAS ENTERED; I SWITCHED FROM HDG MODE TO NAV MODE TO FOLLOW THE FMS COURSE. WE THEN COMPARED THE PUBLISHED SPUDS 1 ARR AND ILS RWY 26 WITH THE WAYPOINTS IN THE FMS TO VERIFY THAT THEY MATCHED. SUDDENLY I REALIZED THAT ALTHOUGH I HAD SELECTED NAV MODE; I HAD NOT SWITCHED FROM 'GREEN NEEDLES' TO 'WHITE NEEDLES' (FMS COURSE GUIDANCE). THUS WE WERE STILL FLYING THE 180 DEG HDG. WE HAD PASSED BOJID AND WERE NEARLY TO HIFAL AND SLIGHTLY R OF COURSE. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARD THE NEXT WAYPOINT; EYRIE. WE OVERSHOT THE TURN AT HIFAL WHICH RESULTED IN BEING A MI OR TWO R OF COURSE BTWN HIFAL AND EYRIE BEFORE GETTING BACK ON COURSE BY EYRIE. THE APCH CTLR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT OUR DEV. WE WERE THEN GIVEN VECTORS FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 26; AND AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE DONE SEVERAL THINGS DIFFERENTLY. FIRST; SINCE I WAS FLYING WITH A NEW FO; I SHOULD NOT HAVE CALLED FOR THE FMS TO BE CLRED UP UNTIL I WAS SURE WE WOULD NOT BE TOLD TO REJOIN THE ARR. ALSO; WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE FO WAS UNSURE OF HOW TO RELOAD THE SPUDS 1; I SHOULD HAVE XFERRED THE FLYING DUTIES TO THE FO AND RELOADED THE ARR MYSELF. ALTHOUGH AT THE TIME I FELT THAT I WAS FLYING THE ACFT WHILE HE PROGRAMMED THE FMS; EVEN MY BRIEF COACHING OF HIM WAS ENOUGH TO DISTRACT ME FROM MY PRIMARY DUTY TO FLY THE ACFT. I HAVE ALWAYS TRIED TO FOLLOW THE RULE OF ONE PLT FLYING WHILE THE OTHER PROGRAMS THE FMS; BUT I WILL NOW BE EVEN MORE CAUTIOUS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PF IS NOT DISTR LIKE I WAS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.