Narrative:

I chose for my first officer to fly this leg as he had previously been to ZZZZ. He loaded the flight plan into the CDU using the company generated flight plan (rav dct shj dct avami R401 anvix...). I checked his input using the company generated flight plan; but failed to check the ICAO flight plan that was given to us at operations (rav dct shj dct anvix...). Failing to make this check was a huge error as the course shj dct avami is approximately 30 degrees left of the course shj dct anvix. Our clearance was 'right turn direct to shj then as filed; climb to 4000; squawk.' with tower frequency in the left VHF radio; as normal the takeoff was made with instructions from tower to switch to dubai departure when passing 2000 ft. When passing 2000 ft the frequency change was made using the left VHF; and dubai departure acknowledged with instructions to maintain 4000 ft. Approaching 4000 ft and the shj VORTAC I requested the relief pilot contact operations on the right VHF radio to give an off report. On this particular aircraft one can change the left/C/right VHF frequencys and left/am/right HF frequencys on the left/C/right VHF and HF radios using either the left/C/right radio selector panels. In changing the frequency on the right VHF radio; I failed to notice the left VHF radio was selected on the right radio selector panel. In so doing I changed the left VHF radio to operations and lost communications with dubai departure. At shj the aircraft turned left direct to avami as I thought was correct according to the company generated flight plan (but actually incorrect according to the filed/ICAO flight plan). After a time period and approaching avami; I thought to ask dubai departure for clearance direct to anvix. This was when I realized I had made errors in changing the radio frequencys. I immediately regained contact with dubai departure; and dubai immediately asked if I was having radio problems. I explained we had inadvertently switched radio frequencys. Dubai departure asked where I was going and I replied direct to avami as filed. Dubai departure then told me I should be going direct to anvix. Dubai departure's instructions were completed. Shortly thereafter a frequency change was made; and the ensuing controller informed me that a report on my errors was to be submitted. I did have other aircraft show up on TCAS; but no warning or advisory was generated. I do not honestly know if a conflict ensued; and dubai departure did not inform me of any. Solutions to prevent these type of errors: I must be more diligent in comparing the company flight plan and the ATC/ICAO generated flight plan. Having used a company generated flight plan; approved by the FAA and us ATC; the previous 18 yrs creates an environment where a company flight plan is relied on. If other people; companies; or agencies are aware of the differences between company/submitted flight plans and actual flight plan; these differences should be highlighted in briefings or clrncs. However; this in no way reduces the responsibility of the captain to be fully aware of his clearance. The entire crew must be more diligent as well. When 2 flight plans exist; only use the ATC generated flight plan. No other radios need to be used for other communication below 10000 ft unless an emergency is in progress. My error for requesting the relief pilot to make the off report. My above report is written in the first person and is not done so to indicate I was doing everything. On the contrary; the crew was good and performing well. My responsibility is to ensure better CRM. Regarding the radios; again due diligence is paramount when changing radio frequencys; ensuring that all radio selections are in the correct position and verifying that the correct frequency is in place after the change is made. Overconfidence played a large part in the mistakes. Although I had not flown from the uae; I had flown numerous trips from europe to india and was familiar with procedures overflying this area of the middle east. A more thorough discipline is required when flying from any unfamiliar departure point.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 CAPT REPORTS TRACK DEV AND LOST COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTING ZZZZ.

Narrative: I CHOSE FOR MY FO TO FLY THIS LEG AS HE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN TO ZZZZ. HE LOADED THE FLT PLAN INTO THE CDU USING THE COMPANY GENERATED FLT PLAN (RAV DCT SHJ DCT AVAMI R401 ANVIX...). I CHKED HIS INPUT USING THE COMPANY GENERATED FLT PLAN; BUT FAILED TO CHK THE ICAO FLT PLAN THAT WAS GIVEN TO US AT OPS (RAV DCT SHJ DCT ANVIX...). FAILING TO MAKE THIS CHK WAS A HUGE ERROR AS THE COURSE SHJ DCT AVAMI IS APPROX 30 DEGS L OF THE COURSE SHJ DCT ANVIX. OUR CLRNC WAS 'R TURN DIRECT TO SHJ THEN AS FILED; CLB TO 4000; SQUAWK.' WITH TWR FREQ IN THE L VHF RADIO; AS NORMAL THE TKOF WAS MADE WITH INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR TO SWITCH TO DUBAI DEP WHEN PASSING 2000 FT. WHEN PASSING 2000 FT THE FREQ CHANGE WAS MADE USING THE L VHF; AND DUBAI DEP ACKNOWLEDGED WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO MAINTAIN 4000 FT. APCHING 4000 FT AND THE SHJ VORTAC I REQUESTED THE RELIEF PLT CONTACT OPS ON THE R VHF RADIO TO GIVE AN OFF RPT. ON THIS PARTICULAR ACFT ONE CAN CHANGE THE L/C/R VHF FREQS AND L/AM/R HF FREQS ON THE L/C/R VHF AND HF RADIOS USING EITHER THE L/C/R RADIO SELECTOR PANELS. IN CHANGING THE FREQ ON THE R VHF RADIO; I FAILED TO NOTICE THE L VHF RADIO WAS SELECTED ON THE R RADIO SELECTOR PANEL. IN SO DOING I CHANGED THE L VHF RADIO TO OPS AND LOST COMS WITH DUBAI DEP. AT SHJ THE ACFT TURNED L DIRECT TO AVAMI AS I THOUGHT WAS CORRECT ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY GENERATED FLT PLAN (BUT ACTUALLY INCORRECT ACCORDING TO THE FILED/ICAO FLT PLAN). AFTER A TIME PERIOD AND APCHING AVAMI; I THOUGHT TO ASK DUBAI DEP FOR CLRNC DIRECT TO ANVIX. THIS WAS WHEN I REALIZED I HAD MADE ERRORS IN CHANGING THE RADIO FREQS. I IMMEDIATELY REGAINED CONTACT WITH DUBAI DEP; AND DUBAI IMMEDIATELY ASKED IF I WAS HAVING RADIO PROBS. I EXPLAINED WE HAD INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED RADIO FREQS. DUBAI DEP ASKED WHERE I WAS GOING AND I REPLIED DIRECT TO AVAMI AS FILED. DUBAI DEP THEN TOLD ME I SHOULD BE GOING DIRECT TO ANVIX. DUBAI DEP'S INSTRUCTIONS WERE COMPLETED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER A FREQ CHANGE WAS MADE; AND THE ENSUING CTLR INFORMED ME THAT A RPT ON MY ERRORS WAS TO BE SUBMITTED. I DID HAVE OTHER ACFT SHOW UP ON TCAS; BUT NO WARNING OR ADVISORY WAS GENERATED. I DO NOT HONESTLY KNOW IF A CONFLICT ENSUED; AND DUBAI DEP DID NOT INFORM ME OF ANY. SOLUTIONS TO PREVENT THESE TYPE OF ERRORS: I MUST BE MORE DILIGENT IN COMPARING THE COMPANY FLT PLAN AND THE ATC/ICAO GENERATED FLT PLAN. HAVING USED A COMPANY GENERATED FLT PLAN; APPROVED BY THE FAA AND US ATC; THE PREVIOUS 18 YRS CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE A COMPANY FLT PLAN IS RELIED ON. IF OTHER PEOPLE; COMPANIES; OR AGENCIES ARE AWARE OF THE DIFFERENCES BTWN COMPANY/SUBMITTED FLT PLANS AND ACTUAL FLT PLAN; THESE DIFFERENCES SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTED IN BRIEFINGS OR CLRNCS. HOWEVER; THIS IN NO WAY REDUCES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CAPT TO BE FULLY AWARE OF HIS CLRNC. THE ENTIRE CREW MUST BE MORE DILIGENT AS WELL. WHEN 2 FLT PLANS EXIST; ONLY USE THE ATC GENERATED FLT PLAN. NO OTHER RADIOS NEED TO BE USED FOR OTHER COM BELOW 10000 FT UNLESS AN EMER IS IN PROGRESS. MY ERROR FOR REQUESTING THE RELIEF PLT TO MAKE THE OFF RPT. MY ABOVE RPT IS WRITTEN IN THE FIRST PERSON AND IS NOT DONE SO TO INDICATE I WAS DOING EVERYTHING. ON THE CONTRARY; THE CREW WAS GOOD AND PERFORMING WELL. MY RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ENSURE BETTER CRM. REGARDING THE RADIOS; AGAIN DUE DILIGENCE IS PARAMOUNT WHEN CHANGING RADIO FREQS; ENSURING THAT ALL RADIO SELECTIONS ARE IN THE CORRECT POS AND VERIFYING THAT THE CORRECT FREQ IS IN PLACE AFTER THE CHANGE IS MADE. OVERCONFIDENCE PLAYED A LARGE PART IN THE MISTAKES. ALTHOUGH I HAD NOT FLOWN FROM THE UAE; I HAD FLOWN NUMEROUS TRIPS FROM EUROPE TO INDIA AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH PROCS OVERFLYING THIS AREA OF THE MIDDLE EAST. A MORE THOROUGH DISCIPLINE IS REQUIRED WHEN FLYING FROM ANY UNFAMILIAR DEP POINT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.