Narrative:

We were cleared ewr 1 departure to white intersection J209. My first officer and I were discussing how to intercept J209 at white intersection. We were navigating by the ewr 1 departure chart to white. As we crossed white on about a 225 degree heading with a wind at 280 degrees, 65 KTS, we were trying to determine the correct heading for J209. During the time we finally decided that J209 was the same heading as shown on the SID chart, we had drifted south of the VOR approximately 7 mi. The controller gave us an immediate heading of 270 degrees. In my opinion the climb should read white intersection direct cyv VOR J09 gve. The problem that we had was that J209 is not shown on the ewr 1 departure and white was idented on the commercial hi 7-8 chart by name only with no way to determine the heading from white to J209. During the confusion we did get south of the arwy, but in my opinion the clutter and confusion of transitioning from a SID to a high altitude chart over an intersection is difficult at best. Either show J209 on the ewr 1 into cyn or change the chart to read white direct cyn J209 gve. I might add that I do understand that the inbound heading from white to cyn VOR is J209. But J209 was not idented on the ewr 1 plate anywhere. This is what caused the confusion in my mind. While my first officer and I opened the high chart and found J209, cyn, and finally white intersection, we were off course according to the controller by 7 mi south of coyle VOR. He said I was on about a 180 degree heading off of white, but that was because the wind was strong out of the northwest. The only thing I can contribute this to is transitioning from one chart to another with charts that are not graphically showing the information that you need to make an accurate determination as to the clearance received. The airspace in that area as in many other areas from dca to ny simply do not allow any room for a miscalculation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK DEVIATION.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED EWR 1 DEP TO WHITE INTXN J209. MY F/O AND I WERE DISCUSSING HOW TO INTERCEPT J209 AT WHITE INTXN. WE WERE NAVIGATING BY THE EWR 1 DEP CHART TO WHITE. AS WE CROSSED WHITE ON ABOUT A 225 DEG HDG WITH A WIND AT 280 DEGS, 65 KTS, WE WERE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT HDG FOR J209. DURING THE TIME WE FINALLY DECIDED THAT J209 WAS THE SAME HDG AS SHOWN ON THE SID CHART, WE HAD DRIFTED S OF THE VOR APPROX 7 MI. THE CTLR GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE HDG OF 270 DEGS. IN MY OPINION THE CLB SHOULD READ WHITE INTXN DIRECT CYV VOR J09 GVE. THE PROB THAT WE HAD WAS THAT J209 IS NOT SHOWN ON THE EWR 1 DEP AND WHITE WAS IDENTED ON THE COMMERCIAL HI 7-8 CHART BY NAME ONLY WITH NO WAY TO DETERMINE THE HDG FROM WHITE TO J209. DURING THE CONFUSION WE DID GET S OF THE ARWY, BUT IN MY OPINION THE CLUTTER AND CONFUSION OF TRANSITIONING FROM A SID TO A HIGH ALT CHART OVER AN INTXN IS DIFFICULT AT BEST. EITHER SHOW J209 ON THE EWR 1 INTO CYN OR CHANGE THE CHART TO READ WHITE DIRECT CYN J209 GVE. I MIGHT ADD THAT I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THE INBND HDG FROM WHITE TO CYN VOR IS J209. BUT J209 WAS NOT IDENTED ON THE EWR 1 PLATE ANYWHERE. THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE CONFUSION IN MY MIND. WHILE MY F/O AND I OPENED THE HIGH CHART AND FOUND J209, CYN, AND FINALLY WHITE INTXN, WE WERE OFF COURSE ACCORDING TO THE CTLR BY 7 MI S OF COYLE VOR. HE SAID I WAS ON ABOUT A 180 DEG HDG OFF OF WHITE, BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE THE WIND WAS STRONG OUT OF THE NW. THE ONLY THING I CAN CONTRIBUTE THIS TO IS TRANSITIONING FROM ONE CHART TO ANOTHER WITH CHARTS THAT ARE NOT GRAPHICALLY SHOWING THE INFO THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE AN ACCURATE DETERMINATION AS TO THE CLRNC RECEIVED. THE AIRSPACE IN THAT AREA AS IN MANY OTHER AREAS FROM DCA TO NY SIMPLY DO NOT ALLOW ANY ROOM FOR A MISCALCULATION.

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