Narrative:

This flight was dispatched from iad to bdl with a dpk.dpk 1 arrival. I was flying this route for the first time. The first officer said he had flown this route many times in the last 6 months. Just prior to crossing dpk, both VOR's tuned to dpk, I noticed the first officer's VOR needle was pointing 40 degrees to the right and steady. When asked why, he said, 'because we were close to the station.' after passing dpk and both vors tuned to mad, I noticed that the #2 VOR needle was pointing 40 degrees to the right again. I asked the first officer again about the discrepancy. He said his VOR was ok. I leaned back so I could see his VOR instruments and saw that he had VOR off flags. I brought this to his attention. We were 5 mi from mad VOR and at this time bos center called and said (I understood) turn to a heading of 020 degrees and intercept the mad 060 degree right. The first officer acknowledged. We were immediately on the mad 060 degree right, which was not what the dpk.dpk 1 arrival called for. I called center for clarification and center replied that we had been cleared to turn to a 020 degree heading to intercept the 360 degree right of mad but that the VOR was 9 mi behind us now and turn left immediately to 270 degrees and intercept the 360 degree right. Proceeded west/O further incident. Observations: captain should have been paying more attention to flying airplane. Captain had little recent experience. First officer had 6 months recent experience. Clearance misunderstood and not read back as issued by center, but merely acknowledged. Very difficult to communication with first officer entire 2 days. He seemed upset and distracted about something. Some confusion over inoperative VOR receiver and misunderstood clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ROUTE. NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS DISPATCHED FROM IAD TO BDL WITH A DPK.DPK 1 ARR. I WAS FLYING THIS ROUTE FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE F/O SAID HE HAD FLOWN THIS ROUTE MANY TIMES IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS. JUST PRIOR TO XING DPK, BOTH VOR'S TUNED TO DPK, I NOTICED THE F/O'S VOR NEEDLE WAS POINTING 40 DEGS TO THE RIGHT AND STEADY. WHEN ASKED WHY, HE SAID, 'BECAUSE WE WERE CLOSE TO THE STATION.' AFTER PASSING DPK AND BOTH VORS TUNED TO MAD, I NOTICED THAT THE #2 VOR NEEDLE WAS POINTING 40 DEGS TO THE RIGHT AGAIN. I ASKED THE F/O AGAIN ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY. HE SAID HIS VOR WAS OK. I LEANED BACK SO I COULD SEE HIS VOR INSTRUMENTS AND SAW THAT HE HAD VOR OFF FLAGS. I BROUGHT THIS TO HIS ATTN. WE WERE 5 MI FROM MAD VOR AND AT THIS TIME BOS CENTER CALLED AND SAID (I UNDERSTOOD) TURN TO A HDG OF 020 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE MAD 060 DEG R. THE F/O ACKNOWLEDGED. WE WERE IMMEDIATELY ON THE MAD 060 DEG R, WHICH WAS NOT WHAT THE DPK.DPK 1 ARR CALLED FOR. I CALLED CENTER FOR CLARIFICATION AND CENTER REPLIED THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO TURN TO A 020 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE 360 DEG R OF MAD BUT THAT THE VOR WAS 9 MI BEHIND US NOW AND TURN LEFT IMMEDIATELY TO 270 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE 360 DEG R. PROCEEDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. OBSERVATIONS: CAPT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING MORE ATTN TO FLYING AIRPLANE. CAPT HAD LITTLE RECENT EXPERIENCE. F/O HAD 6 MONTHS RECENT EXPERIENCE. CLRNC MISUNDERSTOOD AND NOT READ BACK AS ISSUED BY CENTER, BUT MERELY ACKNOWLEDGED. VERY DIFFICULT TO COM WITH F/O ENTIRE 2 DAYS. HE SEEMED UPSET AND DISTRACTED ABOUT SOMETHING. SOME CONFUSION OVER INOP VOR RECEIVER AND MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC.

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.