Narrative:

Flight departed runway 26R at ontario airport at XXXX flew prado one departure. Left turn immediately after takeoff direct to pdz VOR. We started a left turn direct to pdz VOR, but VOR needle was fluctuating about 30 degree left and right. Stopped turn and rolled out to figure out where pdz was. Crew got busy during this time with normal procedure, ie, gear retraction, flap retraction, slat retraction, traffic watch. This departure is a very quick one. Everything happens very quickly. The first officer had his navigation radio tuned to sli. When captain's needle finally settled down, it was pointing to pdz, about 50 degree to the left of our heading. The other needle, however, was straight ahead. We inadvertently flew toward the wrong needle which was pointing toward sli. We did realize after a few second what we had done, and immediately turned left back towards pdz. We never got back on course. We passed 3 mi west of pdz VOR. The reason this happened was at first the fluctuation of our course needle. However, it locked on course shortly thereafter and we did not pick this up as soon as we should have. Getting distracted in the cockpit was main cause for this deviation. We should have noticed the course deviation sooner. We talked to the supervisor on duty by phone and they told us there was no conflict and this was no problem. Closer attention to our navigation instruments probably would have avoided this course deviation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HEADING DEVIATION.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED RWY 26R AT ONTARIO ARPT AT XXXX FLEW PRADO ONE DEP. LEFT TURN IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF DIRECT TO PDZ VOR. WE STARTED A LEFT TURN DIRECT TO PDZ VOR, BUT VOR NEEDLE WAS FLUCTUATING ABOUT 30 DEG LEFT AND RIGHT. STOPPED TURN AND ROLLED OUT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE PDZ WAS. CREW GOT BUSY DURING THIS TIME WITH NORMAL PROC, IE, GEAR RETRACTION, FLAP RETRACTION, SLAT RETRACTION, TFC WATCH. THIS DEP IS A VERY QUICK ONE. EVERYTHING HAPPENS VERY QUICKLY. THE F/O HAD HIS NAV RADIO TUNED TO SLI. WHEN CAPT'S NEEDLE FINALLY SETTLED DOWN, IT WAS POINTING TO PDZ, ABOUT 50 DEG TO THE LEFT OF OUR HDG. THE OTHER NEEDLE, HOWEVER, WAS STRAIGHT AHEAD. WE INADVERTENTLY FLEW TOWARD THE WRONG NEEDLE WHICH WAS POINTING TOWARD SLI. WE DID REALIZE AFTER A FEW SEC WHAT WE HAD DONE, AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED LEFT BACK TOWARDS PDZ. WE NEVER GOT BACK ON COURSE. WE PASSED 3 MI W OF PDZ VOR. THE REASON THIS HAPPENED WAS AT FIRST THE FLUCTUATION OF OUR COURSE NEEDLE. HOWEVER, IT LOCKED ON COURSE SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND WE DID NOT PICK THIS UP AS SOON AS WE SHOULD HAVE. GETTING DISTRACTED IN THE COCKPIT WAS MAIN CAUSE FOR THIS DEVIATION. WE SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THE COURSE DEVIATION SOONER. WE TALKED TO THE SUPVR ON DUTY BY PHONE AND THEY TOLD US THERE WAS NO CONFLICT AND THIS WAS NO PROB. CLOSER ATTN TO OUR NAV INSTRUMENTS PROBABLY WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS COURSE DEV.

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.