Narrative:

Established on J6 en route to dfw via lit, J66, etc, and approximately north of memphis when cleared to fly heading 260 degrees, direct to fsm when able. Single adv navigation equipped. Captain was a new upgrade and in the process of obtaining his initial 25 hours. Operating the adv navigation was new to him too, and several attempts by him to insert fsm as a new waypoint were unsuccessful. We got out the operations manual and began doing the procedure by the book when the center notified us that our heading and the heading to fsm were 15 degrees apart. My VOR was tuned to fsm, the pointer was pointing to 285 degrees and the DME indicated 110 mi, but I could not identify it. The signal was mixed. It is not unusual when at the extreme range of receiving a VOR that the pointer will not point correctly. I assumed the controller wanted us to turn 15 degrees right and did so. In the next few mins the new waypoints were inserted and indicated that fsm was bearing 245T. At that time we were told by center to fly heading 240 degrees for fsm, and that a navigation error would be noted. In a short time after that our VOR's locked on to fsm at 240/140 DME.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW VARIED FROM ASSIGNED RADAR VECTOR HEADING WITHOUT SPECIFIC CLRNC.

Narrative: ESTABLISHED ON J6 ENRTE TO DFW VIA LIT, J66, ETC, AND APPROX N OF MEMPHIS WHEN CLRED TO FLY HDG 260 DEGS, DIRECT TO FSM WHEN ABLE. SINGLE ADV NAV EQUIPPED. CAPT WAS A NEW UPGRADE AND IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING HIS INITIAL 25 HRS. OPERATING THE ADV NAV WAS NEW TO HIM TOO, AND SEVERAL ATTEMPTS BY HIM TO INSERT FSM AS A NEW WAYPOINT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. WE GOT OUT THE OPS MANUAL AND BEGAN DOING THE PROC BY THE BOOK WHEN THE CENTER NOTIFIED US THAT OUR HDG AND THE HDG TO FSM WERE 15 DEGS APART. MY VOR WAS TUNED TO FSM, THE POINTER WAS POINTING TO 285 DEGS AND THE DME INDICATED 110 MI, BUT I COULD NOT IDENT IT. THE SIGNAL WAS MIXED. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL WHEN AT THE EXTREME RANGE OF RECEIVING A VOR THAT THE POINTER WILL NOT POINT CORRECTLY. I ASSUMED THE CTLR WANTED US TO TURN 15 DEGS RIGHT AND DID SO. IN THE NEXT FEW MINS THE NEW WAYPOINTS WERE INSERTED AND INDICATED THAT FSM WAS BEARING 245T. AT THAT TIME WE WERE TOLD BY CENTER TO FLY HDG 240 DEGS FOR FSM, AND THAT A NAV ERROR WOULD BE NOTED. IN A SHORT TIME AFTER THAT OUR VOR'S LOCKED ON TO FSM AT 240/140 DME.

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.