Narrative:

Scheduled flight from gso to phl was cleared gso J14 J51 ott dpnt 2 phl. Approaching the intersection of J14 and J51, a disturbance in the cabin caused a F/a to come into the cockpit for a consultation. This distracted the attention of both the first officer and me until approximately halfway between crewe intersection and ric VORTAC, at which time I noticed the course error, visually cleared the area, turned direct to fak VORTAC, and called ARTCC. He told me we should be on another frequency--the first we had heard of it. We checked in on the new frequency, advised we were turning to rejoin our course.there was no traffic conflict or penetration of restr airspace--but we were more than 4 mi off centerline when we discovered our error. The controller on the new frequency advised he had been trying to contact us for several mins. I told him that we had not acknowledged the frequency change, and questioned that if he had checked with the previous controller, he would have been able to contact us immediately. The situation was the old 'chain of events!' the controller had not reply to our statement. Nothing else was said. We're all fallible, but if we let the checks and balances work, it's a good safe system. If I don't get a response to a transmission, I try again, instead of ignoring it. Even if ATC controller is busy, I expect him/her to do the same thing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW DEVIATES FROM AIRWAY. DISTR IN COCKPIT.

Narrative: SCHEDULED FLT FROM GSO TO PHL WAS CLRED GSO J14 J51 OTT DPNT 2 PHL. APCHING THE INTXN OF J14 AND J51, A DISTURBANCE IN THE CABIN CAUSED A F/A TO COME INTO THE COCKPIT FOR A CONSULTATION. THIS DISTRACTED THE ATTN OF BOTH THE F/O AND ME UNTIL APPROX HALFWAY BTWN CREWE INTXN AND RIC VORTAC, AT WHICH TIME I NOTICED THE COURSE ERROR, VISUALLY CLRED THE AREA, TURNED DIRECT TO FAK VORTAC, AND CALLED ARTCC. HE TOLD ME WE SHOULD BE ON ANOTHER FREQ--THE FIRST WE HAD HEARD OF IT. WE CHKED IN ON THE NEW FREQ, ADVISED WE WERE TURNING TO REJOIN OUR COURSE.THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT OR PENETRATION OF RESTR AIRSPACE--BUT WE WERE MORE THAN 4 MI OFF CTRLINE WHEN WE DISCOVERED OUR ERROR. THE CTLR ON THE NEW FREQ ADVISED HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT US FOR SEVERAL MINS. I TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THE FREQ CHANGE, AND QUESTIONED THAT IF HE HAD CHKED WITH THE PREVIOUS CTLR, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT US IMMEDIATELY. THE SIT WAS THE OLD 'CHAIN OF EVENTS!' THE CTLR HAD NOT REPLY TO OUR STATEMENT. NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID. WE'RE ALL FALLIBLE, BUT IF WE LET THE CHKS AND BALS WORK, IT'S A GOOD SAFE SYS. IF I DON'T GET A RESPONSE TO A XMISSION, I TRY AGAIN, INSTEAD OF IGNORING IT. EVEN IF ATC CTLR IS BUSY, I EXPECT HIM/HER TO DO THE SAME THING.

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.