Narrative:

While navigating on low airways from iad to ewr we were advised by a ZDC controller that we were 10 mi north of our airway. This occurred after passing paleo intersection and navigating northeast bound on V-44 to intercept J-191 to kenton VOR. I was flying the aircraft and had intercepted the 091 right off armel VOR and was tracking it outbnd. The captain had tuned dupont VOR to identify paleo intersection. However I thought he was on sea isle which is on V-44. When he stated we were there (meaning paleo) I thought we were also on V-44 and seeing he had the 053 right and dupont VOR tuned on his side, I switched to dupont and turned left to intercept the 053 right to dupont. At this point the captain tuned in sea isle and V-44 and seeing we were 1 DOT north of course and heading 053 degree asked where I was going. Realizing what I had done I started a right turn back to V-44 when ZDC came on and said to fly a 105 degree heading and that we were involved in a possible pilot deviation. I feel my being new in the seat and the high workload of a 2-MAN crew contributed to this incident. Having not flown as a pilot on jet aircraft in over 3 yrs, I'm concentrating on smoothly flying the airplane and getting a feel for how it handles, if I had the airplane on autoplt I would have been able to focus more of my attention to navigation and this incident would not have happened. In this extremely congested corridor between washington and new york, simpler routings and fewer charts would go a long way to preventing a repeat of this type of problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TUNED AND TRACKED WRONG VOR AND AIRWAY.

Narrative: WHILE NAVIGATING ON LOW AIRWAYS FROM IAD TO EWR WE WERE ADVISED BY A ZDC CTLR THAT WE WERE 10 MI N OF OUR AIRWAY. THIS OCCURRED AFTER PASSING PALEO INTXN AND NAVIGATING NE BOUND ON V-44 TO INTERCEPT J-191 TO KENTON VOR. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND HAD INTERCEPTED THE 091 R OFF ARMEL VOR AND WAS TRACKING IT OUTBND. THE CAPT HAD TUNED DUPONT VOR TO IDENTIFY PALEO INTXN. HOWEVER I THOUGHT HE WAS ON SEA ISLE WHICH IS ON V-44. WHEN HE STATED WE WERE THERE (MEANING PALEO) I THOUGHT WE WERE ALSO ON V-44 AND SEEING HE HAD THE 053 R AND DUPONT VOR TUNED ON HIS SIDE, I SWITCHED TO DUPONT AND TURNED LEFT TO INTERCEPT THE 053 R TO DUPONT. AT THIS POINT THE CAPT TUNED IN SEA ISLE AND V-44 AND SEEING WE WERE 1 DOT N OF COURSE AND HDG 053 DEG ASKED WHERE I WAS GOING. REALIZING WHAT I HAD DONE I STARTED A RIGHT TURN BACK TO V-44 WHEN ZDC CAME ON AND SAID TO FLY A 105 DEG HDG AND THAT WE WERE INVOLVED IN A POSSIBLE PLT DEVIATION. I FEEL MY BEING NEW IN THE SEAT AND THE HIGH WORKLOAD OF A 2-MAN CREW CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. HAVING NOT FLOWN AS A PLT ON JET ACFT IN OVER 3 YRS, I'M CONCENTRATING ON SMOOTHLY FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND GETTING A FEEL FOR HOW IT HANDLES, IF I HAD THE AIRPLANE ON AUTOPLT I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS MORE OF MY ATTN TO NAVIGATION AND THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. IN THIS EXTREMELY CONGESTED CORRIDOR BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK, simpler ROUTINGS AND FEWER CHARTS WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO PREVENTING A REPEAT OF THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM.

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.