Narrative:

On an IFR flight plan. After leaving ase we were assigned a route to denver other than what we filed due to thunderstorms on our proposed route. The new routing required a substantial increase in time to return to denver. Not wanting to delay our flight because we were a lifeguard aircraft with a cardiac patient on board, I requested RNAV direct to hainey intersection 25 NM northwest of denver on the arrival route. The center controller questioned if we needed lifeguard priority to which I responded affirmative. The center controller cleared us RNAV direct hainey direct denver. I proceeded to enter the required information into the RNAV and we proceeded direct to hainey. Approximately 50 mi west of denver the center controller cleared us direct denver. It was at this time I realized that instead of setting the RNAV to the radial and distance to hainey off of the rlg VOR, I had set in the radial and distance to denver off the the rlg VOR and we had been proceeding directly to denver when we thought we were going to hainey intersection. The obvious cause of this occurrence was my failure to set the RNAV properly. The copilot could have recognized the problem by checking my entries in the RNAV. We both should have recognized that although my navigation was set to what we thought was hainey the navigation indications matched the copilot's navigation indications which the copilot's navigation was set to the denver VOR. Finally, the controller could have notified us that we were south of course when or if it was noticed. This occurrence stresses the need for each crew member to know where they should be going and for crew members to constantly verify the accuracy of their own and the other's actions regardless of whether or not it is the actions of the captain being scrutinized.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX EMS SMT DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ROUTE.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. AFTER LEAVING ASE WE WERE ASSIGNED A ROUTE TO DENVER OTHER THAN WHAT WE FILED DUE TO TSTMS ON OUR PROPOSED ROUTE. THE NEW ROUTING REQUIRED A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN TIME TO RETURN TO DENVER. NOT WANTING TO DELAY OUR FLT BECAUSE WE WERE A LIFEGUARD ACFT WITH A CARDIAC PATIENT ON BOARD, I REQUESTED RNAV DIRECT TO HAINEY INTXN 25 NM NW OF DENVER ON THE ARR ROUTE. THE CENTER CTLR QUESTIONED IF WE NEEDED LIFEGUARD PRIORITY TO WHICH I RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVE. THE CENTER CTLR CLRED US RNAV DIRECT HAINEY DIRECT DENVER. I PROCEEDED TO ENTER THE REQUIRED INFO INTO THE RNAV AND WE PROCEEDED DIRECT TO HAINEY. APPROX 50 MI W OF DENVER THE CENTER CTLR CLRED US DIRECT DENVER. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I REALIZED THAT INSTEAD OF SETTING THE RNAV TO THE RADIAL AND DISTANCE TO HAINEY OFF OF THE RLG VOR, I HAD SET IN THE RADIAL AND DISTANCE TO DENVER OFF THE THE RLG VOR AND WE HAD BEEN PROCEEDING DIRECTLY TO DENVER WHEN WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAINEY INTXN. THE OBVIOUS CAUSE OF THIS OCCURRENCE WAS MY FAILURE TO SET THE RNAV PROPERLY. THE COPLT COULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM BY CHECKING MY ENTRIES IN THE RNAV. WE BOTH SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED THAT ALTHOUGH MY NAV WAS SET TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS HAINEY THE NAV INDICATIONS MATCHED THE COPLT'S NAV INDICATIONS WHICH THE COPLT'S NAV WAS SET TO THE DENVER VOR. FINALLY, THE CTLR COULD HAVE NOTIFIED US THAT WE WERE S OF COURSE WHEN OR IF IT WAS NOTICED. THIS OCCURRENCE STRESSES THE NEED FOR EACH CREW MEMBER TO KNOW WHERE THEY SHOULD BE GOING AND FOR CREW MEMBERS TO CONSTANTLY VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF THEIR OWN AND THE OTHER'S ACTIONS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT IT IS THE ACTIONS OF THE CAPT BEING SCRUTINIZED.

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.