Narrative:

En route from albany, ny to jfk. We were cleared as filed V44 dpk direct jfk. The captain asked me for the routing during taxi and I told him also providing it in writing on our takeoff and landing card. As the first officer and PNF on this leg I set in albany VOR on the captain's side and the pawling VOR frequency and radial for athos intersection on my side. The captain was new and had less than 100 hours as PIC in the aircraft. He seemed almost too relaxed during the past flts and was asking for constant verifications on routings, headings, etc. I now believe he was so relaxed and dependent on the first officer that he was unaware at times where he was. After takeoff and limited vectoring we were on V44 and in cruise flight. I left the frequency to complete cruise checklist, logbooks, etc as per normal operations for 10 min. Captain was handling radios, etc. I then noticed the radio was set to 128.05 instead of normal 128.1 boston center. I asked captain if he heard anyone and if the frequency was correct. There was no response on 128.05 so I suggested 128.1. I called bos center. They asked why we were off frequency and what routing we were given. I said stand by. Captain said 'say we are having a minor problem, stand by'. I did this. Then the captain asked me 'where are we?' I was shocked. I looked at his instruments and noticed he was flying direct kingston (ign) VOR, and we were almost there. Boston said 'why did you fly over kingston and say again your routing'. The captain said 'V44 dpk direct, stand by'. Boston then switched us to ny approach who again asked our routing. I helped the captain get back on course. He told me never to tell anyone. He said he would call an attorney and ATC and take care of it all. I will never take my eyes off his flying again. As a first officer I see sloppy flying once in a while. I don't like it but the unwritten code of honor between pilots prevents me from reporting all but the most serious problems I encounter. My captain on this flight was constantly forgetting headings, etc. He never looked at his charts or checklist. This bothered me but at the same time I didn't act. It's hard to tell your captain to pay attention, do your job, etc. It bothers me when pilots listen to ball games or radio music during flight. But what can I do? I spoke to several company personnel off the record and I am pursuing the problem along with our company flight instructors. Cockpit management courses may solve some of these kinds of problems. More money needs to be spent on training pilots in cockpit resource management. Companies should only hire professional pilots with strong committment to safety. They should demand and pay for pilots with higher education levels, and more maturity and experience in the interest of public safety. Supplemental information from acn 127518: reasons for missing the frequency were twofold: 1) this was the first day with a new flight plan route. The leg from alb to ny had been the same for one year prior to incident. 2) both pilots talking in the cockpit about company problems and not noticing change in flight plan and the dogleg and not noticing for a period of time that we were off frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MISSES TURN IN AIRWAY DUE TO CAPT'S COMPLACENCY, ACCORDING TO FO, AND DUE TO DISTR SOCIALIZING ACCORDING TO CAPT.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM ALBANY, NY TO JFK. WE WERE CLRED AS FILED V44 DPK DIRECT JFK. THE CAPT ASKED ME FOR THE ROUTING DURING TAXI AND I TOLD HIM ALSO PROVIDING IT IN WRITING ON OUR TKOF AND LNDG CARD. AS THE F/O AND PNF ON THIS LEG I SET IN ALBANY VOR ON THE CAPT'S SIDE AND THE PAWLING VOR FREQ AND RADIAL FOR ATHOS INTXN ON MY SIDE. THE CAPT WAS NEW AND HAD LESS THAN 100 HRS AS PIC IN THE ACFT. HE SEEMED ALMOST TOO RELAXED DURING THE PAST FLTS AND WAS ASKING FOR CONSTANT VERIFICATIONS ON ROUTINGS, HDGS, ETC. I NOW BELIEVE HE WAS SO RELAXED AND DEPENDENT ON THE F/O THAT HE WAS UNAWARE AT TIMES WHERE HE WAS. AFTER TKOF AND LIMITED VECTORING WE WERE ON V44 AND IN CRUISE FLT. I LEFT THE FREQ TO COMPLETE CRUISE CHECKLIST, LOGBOOKS, ETC AS PER NORMAL OPS FOR 10 MIN. CAPT WAS HANDLING RADIOS, ETC. I THEN NOTICED THE RADIO WAS SET TO 128.05 INSTEAD OF NORMAL 128.1 BOSTON CENTER. I ASKED CAPT IF HE HEARD ANYONE AND IF THE FREQ WAS CORRECT. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE ON 128.05 SO I SUGGESTED 128.1. I CALLED BOS CENTER. THEY ASKED WHY WE WERE OFF FREQ AND WHAT ROUTING WE WERE GIVEN. I SAID STAND BY. CAPT SAID 'SAY WE ARE HAVING A MINOR PROBLEM, STAND BY'. I DID THIS. THEN THE CAPT ASKED ME 'WHERE ARE WE?' I WAS SHOCKED. I LOOKED AT HIS INSTRUMENTS AND NOTICED HE WAS FLYING DIRECT KINGSTON (IGN) VOR, AND WE WERE ALMOST THERE. BOSTON SAID 'WHY DID YOU FLY OVER KINGSTON AND SAY AGAIN YOUR ROUTING'. THE CAPT SAID 'V44 DPK DIRECT, STAND BY'. BOSTON THEN SWITCHED US TO NY APCH WHO AGAIN ASKED OUR ROUTING. I HELPED THE CAPT GET BACK ON COURSE. HE TOLD ME NEVER TO TELL ANYONE. HE SAID HE WOULD CALL AN ATTORNEY AND ATC AND TAKE CARE OF IT ALL. I WILL NEVER TAKE MY EYES OFF HIS FLYING AGAIN. AS A F/O I SEE SLOPPY FLYING ONCE IN A WHILE. I DON'T LIKE IT BUT THE UNWRITTEN CODE OF HONOR BETWEEN PLTS PREVENTS ME FROM REPORTING ALL BUT THE MOST SERIOUS PROBLEMS I ENCOUNTER. MY CAPT ON THIS FLT WAS CONSTANTLY FORGETTING HDGS, ETC. HE NEVER LOOKED AT HIS CHARTS OR CHECKLIST. THIS BOTHERED ME BUT AT THE SAME TIME I DIDN'T ACT. IT'S HARD TO TELL YOUR CAPT TO PAY ATTN, DO YOUR JOB, ETC. IT BOTHERS ME WHEN PLTS LISTEN TO BALL GAMES OR RADIO MUSIC DURING FLT. BUT WHAT CAN I DO? I SPOKE TO SEVERAL COMPANY PERSONNEL OFF THE RECORD AND I AM PURSUING THE PROBLEM ALONG WITH OUR COMPANY FLT INSTRUCTORS. COCKPIT MGMNT COURSES MAY SOLVE SOME OF THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS. MORE MONEY NEEDS TO BE SPENT ON TRAINING PLTS IN COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT. COMPANIES SHOULD ONLY HIRE PROFESSIONAL PLTS WITH STRONG COMMITTMENT TO SAFETY. THEY SHOULD DEMAND AND PAY FOR PLTS WITH HIGHER EDUCATION LEVELS, AND MORE MATURITY AND EXPERIENCE IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 127518: REASONS FOR MISSING THE FREQ WERE TWOFOLD: 1) THIS WAS THE FIRST DAY WITH A NEW FLT PLAN ROUTE. THE LEG FROM ALB TO NY HAD BEEN THE SAME FOR ONE YEAR PRIOR TO INCIDENT. 2) BOTH PLTS TALKING IN THE COCKPIT ABOUT COMPANY PROBLEMS AND NOT NOTICING CHANGE IN FLT PLAN AND THE DOGLEG AND NOT NOTICING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE WERE OFF FREQ.

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.