Air carrier medium large transport track heading deviation.

Attributes
ACN	132382
Time
Date	198912
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hpw
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j191
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 70
ASRS Report	132382
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cruising from clt to ewr, upon station passage over hpw, I had the proper course, 036 degree right, set on the HSI. I verified with the first officer, '36 outbnd, correct?' he said 'no, 048 degree outbnd.' I then picked up the map and mistakenly read the 048 degree right off ric as my proper course, as the first officer obviously had also. I reset 048 degrees on my obs and flew that course until warned by ARTCC we would be entering the restr area. I don't know how I could have done this over a route I've flown many times before. I guess that I held too much trust in a new-hire first officer, and just misread my chart. A contributory cause, I believe, is the format of the US7-8 high altitude chart. It is too busy and confusing to read accurately in a busy cockpit environment. The VOR information boxes are too far displaced from their respective VOR's and are often right next to a VOR symbol to which they don't refer. Examples: ood is next to eno's symbol, bwz is next to sbj, and hpw is just above fkn. The information boxes and the arrows which point to the respective station should be a different color than blue.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HEADING DEVIATION.

Narrative: CRUISING FROM CLT TO EWR, UPON STATION PASSAGE OVER HPW, I HAD THE PROPER COURSE, 036 DEG R, SET ON THE HSI. I VERIFIED WITH THE F/O, '36 OUTBND, CORRECT?' HE SAID 'NO, 048 DEG OUTBND.' I THEN PICKED UP THE MAP AND MISTAKENLY READ THE 048 DEG R OFF RIC AS MY PROPER COURSE, AS THE F/O OBVIOUSLY HAD ALSO. I RESET 048 DEGS ON MY OBS AND FLEW THAT COURSE UNTIL WARNED BY ARTCC WE WOULD BE ENTERING THE RESTR AREA. I DON'T KNOW HOW I COULD HAVE DONE THIS OVER A ROUTE I'VE FLOWN MANY TIMES BEFORE. I GUESS THAT I HELD TOO MUCH TRUST IN A NEW-HIRE F/O, AND JUST MISREAD MY CHART. A CONTRIBUTORY CAUSE, I BELIEVE, IS THE FORMAT OF THE U.S.7-8 HIGH ALT CHART. IT IS TOO BUSY AND CONFUSING TO READ ACCURATELY IN A BUSY COCKPIT ENVIRONMENT. THE VOR INFO BOXES ARE TOO FAR DISPLACED FROM THEIR RESPECTIVE VOR'S AND ARE OFTEN RIGHT NEXT TO A VOR SYMBOL TO WHICH THEY DON'T REFER. EXAMPLES: OOD IS NEXT TO ENO'S SYMBOL, BWZ IS NEXT TO SBJ, AND HPW IS JUST ABOVE FKN. THE INFO BOXES AND THE ARROWS WHICH POINT TO THE RESPECTIVE STATION SHOULD BE A DIFFERENT COLOR THAN BLUE.

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.