Narrative:

Above trip was my third trip as a new hire first officer after being out of work for 10 months due to a labor strike at my previous employer. Flying out of phl as a flying pilot in the congested northeast corridor was new to me, since my last 4 yrs of flying was as a F/east. The captain of the trip was also new in the phl base on tdy from chicago. I was flying on the arwy J79 south of sby approximately 20 NM when the captain said we should have turned back at sby onto J121 to head out to the eastern seaboard and down the coast. He instructed me to make an immediate left turn of approximately 50 degrees to intercept J209. I hesitated and questioned his instructions believing to be on course. He further instructed me that we were off course and ordered a left turn. He seemed very confident in his assessment so being new on the airplane and seat I complied with his request. Approximately 1 min after the turn when I realized we had turned off the arwy, center advised us to make an immediate left-turn to 090 degrees and also advised another airline to make a right turn to 270 degrees stating that we should be heading south down J79. We were vectored back to our arwy and no future mention was made of the incident. How close we got to the other traffic is unknown. I attribute this incident to myself being intimidated and not a little more aggressive with a seemingly confident captain. I believe he should have reviewed the situation more since his copilot was hesitant and unsure of his assessment. Classic example of poor crew coordination. Alto I believe that possibly, if my former employer would have had a policy similar to present employer, where second officer is issued plate and charts, the yrs I spent in the back seat up and down the east coast would have better prepared me for the right seat in the same environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG TRACK HEADING DEVIATION PROBABLY CAUSING LESS THAN STANDARD SEPARATION.

Narrative: ABOVE TRIP WAS MY THIRD TRIP AS A NEW HIRE F/O AFTER BEING OUT OF WORK FOR 10 MONTHS DUE TO A LABOR STRIKE AT MY PREVIOUS EMPLOYER. FLYING OUT OF PHL AS A FLYING PLT IN THE CONGESTED NE CORRIDOR WAS NEW TO ME, SINCE MY LAST 4 YRS OF FLYING WAS AS A F/E. THE CAPT OF THE TRIP WAS ALSO NEW IN THE PHL BASE ON TDY FROM CHICAGO. I WAS FLYING ON THE ARWY J79 S OF SBY APPROX 20 NM WHEN THE CAPT SAID WE SHOULD HAVE TURNED BACK AT SBY ONTO J121 TO HEAD OUT TO THE EASTERN SEABOARD AND DOWN THE COAST. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN OF APPROX 50 DEGS TO INTERCEPT J209. I HESITATED AND QUESTIONED HIS INSTRUCTIONS BELIEVING TO BE ON COURSE. HE FURTHER INSTRUCTED ME THAT WE WERE OFF COURSE AND ORDERED A LEFT TURN. HE SEEMED VERY CONFIDENT IN HIS ASSESSMENT SO BEING NEW ON THE AIRPLANE AND SEAT I COMPLIED WITH HIS REQUEST. APPROX 1 MIN AFTER THE TURN WHEN I REALIZED WE HAD TURNED OFF THE ARWY, CENTER ADVISED US TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE LEFT-TURN TO 090 DEGS AND ALSO ADVISED ANOTHER AIRLINE TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN TO 270 DEGS STATING THAT WE SHOULD BE HDG S DOWN J79. WE WERE VECTORED BACK TO OUR ARWY AND NO FUTURE MENTION WAS MADE OF THE INCIDENT. HOW CLOSE WE GOT TO THE OTHER TFC IS UNKNOWN. I ATTRIBUTE THIS INCIDENT TO MYSELF BEING INTIMIDATED AND NOT A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH A SEEMINGLY CONFIDENT CAPT. I BELIEVE HE SHOULD HAVE REVIEWED THE SITUATION MORE SINCE HIS COPLT WAS HESITANT AND UNSURE OF HIS ASSESSMENT. CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF POOR CREW COORD. ALTO I BELIEVE THAT POSSIBLY, IF MY FORMER EMPLOYER WOULD HAVE HAD A POLICY SIMILAR TO PRESENT EMPLOYER, WHERE S/O IS ISSUED PLATE AND CHARTS, THE YRS I SPENT IN THE BACK SEAT UP AND DOWN THE E COAST WOULD HAVE BETTER PREPARED ME FOR THE RIGHT SEAT IN THE SAME ENVIRONMENT.

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.