Air carrier on a STAR misses a heading change. Reporter complains about complicated STAR.

Attributes
ACN	154051
Time
Date	199008
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival star : star
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 730
ASRS Report	154051
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	154077
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

During descent on acton one arrival to dfw we missed a charted turn at creek intersection. Both pilot's attention were diverted to a 5 degree discrepancy in rmdi vs CDI card headings. There were a lot of radio calls, a lot of traffic and we were in and out of bumpy clouds. The STAR has a lot of printed information to follow, ie, speed changes, crossing restrictions, etc. The radar controller noticed we had missed the turn and gave us vectors. We had also been given several vectors for spacing and speed changes earlier on the STAR. Situation can be improved by reducing chart clutter and simplifying the arrival procedures, by reducing the amount of vectors and speed changes during descent and by reducing traffic or increasing capacity in terminal areas.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON A STAR MISSES A HEADING CHANGE. REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT COMPLICATED STAR.

Narrative: DURING DSNT ON ACTON ONE ARR TO DFW WE MISSED A CHARTED TURN AT CREEK INTXN. BOTH PLT'S ATTN WERE DIVERTED TO A 5 DEG DISCREPANCY IN RMDI VS CDI CARD HDGS. THERE WERE A LOT OF RADIO CALLS, A LOT OF TFC AND WE WERE IN AND OUT OF BUMPY CLOUDS. THE STAR HAS A LOT OF PRINTED INFO TO FOLLOW, IE, SPD CHANGES, XING RESTRICTIONS, ETC. THE RADAR CTLR NOTICED WE HAD MISSED THE TURN AND GAVE US VECTORS. WE HAD ALSO BEEN GIVEN SEVERAL VECTORS FOR SPACING AND SPD CHANGES EARLIER ON THE STAR. SITUATION CAN BE IMPROVED BY REDUCING CHART CLUTTER AND SIMPLIFYING THE ARR PROCS, BY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF VECTORS AND SPD CHANGES DURING DSNT AND BY REDUCING TFC OR INCREASING CAPACITY IN TERMINAL AREAS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.