Narrative:

Common practice in aircraft equipped with vlfirst officermega, is to sue the omega, coupled to the autoplt for en route navigation. After takeoff from swf, we noted the omega was slowly steering the aircraft off course. This is not uncommon, which is why VOR xchk is always required. The captain on this flight had recently upgraded from first officer to captain. It is not uncommon for pilots coming off the new generation, 'computerized,' aircraft, to be a little rusty on 'raw data' navigation. This particular leg was a leg on which the crew ate their meals. I was eating, while the captain flew and worked the radios. I was just finishing my lunch when the center controller advised the captain that he was 3 mi off centerline of J37 and that he should go direct hopewell (112.0). I had hpw on the #2 navigation and confirmed that we were off course and the captain had turned back towards the station. I finished eating and resumed radio duties. The captain turned the #2 radio to rdu and evidently set the wrong frequency for hpw on the #1 radio. The omega was steering the aircraft west of hopewell but since the radios were set up wrong, we had no xchk on the course. I took a frequency handoff and the new controller asked where we were going. She advised that we were west of hpw and heading west. We were supposed to be direct hpw. She assigned us a heading of 140 degree (back to hpw) and issued a descent to FL220 (we were at FL240). As I acknowledged leaving 'FL240 for FL220', I noticed the altitude alert was already set to FL220. I believe the captain had acknowledged a descent with the previous controller, but when the confusion started about the course, he forgot to descend. The controller did not seem concerned about the descent clearance, so I did not question further. The rest of the flight, as well as the next 2 days of the trip were uneventful. Contributing factors: one crew member out of loop while eating. Too much reliance on omega for course maintenance. Captain was fairly new on large transport and had come to be reliant on omega for navigation which seems to be the case with some of the newer capts that were previously on the widebody transport. Setting the wrong frequency on the navigation radio for hpw.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT STRAYS OFF COURSE.

Narrative: COMMON PRACTICE IN ACFT EQUIPPED WITH VLF/OMEGA, IS TO SUE THE OMEGA, COUPLED TO THE AUTOPLT FOR ENRTE NAV. AFTER TKOF FROM SWF, WE NOTED THE OMEGA WAS SLOWLY STEERING THE ACFT OFF COURSE. THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON, WHICH IS WHY VOR XCHK IS ALWAYS REQUIRED. THE CAPT ON THIS FLT HAD RECENTLY UPGRADED FROM FO TO CAPT. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR PLTS COMING OFF THE NEW GENERATION, 'COMPUTERIZED,' ACFT, TO BE A LITTLE RUSTY ON 'RAW DATA' NAV. THIS PARTICULAR LEG WAS A LEG ON WHICH THE CREW ATE THEIR MEALS. I WAS EATING, WHILE THE CAPT FLEW AND WORKED THE RADIOS. I WAS JUST FINISHING MY LUNCH WHEN THE CENTER CTLR ADVISED THE CAPT THAT HE WAS 3 MI OFF CENTERLINE OF J37 AND THAT HE SHOULD GO DIRECT HOPEWELL (112.0). I HAD HPW ON THE #2 NAV AND CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE OFF COURSE AND THE CAPT HAD TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE STATION. I FINISHED EATING AND RESUMED RADIO DUTIES. THE CAPT TURNED THE #2 RADIO TO RDU AND EVIDENTLY SET THE WRONG FREQ FOR HPW ON THE #1 RADIO. THE OMEGA WAS STEERING THE ACFT W OF HOPEWELL BUT SINCE THE RADIOS WERE SET UP WRONG, WE HAD NO XCHK ON THE COURSE. I TOOK A FREQ HDOF AND THE NEW CTLR ASKED WHERE WE WERE GOING. SHE ADVISED THAT WE WERE W OF HPW AND HDG W. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DIRECT HPW. SHE ASSIGNED US A HDG OF 140 DEG (BACK TO HPW) AND ISSUED A DSCNT TO FL220 (WE WERE AT FL240). AS I ACKNOWLEDGED LEAVING 'FL240 FOR FL220', I NOTICED THE ALT ALERT WAS ALREADY SET TO FL220. I BELIEVE THE CAPT HAD ACKNOWLEDGED A DSCNT WITH THE PREVIOUS CTLR, BUT WHEN THE CONFUSION STARTED ABOUT THE COURSE, HE FORGOT TO DSND. THE CTLR DID NOT SEEM CONCERNED ABOUT THE DSCNT CLRNC, SO I DID NOT QUESTION FURTHER. THE REST OF THE FLT, AS WELL AS THE NEXT 2 DAYS OF THE TRIP WERE UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: ONE CREW MEMBER OUT OF LOOP WHILE EATING. TOO MUCH RELIANCE ON OMEGA FOR COURSE MAINT. CAPT WAS FAIRLY NEW ON LGT AND HAD COME TO BE RELIANT ON OMEGA FOR NAV WHICH SEEMS TO BE THE CASE WITH SOME OF THE NEWER CAPTS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY ON THE WDB. SETTING THE WRONG FREQ ON THE NAV RADIO FOR HPW.

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.