Misread publication evolves into a heading track position deviation. Navigation error.

Attributes
ACN	206324
Time
Date	199203
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : yqx
State Reference	NF
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : na178
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 7100 flight time type : 1210
ASRS Report	206324
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After coasting in from nat tracks we were cleared na 178 from redby to topps. Captain looked up route and interpreted it as redby direct topps and we loaded route into INS. My previous flight from europe had been with a check airman for a route check. He stated the north american rtes were direct but check and read them. I got out the book and read the route as redby direct topps. Still doubtful, I think I read back to controller na 178. Is redby direct topps? He agreed. North of heath point controller asked if we were on na 178. We said yes. Captain and I both reread the route and realized heath point made up a dog leg in the route and we were not on it. Controller said there was no problem or conflict. Although disarmed by the captain's interpretation of the route and the check airman's previous comments, I failed to read the route correctly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MISREAD PUBLICATION EVOLVES INTO A HDG TRACK POS DEV. NAV ERROR.

Narrative: AFTER COASTING IN FROM NAT TRACKS WE WERE CLRED NA 178 FROM REDBY TO TOPPS. CAPT LOOKED UP RTE AND INTERPRETED IT AS REDBY DIRECT TOPPS AND WE LOADED RTE INTO INS. MY PREVIOUS FLT FROM EUROPE HAD BEEN WITH A CHK AIRMAN FOR A RTE CHK. HE STATED THE NORTH AMERICAN RTES WERE DIRECT BUT CHK AND READ THEM. I GOT OUT THE BOOK AND READ THE RTE AS REDBY DIRECT TOPPS. STILL DOUBTFUL, I THINK I READ BACK TO CTLR NA 178. IS REDBY DIRECT TOPPS? HE AGREED. N OF HEATH POINT CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE ON NA 178. WE SAID YES. CAPT AND I BOTH REREAD THE RTE AND REALIZED HEATH POINT MADE UP A DOG LEG IN THE RTE AND WE WERE NOT ON IT. CTLR SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM OR CONFLICT. ALTHOUGH DISARMED BY THE CAPT'S INTERP OF THE RTE AND THE CHK AIRMAN'S PREVIOUS COMMENTS, I FAILED TO READ THE RTE CORRECTLY.

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.