Gross navigation error in overwater operation.

Attributes
ACN	260323
Time
Date	199312
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zma
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute : atlantic enroute airway : a300 enroute airway : g431
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	260323
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	260562
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed ewr on a route over water to san juan with clearance as follows. Ewr #4 to dixie, V276 propeller 1 direct OWEN3 direct linnd direct champ A-300 kraft A-300 pling rt 7 ddp sja 33000 ft. Flew the departure and compared OWEN3 intersection on the omega with jfk 150 degree radial at 65 mi. Also, did a check at champ with the sie 131 degree radial at .75 mi, checked ok. Then navigated by omega connected to the autoplt making all required confirming checks. All checks showed us tracking on course. Became suspicious when just prior to kraft tuned ddp beacon and needle showed considerable to left of nose. Then tuned gtk VOR and confirmed we were approximately 140 mi west of course. Began trying contact with ZNY and ZSU. Finally contacted ZMA on 132.3. ZMA was tracking us already and knew exactly who we were. They gave us our exact coordinates, which I failed to record but looking at the position function of the omega there was, I noted, about a 3 degree longitude difference. Plotting the position coordinated of the omega it still showed us tracking on course, when in fact we were approximately 140 mi to the west. ZMA gave us vectors for ddp beacon and we navigated by radio aids to san juan. A backup system or 2 would have more than likely aided in spotting the insidious error of this omega. Reported to maintenance and aircraft not used for non NAVAID navigation. Supplemental information from acn 260562: flight was SELCAL'ed to confirm position twice.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GROSS NAV ERROR IN OVERWATER OP.

Narrative: DEPARTED EWR ON A RTE OVER WATER TO SAN JUAN WITH CLRNC AS FOLLOWS. EWR #4 TO DIXIE, V276 PROP 1 DIRECT OWEN3 DIRECT LINND DIRECT CHAMP A-300 KRAFT A-300 PLING RT 7 DDP SJA 33000 FT. FLEW THE DEP AND COMPARED OWEN3 INTXN ON THE OMEGA WITH JFK 150 DEG RADIAL AT 65 MI. ALSO, DID A CHK AT CHAMP WITH THE SIE 131 DEG RADIAL AT .75 MI, CHKED OK. THEN NAVIGATED BY OMEGA CONNECTED TO THE AUTOPLT MAKING ALL REQUIRED CONFIRMING CHKS. ALL CHKS SHOWED US TRACKING ON COURSE. BECAME SUSPICIOUS WHEN JUST PRIOR TO KRAFT TUNED DDP BEACON AND NEEDLE SHOWED CONSIDERABLE TO L OF NOSE. THEN TUNED GTK VOR AND CONFIRMED WE WERE APPROX 140 MI W OF COURSE. BEGAN TRYING CONTACT WITH ZNY AND ZSU. FINALLY CONTACTED ZMA ON 132.3. ZMA WAS TRACKING US ALREADY AND KNEW EXACTLY WHO WE WERE. THEY GAVE US OUR EXACT COORDINATES, WHICH I FAILED TO RECORD BUT LOOKING AT THE POS FUNCTION OF THE OMEGA THERE WAS, I NOTED, ABOUT A 3 DEG LONGITUDE DIFFERENCE. PLOTTING THE POS COORDINATED OF THE OMEGA IT STILL SHOWED US TRACKING ON COURSE, WHEN IN FACT WE WERE APPROX 140 MI TO THE W. ZMA GAVE US VECTORS FOR DDP BEACON AND WE NAVIGATED BY RADIO AIDS TO SAN JUAN. A BACKUP SYS OR 2 WOULD HAVE MORE THAN LIKELY AIDED IN SPOTTING THE INSIDIOUS ERROR OF THIS OMEGA. RPTED TO MAINT AND ACFT NOT USED FOR NON NAVAID NAV. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 260562: FLT WAS SELCAL'ED TO CONFIRM POS TWICE.

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.