Heading track deviation during a non adherence to ATC clearance instruction.

Attributes
ACN	284949
Time
Date	199410
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : stl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other arrival star : star enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 4200
ASRS Report	284949
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My attention was divided and I did not have the 'approach picture.' approach control asked what my heading was, and what was I doing. I told him my heading for the transition and he said it was not the one we were using and gave me a heading to correct. What had happened was my first officer was on a radar vector heading and I told him to fly a transition heading not in use. Just prior to this and during, I was working on a landing distance problem for a non-standard runway suggested by approach control. I told him to stand by and he said never mind. He assigned a new runway. I had only been here 3 times before and heard him approve an aircraft larger than myself for the nonstandard runway. While working on those numbers I lost the picture. My decision to overload myself in a critical area was the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV DURING A NON ADHERENCE TO ATC CLRNC INSTRUCTION.

Narrative: MY ATTN WAS DIVIDED AND I DID NOT HAVE THE 'APCH PICTURE.' APCH CTL ASKED WHAT MY HDG WAS, AND WHAT WAS I DOING. I TOLD HIM MY HDG FOR THE TRANSITION AND HE SAID IT WAS NOT THE ONE WE WERE USING AND GAVE ME A HDG TO CORRECT. WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS MY FO WAS ON A RADAR VECTOR HDG AND I TOLD HIM TO FLY A TRANSITION HDG NOT IN USE. JUST PRIOR TO THIS AND DURING, I WAS WORKING ON A LNDG DISTANCE PROB FOR A NON-STANDARD RWY SUGGESTED BY APCH CTL. I TOLD HIM TO STAND BY AND HE SAID NEVER MIND. HE ASSIGNED A NEW RWY. I HAD ONLY BEEN HERE 3 TIMES BEFORE AND HEARD HIM APPROVE AN ACFT LARGER THAN MYSELF FOR THE NONSTANDARD RWY. WHILE WORKING ON THOSE NUMBERS I LOST THE PICTURE. MY DECISION TO OVERLOAD MYSELF IN A CRITICAL AREA WAS THE PROB.

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.