Reporter tracks out the wrong radial.

Attributes
ACN	303370
Time
Date	199504
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : grb
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zmp
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	303370
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure 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	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Nickl 2 STAR into msp. We were a nonstop flight from dtw to msp departing out of dtw passing through 23000 ft. We were cleared direct to gfb nickl 2 STAR into msp. I was flying. After arriving over green bay VOR I was supposed to track the 275 degree radial out of green bay. I had the chart open and laying on top of my flight bag. I looked down at the chart and dialed in the 310 degree radial. I later discovered that was the bae radial. I first glanced at the chart and did not look at the station. Having flown this arrival so much, I wasn't as careful as I should have been when looking at the radial and not associating it with the proper station. Dumb mistake and not be sure of the station and radial. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he was flying a dc-9. Usually the copilot flies the inbound to msp. Frequently the arrival is over bae. This time it was over grb, and looking at his arrival chart his eye picked up the 310 degree radial which he set into his omni bearing selector rather than the 275 degrees. The controller asked him where he was going and he saw his problem and corrected back. The reporter is not required to possess glasses on his physical but he says he does suffer a little from presbyopia. In this case, he said he is just so familiar with the route he got a little overconfident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR TRACKS OUT THE WRONG RADIAL.

Narrative: NICKL 2 STAR INTO MSP. WE WERE A NONSTOP FLT FROM DTW TO MSP DEPARTING OUT OF DTW PASSING THROUGH 23000 FT. WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO GFB NICKL 2 STAR INTO MSP. I WAS FLYING. AFTER ARRIVING OVER GREEN BAY VOR I WAS SUPPOSED TO TRACK THE 275 DEG RADIAL OUT OF GREEN BAY. I HAD THE CHART OPEN AND LAYING ON TOP OF MY FLT BAG. I LOOKED DOWN AT THE CHART AND DIALED IN THE 310 DEG RADIAL. I LATER DISCOVERED THAT WAS THE BAE RADIAL. I FIRST GLANCED AT THE CHART AND DID NOT LOOK AT THE STATION. HAVING FLOWN THIS ARR SO MUCH, I WASN'T AS CAREFUL AS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN WHEN LOOKING AT THE RADIAL AND NOT ASSOCIATING IT WITH THE PROPER STATION. DUMB MISTAKE AND NOT BE SURE OF THE STATION AND RADIAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A DC-9. USUALLY THE COPLT FLIES THE INBOUND TO MSP. FREQUENTLY THE ARR IS OVER BAE. THIS TIME IT WAS OVER GRB, AND LOOKING AT HIS ARR CHART HIS EYE PICKED UP THE 310 DEG RADIAL WHICH HE SET INTO HIS OMNI BEARING SELECTOR RATHER THAN THE 275 DEGS. THE CTLR ASKED HIM WHERE HE WAS GOING AND HE SAW HIS PROB AND CORRECTED BACK. THE RPTR IS NOT REQUIRED TO POSSESS GLASSES ON HIS PHYSICAL BUT HE SAYS HE DOES SUFFER A LITTLE FROM PRESBYOPIA. IN THIS CASE, HE SAID HE IS JUST SO FAMILIAR WITH THE RTE HE GOT A LITTLE OVERCONFIDENT.

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.