Narrative:

On climb out aircraft appeared to be flying a little differently than others of its type. After several headings we were told to intercept outbound jet airway, and continue climb. At approximately 9000 ft had a TCASII traffic alert, but no RA of another aircraft at 300 ft below and about 2 mi horizontal. Acquired the other aircraft visually, and saw that no evasive action would be needed. However, thought it strange that the controller had not called out the opposite direction traffic. Shortly afterward the controller asked what VOR we were using and stated we were in the arrival corridor, not the departure corridor. On checking our instruments it was found that we had dialed in the correct VOR, but the wrong radial. It was the radial for the next jet airway south, 103 degrees instead of 91 degrees, which happened to correspond to the arrival corridor. We were given new headings to return to the airway and proceeded onward to our destination without incident. Factors contributing were a long day with a gear problem during an earlier leg causing a lot of tension and a great feeling of relief when that leg was over. The dc-9 cockpit is very hot and uncomfortable in the summer, also contributing to general fatigue. With many thunderstorms in the area we were already concentrating on the radar with less time for navigation. So we were somewhat uncomfortable and fatigued and not at our sharpest. Another big factor is the setup of the msp 4 departure chart. Instead of the typical departure rtes being depicted as at some airports, there is only a depiction of all the vors in the area and no airways. To get the airway radial one must look at the high altitude chart which is rather crowded there. While flying it is hard to check the outbound radial, since the departure chart is usually on top and it is hard to reach the map quickly. Even the local area chart does not have the jet airways, just the victor airways. It is difficult to double-check the radial quickly. Supplemental information from acn 313055: first officer was in his first month of flying after having been a flight engineer for 6 yrs. When we set our navigation radios for departure he set the wrong radial in his CDI. I set my VOR on the other end of the airway, grb. My first officer had set 103 degree out of gep VOR, he should have had 091 degrees out of gep.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC-9'S DEP RTE CONFLICTED WITH AN ARR RTE. THE FLC HAD INADVERTENTLY INTERCEPTED THE WRONG COURSE.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT ACFT APPEARED TO BE FLYING A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHERS OF ITS TYPE. AFTER SEVERAL HDGS WE WERE TOLD TO INTERCEPT OUTBOUND JET AIRWAY, AND CONTINUE CLB. AT APPROX 9000 FT HAD A TCASII TFC ALERT, BUT NO RA OF ANOTHER ACFT AT 300 FT BELOW AND ABOUT 2 MI HORIZ. ACQUIRED THE OTHER ACFT VISUALLY, AND SAW THAT NO EVASIVE ACTION WOULD BE NEEDED. HOWEVER, THOUGHT IT STRANGE THAT THE CTLR HAD NOT CALLED OUT THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC. SHORTLY AFTERWARD THE CTLR ASKED WHAT VOR WE WERE USING AND STATED WE WERE IN THE ARR CORRIDOR, NOT THE DEP CORRIDOR. ON CHKING OUR INSTS IT WAS FOUND THAT WE HAD DIALED IN THE CORRECT VOR, BUT THE WRONG RADIAL. IT WAS THE RADIAL FOR THE NEXT JET AIRWAY S, 103 DEGS INSTEAD OF 91 DEGS, WHICH HAPPENED TO CORRESPOND TO THE ARR CORRIDOR. WE WERE GIVEN NEW HDGS TO RETURN TO THE AIRWAY AND PROCEEDED ONWARD TO OUR DEST WITHOUT INCIDENT. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING WERE A LONG DAY WITH A GEAR PROB DURING AN EARLIER LEG CAUSING A LOT OF TENSION AND A GREAT FEELING OF RELIEF WHEN THAT LEG WAS OVER. THE DC-9 COCKPIT IS VERY HOT AND UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE SUMMER, ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO GENERAL FATIGUE. WITH MANY TSTMS IN THE AREA WE WERE ALREADY CONCENTRATING ON THE RADAR WITH LESS TIME FOR NAV. SO WE WERE SOMEWHAT UNCOMFORTABLE AND FATIGUED AND NOT AT OUR SHARPEST. ANOTHER BIG FACTOR IS THE SETUP OF THE MSP 4 DEP CHART. INSTEAD OF THE TYPICAL DEP RTES BEING DEPICTED AS AT SOME ARPTS, THERE IS ONLY A DEPICTION OF ALL THE VORS IN THE AREA AND NO AIRWAYS. TO GET THE AIRWAY RADIAL ONE MUST LOOK AT THE HIGH ALT CHART WHICH IS RATHER CROWDED THERE. WHILE FLYING IT IS HARD TO CHK THE OUTBOUND RADIAL, SINCE THE DEP CHART IS USUALLY ON TOP AND IT IS HARD TO REACH THE MAP QUICKLY. EVEN THE LCL AREA CHART DOES NOT HAVE THE JET AIRWAYS, JUST THE VICTOR AIRWAYS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO DOUBLE-CHK THE RADIAL QUICKLY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 313055: FO WAS IN HIS FIRST MONTH OF FLYING AFTER HAVING BEEN A FE FOR 6 YRS. WHEN WE SET OUR NAV RADIOS FOR DEP HE SET THE WRONG RADIAL IN HIS CDI. I SET MY VOR ON THE OTHER END OF THE AIRWAY, GRB. MY FO HAD SET 103 DEG OUT OF GEP VOR, HE SHOULD HAVE HAD 091 DEGS OUT OF GEP.

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.