Narrative:

I was the captain on a flight from gso to orf. This was the second flight I had taken on this route in 2 days. Before this I had not flown this route for approximately 1 month. I am a reserve captain so I am flying different rtes everyday. I usually carry a company trip sheet with me which details our company filed rtes. But this day I had left it in my motel room. The first officer picked up the flight plan with an as filed clearance. I was not very concerned because he had flown this route several times. Also, I remembered the initial portion of our route from the previous day and I felt we would get direct before we reached a portion of the route I was unsure of. We were flying outbound on the gso 058 degree radial, the initial portion of our route. I asked ZDC for a heading for cofield VOR and they said they had the request. I then asked the first officer how many DME we went out on the 058 degree radial before turning to tar river VOR. He said 58 DME, but seemed a little unsure. So I asked him if he was sure and he said 'I'm positive.' I asked him for his trip sheet and he said it was in his flight bag. His flight bag was behind his seat, which was a little difficult for me to get at, so I decided to believe him. At approximately 55 DME ZDC asked us what our heading was to tar river VOR. I replied 'stand by and I will get if for you.' he said 'just read your present heading.' I told him 060 degrees. He then replied in an angry tone 'that heading is not taking you to tar river, turn right to heading 120 degrees and proceed to tar river.' we then proceeded direct to tar river VOR. I then dug into the first officer's flight bag for his trip sheet and found our turn to tar river VOR should have been made at 38 DME. There are 2 things I could easily have done to avoid this situation: 1) ask center what he showed our clearance as, or 2) take the extra time to dig into the first officer's flight bag and look at the route. I think the reason for not doing either was trusting my copilot. I felt he was competent and believed he was of the same character that I was. When I say I am positive, I mean I'm 100 percent sure. This was probably poor CRM on my part, I assumed too much. I do feel there are some sits where you have no choice but to trust your copilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FLEW BEYOND THEIR TURN POINT DURING THE INITIAL PORTION OF THEIR RTE. THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR CORRECTED THEM.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON A FLT FROM GSO TO ORF. THIS WAS THE SECOND FLT I HAD TAKEN ON THIS RTE IN 2 DAYS. BEFORE THIS I HAD NOT FLOWN THIS RTE FOR APPROX 1 MONTH. I AM A RESERVE CAPT SO I AM FLYING DIFFERENT RTES EVERYDAY. I USUALLY CARRY A COMPANY TRIP SHEET WITH ME WHICH DETAILS OUR COMPANY FILED RTES. BUT THIS DAY I HAD LEFT IT IN MY MOTEL ROOM. THE FO PICKED UP THE FLT PLAN WITH AN AS FILED CLRNC. I WAS NOT VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE HE HAD FLOWN THIS RTE SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO, I REMEMBERED THE INITIAL PORTION OF OUR RTE FROM THE PREVIOUS DAY AND I FELT WE WOULD GET DIRECT BEFORE WE REACHED A PORTION OF THE RTE I WAS UNSURE OF. WE WERE FLYING OUTBOUND ON THE GSO 058 DEG RADIAL, THE INITIAL PORTION OF OUR RTE. I ASKED ZDC FOR A HDG FOR COFIELD VOR AND THEY SAID THEY HAD THE REQUEST. I THEN ASKED THE FO HOW MANY DME WE WENT OUT ON THE 058 DEG RADIAL BEFORE TURNING TO TAR RIVER VOR. HE SAID 58 DME, BUT SEEMED A LITTLE UNSURE. SO I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS SURE AND HE SAID 'I'M POSITIVE.' I ASKED HIM FOR HIS TRIP SHEET AND HE SAID IT WAS IN HIS FLT BAG. HIS FLT BAG WAS BEHIND HIS SEAT, WHICH WAS A LITTLE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET AT, SO I DECIDED TO BELIEVE HIM. AT APPROX 55 DME ZDC ASKED US WHAT OUR HDG WAS TO TAR RIVER VOR. I REPLIED 'STAND BY AND I WILL GET IF FOR YOU.' HE SAID 'JUST READ YOUR PRESENT HDG.' I TOLD HIM 060 DEGS. HE THEN REPLIED IN AN ANGRY TONE 'THAT HDG IS NOT TAKING YOU TO TAR RIVER, TURN R TO HDG 120 DEGS AND PROCEED TO TAR RIVER.' WE THEN PROCEEDED DIRECT TO TAR RIVER VOR. I THEN DUG INTO THE FO'S FLT BAG FOR HIS TRIP SHEET AND FOUND OUR TURN TO TAR RIVER VOR SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AT 38 DME. THERE ARE 2 THINGS I COULD EASILY HAVE DONE TO AVOID THIS SIT: 1) ASK CTR WHAT HE SHOWED OUR CLRNC AS, OR 2) TAKE THE EXTRA TIME TO DIG INTO THE FO'S FLT BAG AND LOOK AT THE RTE. I THINK THE REASON FOR NOT DOING EITHER WAS TRUSTING MY COPLT. I FELT HE WAS COMPETENT AND BELIEVED HE WAS OF THE SAME CHARACTER THAT I WAS. WHEN I SAY I AM POSITIVE, I MEAN I'M 100 PERCENT SURE. THIS WAS PROBABLY POOR CRM ON MY PART, I ASSUMED TOO MUCH. I DO FEEL THERE ARE SOME SITS WHERE YOU HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO TRUST YOUR COPLT.

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.