Narrative:

Taking off iad airport. Approximately time XA31. We got vectors to join J149. The controllers changed our vectors 3 times to join J149 -- heading 300 degrees to join, then 310 degrees to join, and finally 330 degrees to join. We were climbing through 6000-7000 ft when we got our last vector. I turned the heading bug to 330 degrees (we were on autoplt) with intentions of pressing the navigation button to capture the radial. When we rolled out on the 330 degree heading, my attention got diverted to something else, so I never pressed the navigation button. Within approximately 30-40 seconds, we had gone through the radial, J149, that we were supposed to capture. Neither the captain nor I saw this. Then the departure controller for iad came on and alerted us that we had gone through the airway and told us to turn to a 260 degree heading to rejoin and to increase our rate of climb. Just then, the controller told an air carrier Y jet to increase their descent. No mention was made that the 2 airplanes were getting close. The controller just said to take these actions. We did get an amber TA alert and our TCASII did show the air carrier Y jet within 4-5-6 mi of us. We had to go off autoplt to turn enough (increase bank), so we could better avoid anything more serious from happening. Nothing more was said and we were switched to the next controller. The big thing that contributed to this situation was the crew's attention being diverted away from the flying at hand and not checking each other's actions -- especially in a busy class B area. Between the controller alerting us, TCASII, and our quick corrective actions helped make this event nothing major. Maybe relying on the autoplt too much also might have been a contributing factor.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A CANADAIR REGIONAL JET CL65 FAILED TO TURN AND INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY AS CLRED, CAUSING A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACR JET AND ATC INTERVENTION TO VECTOR THEM BACK ON COURSE.

Narrative: TAKING OFF IAD ARPT. APPROX TIME XA31. WE GOT VECTORS TO JOIN J149. THE CTLRS CHANGED OUR VECTORS 3 TIMES TO JOIN J149 -- HDG 300 DEGS TO JOIN, THEN 310 DEGS TO JOIN, AND FINALLY 330 DEGS TO JOIN. WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 6000-7000 FT WHEN WE GOT OUR LAST VECTOR. I TURNED THE HDG BUG TO 330 DEGS (WE WERE ON AUTOPLT) WITH INTENTIONS OF PRESSING THE NAV BUTTON TO CAPTURE THE RADIAL. WHEN WE ROLLED OUT ON THE 330 DEG HDG, MY ATTN GOT DIVERTED TO SOMETHING ELSE, SO I NEVER PRESSED THE NAV BUTTON. WITHIN APPROX 30-40 SECONDS, WE HAD GONE THROUGH THE RADIAL, J149, THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO CAPTURE. NEITHER THE CAPT NOR I SAW THIS. THEN THE DEP CTLR FOR IAD CAME ON AND ALERTED US THAT WE HAD GONE THROUGH THE AIRWAY AND TOLD US TO TURN TO A 260 DEG HDG TO REJOIN AND TO INCREASE OUR RATE OF CLB. JUST THEN, THE CTLR TOLD AN ACR Y JET TO INCREASE THEIR DSCNT. NO MENTION WAS MADE THAT THE 2 AIRPLANES WERE GETTING CLOSE. THE CTLR JUST SAID TO TAKE THESE ACTIONS. WE DID GET AN AMBER TA ALERT AND OUR TCASII DID SHOW THE ACR Y JET WITHIN 4-5-6 MI OF US. WE HAD TO GO OFF AUTOPLT TO TURN ENOUGH (INCREASE BANK), SO WE COULD BETTER AVOID ANYTHING MORE SERIOUS FROM HAPPENING. NOTHING MORE WAS SAID AND WE WERE SWITCHED TO THE NEXT CTLR. THE BIG THING THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT WAS THE CREW'S ATTN BEING DIVERTED AWAY FROM THE FLYING AT HAND AND NOT CHKING EACH OTHER'S ACTIONS -- ESPECIALLY IN A BUSY CLASS B AREA. BTWN THE CTLR ALERTING US, TCASII, AND OUR QUICK CORRECTIVE ACTIONS HELPED MAKE THIS EVENT NOTHING MAJOR. MAYBE RELYING ON THE AUTOPLT TOO MUCH ALSO MIGHT HAVE BEEN A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

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.