NAVAID problem noted when air carrier S80 indicates off course from centerline J169 after switching ...

Attributes
ACN	401800
Time
Date	199805
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : blh
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tower : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j169 enroute airway : j50
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	401800
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 39000 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

FL330. Location: trm radial for J169. On J169 from trm to blh, a 70 mi leg, indicating centerline at 35 mi east of trm, when I switched to the blh VOR and the airway then indicated I was several mi north of the airway. ATC then said to turn right 20 degrees to return to airway and for traffic descending through my altitude from the east. TCASII showed 6 or 7 mi separation. I inquired of center about the jump in airway indications and was told that it was a NAVAID problem. I know for sure that I was centerline for J169 -- dead centerline as it indicated from the trm VOR at 35 mi.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NAVAID PROB NOTED WHEN ACR S80 INDICATES OFF COURSE FROM CTRLINE J169 AFTER SWITCHING TO BLH VOR.

Narrative: FL330. LOCATION: TRM RADIAL FOR J169. ON J169 FROM TRM TO BLH, A 70 MI LEG, INDICATING CTRLINE AT 35 MI E OF TRM, WHEN I SWITCHED TO THE BLH VOR AND THE AIRWAY THEN INDICATED I WAS SEVERAL MI N OF THE AIRWAY. ATC THEN SAID TO TURN R 20 DEGS TO RETURN TO AIRWAY AND FOR TFC DSNDING THROUGH MY ALT FROM THE E. TCASII SHOWED 6 OR 7 MI SEPARATION. I INQUIRED OF CTR ABOUT THE JUMP IN AIRWAY INDICATIONS AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A NAVAID PROB. I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I WAS CTRLINE FOR J169 -- DEAD CTRLINE AS IT INDICATED FROM THE TRM VOR AT 35 MI.

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.

NAVAID problem noted when air carrier S80 indicates off course from centerline J169 after switching to blh VOR.