Narrative:

Climbing out of san we were given a vector to pgy to resume the border four departure. At poggi (pgy) the captain started a shallow turn and I was outside looking for traffic (center called out traffic earlier). My HSI (copilot's) was set up to intercept the 002 degree course into julian (jli). I thought the turn was initially a turn to intercept the 069 degrees out of pgy (part of the border 4 departure), but the turn continued to approximately 010 degree heading. Later discussion determined that the captain thought that we were over brows intersection when we were overhead pgy. I was waiting for the needle to displace off the HSI (set up for 002 degrees jli course) and it wasn't moving. Just about then center called and asked if we had been cleared direct to jli. I said 'no' we were intercepting the 002 degree course into jli and he stated we were 12 mi west of course. The captain realized the turn was initiated too early, started a course correction, and then center cleared us direct to jli. Looking back, I lost some situational awareness when I was outside looking for traffic and not backing up the captain on the border 4 departure. I also think the captain (and controller) may have fallen into the trap that most departures out of san are given direct to jli around the pgy VOR. It was something that was expected (and anticipated). I think we would have noticed the deviation since my course needle was not displacing, but obviously, not before center noticed we were heading off course. There were no traffic conflicts that we were aware of.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT, UNAWARE OF POS, TURNED PAST HIS OUTBOUND HEADING AND WAS ABOUT 12 MI OFF TRACK.

Narrative: CLBING OUT OF SAN WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO PGY TO RESUME THE BORDER FOUR DEP. AT POGGI (PGY) THE CAPT STARTED A SHALLOW TURN AND I WAS OUTSIDE LOOKING FOR TFC (CTR CALLED OUT TFC EARLIER). MY HSI (COPLT'S) WAS SET UP TO INTERCEPT THE 002 DEG COURSE INTO JULIAN (JLI). I THOUGHT THE TURN WAS INITIALLY A TURN TO INTERCEPT THE 069 DEGS OUT OF PGY (PART OF THE BORDER 4 DEP), BUT THE TURN CONTINUED TO APPROX 010 DEG HDG. LATER DISCUSSION DETERMINED THAT THE CAPT THOUGHT THAT WE WERE OVER BROWS INTXN WHEN WE WERE OVERHEAD PGY. I WAS WAITING FOR THE NEEDLE TO DISPLACE OFF THE HSI (SET UP FOR 002 DEGS JLI COURSE) AND IT WASN'T MOVING. JUST ABOUT THEN CTR CALLED AND ASKED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED DIRECT TO JLI. I SAID 'NO' WE WERE INTERCEPTING THE 002 DEG COURSE INTO JLI AND HE STATED WE WERE 12 MI W OF COURSE. THE CAPT REALIZED THE TURN WAS INITIATED TOO EARLY, STARTED A COURSE CORRECTION, AND THEN CTR CLRED US DIRECT TO JLI. LOOKING BACK, I LOST SOME SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WHEN I WAS OUTSIDE LOOKING FOR TFC AND NOT BACKING UP THE CAPT ON THE BORDER 4 DEP. I ALSO THINK THE CAPT (AND CTLR) MAY HAVE FALLEN INTO THE TRAP THAT MOST DEPS OUT OF SAN ARE GIVEN DIRECT TO JLI AROUND THE PGY VOR. IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS EXPECTED (AND ANTICIPATED). I THINK WE WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE DEV SINCE MY COURSE NEEDLE WAS NOT DISPLACING, BUT OBVIOUSLY, NOT BEFORE CTR NOTICED WE WERE HEADING OFF COURSE. THERE WERE NO TFC CONFLICTS THAT WE WERE AWARE OF.

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.