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Captain of an medium large transport failed to follow assigned track due to tuning in the wrong VOR navigation. His first officer noticed his mistake which he was turning to correct his course when ATC intervened and gave him a vector heading to on course.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 421720 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199812 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid enroute airway : n90 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 6000 |
| ASRS Report | 421720 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After initiating the initial portions of the ewr 6 departure, the autoplt was engaged. A clearance was given to proceed direct col. I was flying and looked at the FMC database. Col wasn't shown, but cyn was, and I selected it and proceeded toward it, with the mind set that it was the same. My sharp first officer noticed the error and called it to my attention. After confirming my error for myself, I put col into the scratch pad of the CDU, selected and executed it as the 'active' waypoint and proceeded toward it. The aircraft was in the turn when ATC gave us an immediate left turn towards col and indicated that it appeared that we were headed toward cyn. My mind set to readily accept a 3 letter identify as the correct one without confirming the choice with a quick glance at the chart was a prime contributing factor in this case. This oversight may have caused ATC to have to turn other aircraft because of it in an extremely crowded airspace sector.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CAPT OF AN MLG FAILED TO FOLLOW ASSIGNED TRACK DUE TO TUNING IN THE WRONG VOR NAV. HIS FO NOTICED HIS MISTAKE WHICH HE WAS TURNING TO CORRECT HIS COURSE WHEN ATC INTERVENED AND GAVE HIM A VECTOR HDG TO ON COURSE.
Narrative: AFTER INITIATING THE INITIAL PORTIONS OF THE EWR 6 DEP, THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED. A CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO PROCEED DIRECT COL. I WAS FLYING AND LOOKED AT THE FMC DATABASE. COL WASN'T SHOWN, BUT CYN WAS, AND I SELECTED IT AND PROCEEDED TOWARD IT, WITH THE MIND SET THAT IT WAS THE SAME. MY SHARP FO NOTICED THE ERROR AND CALLED IT TO MY ATTN. AFTER CONFIRMING MY ERROR FOR MYSELF, I PUT COL INTO THE SCRATCH PAD OF THE CDU, SELECTED AND EXECUTED IT AS THE 'ACTIVE' WAYPOINT AND PROCEEDED TOWARD IT. THE ACFT WAS IN THE TURN WHEN ATC GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TOWARDS COL AND INDICATED THAT IT APPEARED THAT WE WERE HEADED TOWARD CYN. MY MIND SET TO READILY ACCEPT A 3 LETTER IDENT AS THE CORRECT ONE WITHOUT CONFIRMING THE CHOICE WITH A QUICK GLANCE AT THE CHART WAS A PRIME CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS CASE. THIS OVERSIGHT MAY HAVE CAUSED ATC TO HAVE TO TURN OTHER ACFT BECAUSE OF IT IN AN EXTREMELY CROWDED AIRSPACE SECTOR.
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.