MD80 crew had track deviation in ZTL class a airspace.

Attributes
ACN	498260
Time
Date	200101
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : vxv.vortac
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl single value : 35000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	498260
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : issued alert none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Navigation error. Non GPS aircraft at cruise in ZTL airspace. First officer was eating and I was flying and talking. Our cleared route was J26 vxv J46 bna. After overflying vxv, I misread route and continued on J26. Center queried us regarding route and uneventfully vectored us following my admission of my incorrect turn. Normally, when crossing a fix, I check the next MISC14 fix to confirm my interpretation of filed route. I obviously omitted this xchk.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD TRACK DEV IN ZTL CLASS A AIRSPACE.

Narrative: NAV ERROR. NON GPS ACFT AT CRUISE IN ZTL AIRSPACE. FO WAS EATING AND I WAS FLYING AND TALKING. OUR CLRED RTE WAS J26 VXV J46 BNA. AFTER OVERFLYING VXV, I MISREAD RTE AND CONTINUED ON J26. CTR QUERIED US REGARDING RTE AND UNEVENTFULLY VECTORED US FOLLOWING MY ADMISSION OF MY INCORRECT TURN. NORMALLY, WHEN XING A FIX, I CHK THE NEXT MISC14 FIX TO CONFIRM MY INTERP OF FILED RTE. I OBVIOUSLY OMITTED THIS XCHK.

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.