Narrative:

Our aircraft was headed to abq on a flight plan that took us over lvs. Shortly before reaching lvs, our ATC clearance was changed to fly to turn 10 degrees right to join the abq 006 degree radial, friho 3 arrival. Upon receipt of the clearance, I read back the clearance to ATC and the first officer read the clearance back to me. Both of us adjusted our omni bearing selectors to 186 degrees for the intercept, and I changed the frequency on my VOR to abq. The first officer left his VOR on lvs probably to note the time overhead for adjustment to our ETA. At that point, I realized that I still had my lunch tray, so I called the flight attendant to pick up the tray. Since the events of sep/11/01 and introduction of the cockpit door security bars and visual identify procedures, one pilot must now get out of his or her seat to manually open and close the door. I was probably out of my seat for less than 2 mins. During that period, I noticed the aircraft was in a turn and descending. When I got back into my seat, and put my earphone back in, I realized that we were being aggressively vectored from an oncoming aircraft. Due to the prompt action by the ATC controller, separation was preserved and our flight landed in abq on schedule without further incident. My suggestion to help prevent someone else from going through this embarrassment, whenever a crew member is required to move out of his seat, the pilot moving should turn on his overhead speaker. That way, the pilot operating the door, etc, is not totally out of the loop, and the important second pilot safety net is preserved. Supplemental information from acn 533681: the error was in the fact that I didn't hear the proper VOR (I thought that the controller cleared us to intercept the radial from the next VOR on our flight plan and approach). In actuality, we were cleared past the next VOR to the final VOR on the approach. The controller told us to turn and descend, which we did. Then we called once on the ground to explain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CREW MISINTERPED THE CLRNC, TUNED IN THE WRONG VOR, AND FLEW THE WRONG COURSE.

Narrative: OUR ACFT WAS HEADED TO ABQ ON A FLT PLAN THAT TOOK US OVER LVS. SHORTLY BEFORE REACHING LVS, OUR ATC CLRNC WAS CHANGED TO FLY TO TURN 10 DEGS R TO JOIN THE ABQ 006 DEG RADIAL, FRIHO 3 ARR. UPON RECEIPT OF THE CLRNC, I READ BACK THE CLRNC TO ATC AND THE FO READ THE CLRNC BACK TO ME. BOTH OF US ADJUSTED OUR OMNI BEARING SELECTORS TO 186 DEGS FOR THE INTERCEPT, AND I CHANGED THE FREQ ON MY VOR TO ABQ. THE FO LEFT HIS VOR ON LVS PROBABLY TO NOTE THE TIME OVERHEAD FOR ADJUSTMENT TO OUR ETA. AT THAT POINT, I REALIZED THAT I STILL HAD MY LUNCH TRAY, SO I CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO PICK UP THE TRAY. SINCE THE EVENTS OF SEP/11/01 AND INTRODUCTION OF THE COCKPIT DOOR SECURITY BARS AND VISUAL IDENT PROCS, ONE PLT MUST NOW GET OUT OF HIS OR HER SEAT TO MANUALLY OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR. I WAS PROBABLY OUT OF MY SEAT FOR LESS THAN 2 MINS. DURING THAT PERIOD, I NOTICED THE ACFT WAS IN A TURN AND DSNDING. WHEN I GOT BACK INTO MY SEAT, AND PUT MY EARPHONE BACK IN, I REALIZED THAT WE WERE BEING AGGRESSIVELY VECTORED FROM AN ONCOMING ACFT. DUE TO THE PROMPT ACTION BY THE ATC CTLR, SEPARATION WAS PRESERVED AND OUR FLT LANDED IN ABQ ON SCHEDULE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. MY SUGGESTION TO HELP PREVENT SOMEONE ELSE FROM GOING THROUGH THIS EMBARRASSMENT, WHENEVER A CREW MEMBER IS REQUIRED TO MOVE OUT OF HIS SEAT, THE PLT MOVING SHOULD TURN ON HIS OVERHEAD SPEAKER. THAT WAY, THE PLT OPERATING THE DOOR, ETC, IS NOT TOTALLY OUT OF THE LOOP, AND THE IMPORTANT SECOND PLT SAFETY NET IS PRESERVED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 533681: THE ERROR WAS IN THE FACT THAT I DIDN'T HEAR THE PROPER VOR (I THOUGHT THAT THE CTLR CLRED US TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL FROM THE NEXT VOR ON OUR FLT PLAN AND APCH). IN ACTUALITY, WE WERE CLRED PAST THE NEXT VOR TO THE FINAL VOR ON THE APCH. THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN AND DSND, WHICH WE DID. THEN WE CALLED ONCE ON THE GND TO EXPLAIN.

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.