Narrative:

Events: first officer was flying pilot during start of STAR I discovered I had misplaced my sunglasses. We received and acknowledged a descent clearance with crossing restr. Preoccupied, I tuned VOR #1 to the frequency set in VOR # 2 to continue my search for the sunglasses. Eventually a comment from ATC stating a vector may be needed to get us down plus stating tul was roughly 40 miles ahead, got our full attention and I discovered we were both tuned to an incorrect VOR. Center and tul app were helpful, but no direct statement implied either a reclrnc or a problem. The two factors for my part were an obsession in my search for sunglasses at the expense of full attention. Relying on the first officer having tuned the correct VOR (and not identifying same). A further though slight point was I perhaps relied a bit on my memory of the VOR frequency we tuned, which was one digit off from tul (I believe okc - 114.1 vs 114.4). Obviously a little distraction and a bit of complacency can have very negative results, even during what appears to be the simplest or least complicated of procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD83 CAPT FORGOT THAT HE WAS CLRED FOR A DESCENT AND A CROSSING FIX RESTR TO MEET WHEN ARTCC CTLR ALERTED HIM AND ASKED IF HE WANTED VECTORS TO MAKE THE RESTR.

Narrative: EVENTS: FO WAS FLYING PLT DURING START OF STAR I DISCOVERED I HAD MISPLACED MY SUNGLASSES. WE RECEIVED AND ACKNOWLEDGED A DESCENT CLRNC WITH CROSSING RESTR. PREOCCUPIED, I TUNED VOR #1 TO THE FREQUENCY SET IN VOR # 2 TO CONTINUE MY SEARCH FOR THE SUNGLASSES. EVENTUALLY A COMMENT FROM ATC STATING A VECTOR MAY BE NEEDED TO GET US DOWN PLUS STATING TUL WAS ROUGHLY 40 MILES AHEAD, GOT OUR FULL ATTENTION AND I DISCOVERED WE WERE BOTH TUNED TO AN INCORRECT VOR. CTR AND TUL APP WERE HELPFUL, BUT NO DIRECT STATEMENT IMPLIED EITHER A RECLRNC OR A PROBLEM. THE TWO FACTORS FOR MY PART WERE AN OBSESSION IN MY SEARCH FOR SUNGLASSES AT THE EXPENSE OF FULL ATTENTION. RELYING ON THE FO HAVING TUNED THE CORRECT VOR (AND NOT IDENTIFYING SAME). A FURTHER THOUGH SLIGHT POINT WAS I PERHAPS RELIED A BIT ON MY MEMORY OF THE VOR FREQUENCY WE TUNED, WHICH WAS ONE DIGIT OFF FROM TUL (I BELIEVE OKC - 114.1 VS 114.4). OBVIOUSLY A LITTLE DISTRACTION AND A BIT OF COMPLACENCY CAN HAVE VERY NEGATIVE RESULTS, EVEN DURING WHAT APPEARS TO BE THE SIMPLEST OR LEAST COMPLICATED OF PROC.

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.