Air carrier small transport deviated from clearance route.

Attributes
ACN	80365
Time
Date	198801
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zid
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : v5
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	80365
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 220
ASRS Report	80613
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

First officer's leg. Captain assumed control while first officer looked for a lost pair of sunglasses. We were on an assigned heading of 070 degrees to join V5 off of cvg (036 degrees inbound). Captain's VOR needle started to come in so a turn to the left was begun. After about 25 degrees of turn, the 'off' flag appeared and the needle pegged to the right. It appeared to be a stray signal or scallop off of cvg. An immediate turn back to 070 degrees was begun. Center called and said to turn right to 090 degrees. Another voice came on and said right to 120 degrees. He asked if we had turned off of our heading. I said that we appeared to be intercepting V5, but then realized that it was a stray signal and turned back to our heading. He asked us to call on the ground. I talked to the senior controller and he said a student was working our flight with an instrument supervising. We had turned in the dir of another aircraft causing a possible conflict. (I had a visual on the other aircraft.) we had come within about 6 mi, according to him. Cvg VOR is the worst VOR I know of for scalloping signals. Both coming in from the north and south, you can expect wide deviations of signals from the station.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR SMT DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ROUTE.

Narrative: F/O'S LEG. CAPT ASSUMED CTL WHILE F/O LOOKED FOR A LOST PAIR OF SUNGLASSES. WE WERE ON AN ASSIGNED HDG OF 070 DEGS TO JOIN V5 OFF OF CVG (036 DEGS INBND). CAPT'S VOR NEEDLE STARTED TO COME IN SO A TURN TO THE LEFT WAS BEGUN. AFTER ABOUT 25 DEGS OF TURN, THE 'OFF' FLAG APPEARED AND THE NEEDLE PEGGED TO THE RIGHT. IT APPEARED TO BE A STRAY SIGNAL OR SCALLOP OFF OF CVG. AN IMMEDIATE TURN BACK TO 070 DEGS WAS BEGUN. CENTER CALLED AND SAID TO TURN RIGHT TO 090 DEGS. ANOTHER VOICE CAME ON AND SAID RIGHT TO 120 DEGS. HE ASKED IF WE HAD TURNED OFF OF OUR HDG. I SAID THAT WE APPEARED TO BE INTERCEPTING V5, BUT THEN REALIZED THAT IT WAS A STRAY SIGNAL AND TURNED BACK TO OUR HDG. HE ASKED US TO CALL ON THE GND. I TALKED TO THE SENIOR CTLR AND HE SAID A STUDENT WAS WORKING OUR FLT WITH AN INSTR SUPERVISING. WE HAD TURNED IN THE DIR OF ANOTHER ACFT CAUSING A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. (I HAD A VISUAL ON THE OTHER ACFT.) WE HAD COME WITHIN ABOUT 6 MI, ACCORDING TO HIM. CVG VOR IS THE WORST VOR I KNOW OF FOR SCALLOPING SIGNALS. BOTH COMING IN FROM THE N AND S, YOU CAN EXPECT WIDE DEVIATIONS OF SIGNALS FROM THE STATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.