CRJ-900 flight crew reported a track deviation that occurred while departing ATL after encountering light wake turbulence.
Synopsis
CRJ-900 flight crew reported a track deviation that occurred while departing ATL after encountering light wake turbulence.
Narrative
During departure from ATL; I was conducting OE (Operating Experience) with the FO as PF. As the instructor; my primary focus during the initial climb was monitoring airspeed and pitch attitude while providing guidance to manage the aircrafts state.Shortly after takeoff; ATC advised we were right of course and asked if the turn had been initiated early. At that time; I looked and the aircraft was FMS-captured and seemed corrected on course. We had also encountered light wake turbulence from the preceding departure; which may have contributed to a momentary lateral displacement.When I reviewed lateral navigation; we appeared essentially on course and I advised ATC accordingly. In hindsight; I should have more deliberately verified lateral path prior to responding; particularly given the high workload of OE and the complexity of the departure environment.During post-flight and trip debriefing; we discussed the event further and determined that submitting a report would be appropriate to capture the lesson learned.Takeaway: increased emphasis on lateral navigation monitoring and verification during high-workload departures; especially while instructing during OE.Cause: High workload during a complex departure while conducting OE resulted in increased attention to airspeed; pitch attitude; and instructional duties. This reduced available attention for immediate lateral path verification during a brief period following takeoff. Light wake turbulence from a preceding departure may have contributed to a momentary lateral displacement.
Second reporter narrative
While departing ATL I was the PF during my OE (Operating Experience) trip with the Captain. During the initial climb; my attention was primarily directed toward maintaining proper pitch; airspeed control; and aircraft configuration while complying with the assigned RNAV departure procedure. As I am still early in my experience operating the aircraft with only a few hours in type; I was concentrating heavily on aircraft handling and flight path management during this phase of flight. Shortly after liftoff we experienced light wake turbulence from the aircraft departing ahead of us; which may have caused a brief lateral deviation. ATC notified us that our aircraft appeared to be right of course and questioned whether the turn had been started prematurely. When I checked the flight guidance and navigation displays; it indicated the aircraft had captured the programmed FMS lateral path and appeared to be tracking back toward the intended course. Based on my initial assessment the aircraft appeared to be correcting appropriately; and the captain relayed the information to ATC. Further reflection; I recognize that I could have taken more corrective action to verify lateral navigation accuracy. The high workload associated while on OE and the complexity of the departure likely contributed to my prioritization of aircraft control and vertical profile over a more detailed lateral verification. During the post-flight debrief; the Captain and I reviewed the situation and agreed that submitting a report would be beneficial to document the event and reinforce operational awareness.Cause: A primary contributing factor to this event was my limited experience in the aircraft; as I was still early in OE with relatively few hours in type. At this stage of training; I am continuing to develop proficiency and comfort with hand flying characteristics; flight director cue interpretation; and managing aircraft energy and control inputs during high-workload phases of flight. The complexity of the ATL departure environment; combined with wake turbulence from the preceding aircraft; further increased workload and task saturation. These factors likely contributed to a delayed or less deliberate verification of lateral course tracking after FMS path capture.As I continue to gain experience and familiarity with the aircraft; I anticipate improved capacity to manage aircraft control while maintaining a broader scan and more robust cross-check of navigation performance during critical phases of flight.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.