MD80 CREW HAD TRACK DEV.

Narrative

WHILE PASSING FL200 FOR FL290; AND ON A 130 DEG HDG; ZSE GAVE US A 120 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT J54. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT TO ALS. AS I PUT IN DIRECT TO ALS; THE FO MADE AN INITIAL TURN TOWARDS ALS WHICH WAS A LITTLE TOO FAR TO THE NE. JUST AS HE STARTED TO MAKE THE CORRECTION TO DIRECT ALS; CTR ASKED ON WHAT HDG WE WERE. I TOLD CTR WE WERE PASSING 090 DEGS FOR A HDG OF 100 DEGS; WHICH WOULD TAKE US DIRECT ALS. CTR THEN ASKED WHY WE WERE NOT ON A HDG OF 120 DEGS TO INTERCEPT J54. I EXPLAINED HE HAD CLRED US DIRECT ALS AND WE HAD MADE TOO LARGE AN INITIAL HDG CHANGE. HE ACKNOWLEDGED HE HAD GIVEN US DIRECT ALS; BUT WE WERE SEVERAL MI FROM J54 AND HE NEEDED US BACK TO THE R. HE GAVE US A 110 DEG HDG FOR THE REST OF THE CLB. APPARENTLY; HIGHER THAN EXPECTED WINDS; COMBINED WITH A GREATER THAN REQUIRED INITIAL TURN PLACED US FURTHER N THAN CTR DESIRED. THERE WERE NO TARGETS ON THE 20 MI SCALE OF TCASII AND WE SAW NO CONFLICTS WITH EITHER DEP OR ARR TFC. CTR DID NOT INDICATE THAT ANY CONFLICTS HAD OCCURRED; BUT HE DID SEEM A LITTLE BOTHERED BY THE SIT.