A DC9 CAPT ADMITTED TO TALKING TOO MUCH TO A JUMP SEATER WHICH CAUSED HIM TO SET IN THE WRONG OUTBOUND COURSE AFTER XING TRM.

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I HAD FLOWN THE SAME TRIP; DAL-LAX-DAL FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH. WE WERE FILED ON THE SAME RTE ON EVERY TRIP EXCEPT FOR THE LAST DAY I FLEW. NORMALLY WE ARE FILED ON THE S RTE FROM LAX-DAL; WHICH TAKES US OVER EL PASO THEN TO DAL. ON THE DAY OF THIS OCCURRENCE; WE WERE FILED ON THE N RTE OVER ABQ. ON CLBOUT; WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TRM THEN FLT PLANNED RTE. I WAS CLBING THROUGH FL310 AS WE PASSED OVER TRM VOR. DURING THE CLB I WAS ALSO ENGAGED IN A CONVERSATION WITH A PLT ON OUR JUMP SEAT. I DIALED IN THE OUTBOUND OVER TRM AND PROCEEDED TO TRACK OUTBOUND ON THE AIRWAY WHICH WOULD TAKE US ON THE SOUTHERN RTE. AFTER ABOUT 10 MI; THE ATC CTLR ASKED IF WE WERE TRACKING THE AIRWAY FOR THE S RTE; WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED. THEN WE REALIZED THE MISTAKE WE HAD MADE. THE CORRECT AIRWAY IS ABOUT 30 DEGS N OF THE AIRWAY WE WERE ON. THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN ABOUT 10 DEGS L BECAUSE HE HAD TFC THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE US AROUND. AFTER A FEW MINS ON A VECTOR; WE WERE CLRED DIRECT PARKER VOR FOR OUR ASSIGNED RTE. THIS SIT SHOWS THAT A STERILE COCKPIT SHOULD NOT ALWAYS END AT 10000 FT. BECAUSE I WAS TALKING SO MUCH; I FAILED TO RECHK THE FLT PLAN; ALTHOUGH I CHKED IT AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE ROUTING ON THE GND. ALSO; IF I WAS BUSY WITH OTHER TASKS; I SHOULD HAVE TURNED CTL OF THE ACFT OVER TO THE FO. COMPLACENCY RAISES ITS UGLY HEAD WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT.