A C172 PRACTICING AN ACTUAL IFR APCH AT LGB FLEW THROUGH THE LOC BECAUSE HE HAD THE NAV PANEL SET TO GPS INSTEAD OF VOR-ILS.

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THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO GAIN SOLO ACTUAL IFR EXPERIENCE. THIS WAS MY VERY FIRST SOLO IFR FLT IN ACTUAL CONDITIONS. I WAS JUST AS NERVOUS AS MY FIRST SOLO FLT AS A PRIMARY STUDENT. I REQUESTED AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC FROM LGB TO LGB. I INTENDED TO PERFORM ONE ILS APCH TO CULMINATE IN A FULL STOP LNDG. THIS WAS ULTIMATELY THE CASE. THE FOLLOWING IS AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER RECEIVING MY FINAL VECTOR (330 DEGS); INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE RWY 30 APCH AND A HDOF TO LGB TWR I FLEW THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE; ACCORDING TO THE TWR CTLR; BY APPROX 1 MI. THE TWR CTLR ADVISED ME AT ABOUT 1/2 MI PAST THE LOC OF THE SITUATION AND IT WAS AT ABOUT A MI BEFORE THE ACFT WAS HDG 180 DEGS AFTER A L TURN; AT THE REQUEST OF THE TWR. I DID NOT PROMPTLY 'GO MISSED' AS I HAD NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED; AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE THIS ALL HAPPENED OUTSIDE THE 'MARKER.' ONCE AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND AFTER A BRIEF TALK WITH THE TWR IT WAS AGREED THIS WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. THE ACTUAL TWR INSTRUCTIONS WERE 'MAINTAIN 1600 FT TURN L HDG 180 DEGS.' THE TWR 'BEAT ME' BY ABOUT 2 SECONDS MEANING I WAS JUST GETTING READY TO TELL THEM I THOUGHT SOMETHING WAS WRONG; AS I HAD FLOWN THIS APCH MANY TIMES. WHAT I THOUGHT WAS WRONG WAS; IT SEEMED LIKE; IT WAS TAKING TOO LONG FOR THE LOC NEEDLE TO 'COME ALIVE;' BE ESTABLISHED; ETC. AFTER ABOUT A MIN ON THE 180 DEG HDG I WAS HANDED BACK TO THE APCH CTLR. AFTER BEING WITH APCH (SOCAL) FOR LESS THAN 30 SECONDS I DISCOVERED THE PROB. THE ACFT HAS A PANEL MOUNTED GPS AS WELL AS THE 'TRADITIONAL' NAV EQUIP (VOR/ILS) RECEIVERS. THE BUTTON/SWITCH WAS POSITIONED TO GPS. AFTER MENTIONING THIS TO SEVERAL PLT FRIENDS; ALL EITHER COMMERCIALLY OR ATP RATED; VIRTUALLY ALL ADMITTED TO HAVING DONE IT; ONCE. THEY ALL RELATED THAT IS A 'GOTCHA' BUTTON AND YOU WILL PROBABLY NEVER DO IT AGAIN. WHAT THEY MEANT WAS THE EXPERIENCE AS A RESULT OF THE SWITCH MIS-POS SHOULD SERVE AS A HEALTHY REMINDER.