2007-12 · NASA ASRS report 768034
A C414 PILOT FAILED TO ENTER A NAVAID IN TWO GPS SYSTEMS AND DEVIATED ON AIRWAYS. SUGGESTION: ALLOW ADVANCED NAV ACFT TO FLY DIRECT OFF AIRWAYS.
WAS ON IFR FLT AT FL270 IN A PRESSURIZED PISTON TWIN WITH 1 PAX. IFR CLRNC RECEIVED; WAS RADAR VECTORED TO ORL; J53; CRG; J174; HTO; ORW; GDM; DIRECT DEST. ENTERED THIS ROUTING INTO BOTH GPS NAVIGATORS BEFORE TAXI (GNS-430 AND KLN-90B). WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH AIRWAYS IN THE S; SO USED HIGH ENRTE CHARTS TO ENTER WAYPOINTS FOR J53 AND J174. AT THIS POINT AN ERROR OCCURRED; AND CRG INADVERTENTLY DID NOT GET ENTERED INTO EITHER GPS. BOTH WERE ACCIDENTALLY PROGRAMMED FOR ORL DIRECT TO MILIE INTXN ALONG J174. CTR CTLR INQUIRED OF MY ROUTING JUST N OF ORL; AS I WAS THEN FLYING E OF THE CLRED RTE. I CHKED; REALIZED MY MISTAKE; AND ASKED CTR WHETHER I SHOULD TURN BACK WESTWARD TOWARD THE CORRECT RTE AT THAT POINT. THE CTLR WAS VERY POLITE; SAID SHE'D CHKED WITH 'THE GUY SITTING NEXT TO ME' AND THEN CLRED ME DIRECT FROM MY PRESENT POS TO CHS (ALONG J174). THIS WAS CLEARLY A PREFLT DATA ENTRY PLT ERROR; FOR WHICH I HAVE NO EXCUSE. I WAS NOT IN ANY HURRY AT THE TIME (WAS RETURNING FROM VACATION); WAS SITTING IN A COMFORTABLE COCKPIT IN GOOD WX; AND WAS UNDER NO PRESSURE OF ANY SORT THAT I RECALL. IT WAS JUST A MISTAKE; AND MORE CAREFUL DILIGENCE SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED IT. IN 33 YRS OF FLYING; I'VE NOT ENTERED A ROUTING INCORRECTLY LIKE THIS BEFORE; BUT IN THE BUSY FL NORTH/SOUTH AIRSPACE; THIS COULD HAVE CREATED A PROB. THANKFULLY; CTR CAUGHT IT. ONE STRONG RECOMMENDATION. LET'S GET RID OF 'AIRWAY CLRNCS' WHEN THE ACFT IS /G EQUIPPED AND ONLY A FEW INTERVENING WAYPOINTS ARE INVOLVED. NEITHER OF MY GARMIN OR KING NAVIGATORS CONTAIN AIRWAY INFO; SO WHEN AN AIRWAY CLRNC IS RECEIVED; A PAPER CHART MUST BE CONSULTED; WAYPOINTS DETERMINED; AND EACH THEN ENTERED INTO THE NAVIGATORS. IN ABOUT 300 HRS PER YR OF FLYING; MUCH OF IT E/W TRANSCONTINENTAL FLTS WITH INTERVENING FUEL STOPS; ALMOST ALL MY FLTS ARE FAIRLY DIRECT; WITH AN OCCASIONAL 'DIRECT-TO' WAYPOINT IN BETWEEN. NO AIRWAYS. EITHER LET'S ELIMINATE AIRWAY CLRNCS WHENEVER POSSIBLE; OR LET'S USE TSO REQUIREMENTS TO GET THE GPS MANUFACTURERS TO INCLUDE AIRWAY DATA IN THEIR BOXES. THERE MUST BE A REASON THAT THOSE BOXES KNOW JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS KNOWABLE ABOUT THE FLT ENVIRONMENT EXCEPT THE IDENTITY AND RTES OF AIRWAYS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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