Aircraft deviated from airway on IFR flight.

Attributes
ACN	110023
Time
Date	198904
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lla
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : far
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v198
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 800
ASRS Report	110023
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

About 35 DME east white lake VOR lafayette said I was almost 10 mi north of V198. Immediately prior and during their notice I had 2 navigation radios on white lake VOR and had been receiving erratic deflections of the course needle. I had no full deflection and both radios were moving very similarly. Visibility contact with ground, compass headings and erratic CDI deflections had me concerned I was north of the center of the arwy, but I thought I was within authority/authorized parameters of the arwy. My avionics tech has not had time to check my radios, but I believe that my alternator or something in my aircraft mixed with the radio signal from the VOR and caused the erratic movement of the course needles. I do not believe there was anything wrong with the VOR station. Prevention is proper maintenance of my aircraft which I thought I had done by having the aircraft IFR certified and doing my 30 day VOR test, but now I must do more before I fly this aircraft again. I just had a factory annual. The real error (if one was made) was not contacting control and asking for help. I recognized I had a problem and was off autoplt and doublechking radios when control contacted me. I would have contacted control soon, but apparently I was not acting as quickly as I should.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DEVIATED FROM AIRWAY ON IFR FLT.

Narrative: ABOUT 35 DME E WHITE LAKE VOR LAFAYETTE SAID I WAS ALMOST 10 MI N OF V198. IMMEDIATELY PRIOR AND DURING THEIR NOTICE I HAD 2 NAV RADIOS ON WHITE LAKE VOR AND HAD BEEN RECEIVING ERRATIC DEFLECTIONS OF THE COURSE NEEDLE. I HAD NO FULL DEFLECTION AND BOTH RADIOS WERE MOVING VERY SIMILARLY. VIS CONTACT WITH GND, COMPASS HDGS AND ERRATIC CDI DEFLECTIONS HAD ME CONCERNED I WAS N OF THE CENTER OF THE ARWY, BUT I THOUGHT I WAS WITHIN AUTH PARAMETERS OF THE ARWY. MY AVIONICS TECH HAS NOT HAD TIME TO CHK MY RADIOS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT MY ALTERNATOR OR SOMETHING IN MY ACFT MIXED WITH THE RADIO SIGNAL FROM THE VOR AND CAUSED THE ERRATIC MOVEMENT OF THE COURSE NEEDLES. I DO NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VOR STATION. PREVENTION IS PROPER MAINT OF MY ACFT WHICH I THOUGHT I HAD DONE BY HAVING THE ACFT IFR CERTIFIED AND DOING MY 30 DAY VOR TEST, BUT NOW I MUST DO MORE BEFORE I FLY THIS ACFT AGAIN. I JUST HAD A FACTORY ANNUAL. THE REAL ERROR (IF ONE WAS MADE) WAS NOT CONTACTING CTL AND ASKING FOR HELP. I RECOGNIZED I HAD A PROB AND WAS OFF AUTOPLT AND DOUBLECHKING RADIOS WHEN CTL CONTACTED ME. I WOULD HAVE CONTACTED CTL SOON, BUT APPARENTLY I WAS NOT ACTING AS QUICKLY AS I SHOULD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.