C177 pilot; distracted by programming two GPS units and an ipad; and also conscious of traffic waiti...

Narrative:

When I was taxiing out I heard an ELT on 121.5. I asked another plane being fueled if he heard it too; but he said he only heard it when I transmitted; so maybe it was mine. I tested mine and didn't think it was on and kept taxiing out. I was at the runup area when I started programming my panel mount GPS; my portable GPS and my ipad. I also tried to figure out where the ELT was coming from. It must have taken longer than I expected because I didn't realize that the other plane was waiting to takeoff behind me. He came on the radio and said; 'you know; I'm burning 30 gallons an hour sitting here.' I immediately headed toward the runway to takeoff when he yelled over the radio 'stop! There's an aircraft on short final.' I stopped and immediately saw the aircraft. Fortunately I did not enter the runway; but the plane on final had the good sense to go-around. When I took the active; I saw that there were three other planes waiting to depart behind the plane. Not only was I holding things up programming three different navigation units on a perfect VFR day; but I let myself get spooked into doing something that could have been dangerous. The lesson is not to let unimportant things distract you and never lose situational awareness.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 pilot; distracted by programming two GPS units and an iPad; and also conscious of traffic waiting behind him; started to taxi onto the active runway causing an aircraft on final to go-around at a non-towered airport.

Narrative: When I was taxiing out I heard an ELT on 121.5. I asked another plane being fueled if he heard it too; but he said he only heard it when I transmitted; so maybe it was mine. I tested mine and didn't think it was on and kept taxiing out. I was at the runup area when I started programming my panel mount GPS; my portable GPS and my iPad. I also tried to figure out where the ELT was coming from. It must have taken longer than I expected because I didn't realize that the other plane was waiting to takeoff behind me. He came on the radio and said; 'You know; I'm burning 30 gallons an hour sitting here.' I immediately headed toward the runway to takeoff when he yelled over the radio 'STOP! There's an aircraft on short final.' I stopped and immediately saw the aircraft. Fortunately I did not enter the runway; but the plane on final had the good sense to go-around. When I took the active; I saw that there were three other planes waiting to depart behind the plane. Not only was I holding things up programming three different navigation units on a perfect VFR day; but I let myself get spooked into doing something that could have been dangerous. The lesson is not to let unimportant things distract you and never lose situational awareness.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.

Attributes
ACN	1101386
Time
Date	201307
Local Time Of Day	0601-1200
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Cardinal 177/177RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Taxi
Route In Use	Direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20 Flight Crew Total 1675 Flight Crew Type 700
Events
Anomaly	Conflict Ground Conflict Less Severe Ground Incursion Runway

C177 pilot; distracted by programming two GPS units and an ipad; and also conscious of traffic waiting behind him; started to taxi onto the active runway causing an aircraft on final to go-around at a non-towered airport.