Narrative:

We were en route from (crw) RNAV direct to (lan) on the evening of march X, 1990. This was a continuation of a flight that originated at (cre) earlier that day. Both legs were on an IFR flight plan. While en route northwest from charleston we were almost continually checking the WX at lan. Lan had been forecast to improve from lifr to IFR after xa local time. It did not. I was tired from a day of planning to fly and flying in IMC with chances of turbulence and possible icing conditions. We were a few mi north of (ape) when I decided that I was not willing to make an approach to 200' and 1/2 mi at lan at night with the possibility of icing. The current WX at lan and the forecast indicated that those would be the general conditions there and over most of southern mi that evening. Cleveland FSS indicated that fdy was about as far north as we could go west/O encountering lifr conditions. We modified our flight plan to fly from our then present position, a few mi north of ape, direct to fdy. Toledo approach said to plan on VOR runway 25 approach to fdy. Conditions were, I believe, 1300' and 3 or 4 mi, essentially VFR with about 1000' of cloud to descend through. All in all a simple IFR procedure. The error was that I did not change from the fdy VOR to the mah VOR for the approach... I knew that something was wrong when, as I remember, I turned inbound and toledo approach said I was well south of course. At that time I became aware of my mistake, changed VOR's and was vectored to a new heading to intercept the inbound course and made the approach west/O further incident. As I remember, I had not descended below 2500' before the mistake was corrected. The approach controller commented about the error in a way that would make a student pilot consider using an automobile when it was cloudy. I believe the error was made because the approach was to a nonflt planned unfamiliar airport, immediate concern for not being able to 'get home' with my 3 nonplt passengers, and possibly some fatigue on my part.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TUNES IN WRONG VOR FOR APCH AND ENDS UP WELL SOUTH OF COURSE BEFORE THE MISTAKE WAS CAUGHT.

Narrative: WE WERE ENRTE FROM (CRW) RNAV DIRECT TO (LAN) ON THE EVENING OF MARCH X, 1990. THIS WAS A CONTINUATION OF A FLT THAT ORIGINATED AT (CRE) EARLIER THAT DAY. BOTH LEGS WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. WHILE ENRTE NW FROM CHARLESTON WE WERE ALMOST CONTINUALLY CHKING THE WX AT LAN. LAN HAD BEEN FORECAST TO IMPROVE FROM LIFR TO IFR AFTER XA LCL TIME. IT DID NOT. I WAS TIRED FROM A DAY OF PLANNING TO FLY AND FLYING IN IMC WITH CHANCES OF TURB AND POSSIBLE ICING CONDITIONS. WE WERE A FEW MI N OF (APE) WHEN I DECIDED THAT I WAS NOT WILLING TO MAKE AN APCH TO 200' AND 1/2 MI AT LAN AT NIGHT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ICING. THE CURRENT WX AT LAN AND THE FORECAST INDICATED THAT THOSE WOULD BE THE GENERAL CONDITIONS THERE AND OVER MOST OF SOUTHERN MI THAT EVENING. CLEVELAND FSS INDICATED THAT FDY WAS ABOUT AS FAR N AS WE COULD GO W/O ENCOUNTERING LIFR CONDITIONS. WE MODIFIED OUR FLT PLAN TO FLY FROM OUR THEN PRESENT POS, A FEW MI N OF APE, DIRECT TO FDY. TOLEDO APCH SAID TO PLAN ON VOR RWY 25 APCH TO FDY. CONDITIONS WERE, I BELIEVE, 1300' AND 3 OR 4 MI, ESSENTIALLY VFR WITH ABOUT 1000' OF CLOUD TO DSND THROUGH. ALL IN ALL A SIMPLE IFR PROC. THE ERROR WAS THAT I DID NOT CHANGE FROM THE FDY VOR TO THE MAH VOR FOR THE APCH... I KNEW THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN, AS I REMEMBER, I TURNED INBND AND TOLEDO APCH SAID I WAS WELL S OF COURSE. AT THAT TIME I BECAME AWARE OF MY MISTAKE, CHANGED VOR'S AND WAS VECTORED TO A NEW HDG TO INTERCEPT THE INBND COURSE AND MADE THE APCH W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. AS I REMEMBER, I HAD NOT DSNDED BELOW 2500' BEFORE THE MISTAKE WAS CORRECTED. THE APCH CTLR COMMENTED ABOUT THE ERROR IN A WAY THAT WOULD MAKE A STUDENT PLT CONSIDER USING AN AUTOMOBILE WHEN IT WAS CLOUDY. I BELIEVE THE ERROR WAS MADE BECAUSE THE APCH WAS TO A NONFLT PLANNED UNFAMILIAR ARPT, IMMEDIATE CONCERN FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO 'GET HOME' WITH MY 3 NONPLT PAXS, AND POSSIBLY SOME FATIGUE ON MY PART.

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