Narrative:

I arrived at sna about XA30 local to file an IFR flight plan for oak. WX was 2000' thin broken marine layer and cavu on top. Briefer informed me that the airport would close at XA45 for the night. I did a rapid preflight and was able to get my clearance immediately and departed just under the wire. The departure is a little more complicated than most (rv sli, V8, V363, V186, darts, V459 lhs), but I was familiar with it. I left on an assigned heading and was then given a heading to join V363. I took a moment to get the cockpit organized and when I dialed in the appropriate VOR and set the radial on the HSI, the HSI showed I was already past the pom 164 degree right for V363. I turned northwest to pick up the radial. A moment later approach called to say I was headed northwest and gave me an 040 degree heading to join 363. I made the change, rechked my settings and the charts, but the HSI still showed I had passed the arwy. I decided to call departure and discuss the matter. As I made one last check before calling, I realized that my preoccupation with the HSI had led me to climb through the assigned 6000' and that I was going through 7000'. I immediately returned to 6000'. I called departure and said I wasn't clear about the situation and that my chart showed V363 as the pom 164 degree right. Departure replied that I was correct, but that I made the turn northwest too soon. I then did what I should have done before: I dialed in the arwy on my #2 VOR and found that I was still a few mi west of it. In a few seconds I found the problem: the HSI was set to my LORAN, not to the #1 VOR. I had come into the airport VFR late that afternoon using my VFR LORAN for primary navigation. My pretkof IFR checklist includes checking that the HSI is set to the VOR, but I missed it in my hurry to depart before the airport closed. Cause: preoccupation with navigation problem caused the altitude deviation. Factors: hurried pretkof checklist and improperly set HSI. Correction: make returning the HSI to VOR navigation a part of every shutdown. Better attention to running the complete IFR pretkof checklist, especially when I am in a hurry. Better planning to avoid the rush. I was aware the airport closed early, but did not expect to be late this time and simply forgot about the NOTAM as my meeting dragged on. X-chk with the other VOR immediately when there is an apparent problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT LIGHT TWIN ON IFR FLT OUT OF SNA TURNS PREMATURELY DUE TO AN IMPROPERLY SET HSI. IN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ACTUAL POS, PLT WAS DISTRACTED AND ALSO OVERSHOT HIS ALT BY 1000'.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT SNA ABOUT XA30 LCL TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR OAK. WX WAS 2000' THIN BROKEN MARINE LAYER AND CAVU ON TOP. BRIEFER INFORMED ME THAT THE ARPT WOULD CLOSE AT XA45 FOR THE NIGHT. I DID A RAPID PREFLT AND WAS ABLE TO GET MY CLRNC IMMEDIATELY AND DEPARTED JUST UNDER THE WIRE. THE DEP IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED THAN MOST (RV SLI, V8, V363, V186, DARTS, V459 LHS), BUT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH IT. I LEFT ON AN ASSIGNED HDG AND WAS THEN GIVEN A HDG TO JOIN V363. I TOOK A MOMENT TO GET THE COCKPIT ORGANIZED AND WHEN I DIALED IN THE APPROPRIATE VOR AND SET THE RADIAL ON THE HSI, THE HSI SHOWED I WAS ALREADY PAST THE POM 164 DEG R FOR V363. I TURNED NW TO PICK UP THE RADIAL. A MOMENT LATER APCH CALLED TO SAY I WAS HEADED NW AND GAVE ME AN 040 DEG HDG TO JOIN 363. I MADE THE CHANGE, RECHKED MY SETTINGS AND THE CHARTS, BUT THE HSI STILL SHOWED I HAD PASSED THE ARWY. I DECIDED TO CALL DEP AND DISCUSS THE MATTER. AS I MADE ONE LAST CHK BEFORE CALLING, I REALIZED THAT MY PREOCCUPATION WITH THE HSI HAD LED ME TO CLB THROUGH THE ASSIGNED 6000' AND THAT I WAS GOING THROUGH 7000'. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO 6000'. I CALLED DEP AND SAID I WASN'T CLR ABOUT THE SITUATION AND THAT MY CHART SHOWED V363 AS THE POM 164 DEG R. DEP REPLIED THAT I WAS CORRECT, BUT THAT I MADE THE TURN NW TOO SOON. I THEN DID WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE BEFORE: I DIALED IN THE ARWY ON MY #2 VOR AND FOUND THAT I WAS STILL A FEW MI W OF IT. IN A FEW SECS I FOUND THE PROB: THE HSI WAS SET TO MY LORAN, NOT TO THE #1 VOR. I HAD COME INTO THE ARPT VFR LATE THAT AFTERNOON USING MY VFR LORAN FOR PRIMARY NAV. MY PRETKOF IFR CHKLIST INCLUDES CHKING THAT THE HSI IS SET TO THE VOR, BUT I MISSED IT IN MY HURRY TO DEPART BEFORE THE ARPT CLOSED. CAUSE: PREOCCUPATION WITH NAV PROB CAUSED THE ALT DEVIATION. FACTORS: HURRIED PRETKOF CHKLIST AND IMPROPERLY SET HSI. CORRECTION: MAKE RETURNING THE HSI TO VOR NAV A PART OF EVERY SHUTDOWN. BETTER ATTN TO RUNNING THE COMPLETE IFR PRETKOF CHKLIST, ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM IN A HURRY. BETTER PLANNING TO AVOID THE RUSH. I WAS AWARE THE ARPT CLOSED EARLY, BUT DID NOT EXPECT TO BE LATE THIS TIME AND SIMPLY FORGOT ABOUT THE NOTAM AS MY MEETING DRAGGED ON. X-CHK WITH THE OTHER VOR IMMEDIATELY WHEN THERE IS AN APPARENT PROB.

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.