Narrative:

Reported aircraft special equipment on filing flight plan to be 'a'. Should have been 'U' since aircraft has no DME. This was pilot error probably because I always fly in aircraft that are a or right. A hasty preflight preparation was probably a factor and unfamiliarity with the particular aircraft. In future; know the aircraft and prepare properly problem #2; heading, altitude, and arwy excursions. I had flown this aircraft, which belongs to an acquaintance, a couple of times prior to this flight. These flts were short and VFR in nature and I believed and was told by the owner that all equipment, except the ADF worked. After takeoff from C73, I proceeded VFR to intercept V158 to dbq VOR. I was initially confused by the VOR indicator and my known position. I realized, by orientation to the ground, that I was past the arwy. After a few mins I then realized that the to/from flags were operating backwards. I thought I could continue the flight as long as I kept this in mind since obs and CDI information seemed reasonable. I contacted rockford approach to pick up my clearance for my IFR flight plan. I had great difficulty understanding rockford's xmissions as the aircraft is equipped with ancient communication/navigation receivers. After a couple of repeats, I understood what rockford was saying. After maybe 10 or 15 mins, rockford asked if I was going direct to dbq and I responded affirmative. They said I was off course and to turn to a new heading. This was my first clue that the accuracy of my navigation equipment was in question (even though both needles were within 6 degree of each other and almost centered). After passing the dbq VOR, I turned onto V100 and everything seemed normal. A short time later, ATC queried about my heading and I was apparently off course again. I told ATC that my VOR indications were correct although the CDI's seemed sluggish. Given a new heading, everything seemed ok again. Not long after dbq, it became apparent that the thunderstorms that had been in a line north of our route were building further south and would cross our route. I became less and less confident in my VOR indications in trying to pick up alo, waterloo VOR. I decided to try and get the sts LORAN (not IFR approved) working as a back up. I have used several other lorans but had great difficulty in getting this one set up. I even consulted the manual but couldn't get it to work. Meanwhile I was starting to have to make small deviations around cloud tops. It was at this point that due to my distrs and some turbulence, that I let my altitude slip to plus 600' of that assigned. ATC (minn center, I think) requested that I 'maintain 8000' which drew attention to my error. I corrected immediately, but realize it was totally my error. I should always 'fly the airplane first' even though I was stressed about my situation. The flight continued with a change in destination from storm lake, ia, to fort dodge, ia, due to more thunderstorms that were developing across our route. I cancelled IFR about 15 mi northeast of fort dodge. I can't really be sure how much I deviated from the arwy as I was above a broken layer and my VOR indications were indicating that I was in the center of the arwy. However, from the queries from ATC, my equipment must have a problem. Lessons learned. Know the airplane, it's capabilities, test equipment more thoroughly. Fly the airplane first. Don't let distrs or tension get in the way of aircraft control. In retrospect, in consideration of the aircraft's equipment problems and the WX, I should have stayed home. Don't let wanting to reach my destination get in the way of good judgement. This report is accurate to the best of my recollection. I'm not sure which ATC facs were involved at which time unless I stated so in the narrative. I was queried about my altitude one other time while with waterloo approach but I'm not sure why since I was only 100' high.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT PLUS TRACK HEADING DEVIATION.

Narrative: RPTED ACFT SPECIAL EQUIP ON FILING FLT PLAN TO BE 'A'. SHOULD HAVE BEEN 'U' SINCE ACFT HAS NO DME. THIS WAS PLT ERROR PROBABLY BECAUSE I ALWAYS FLY IN ACFT THAT ARE A OR R. A HASTY PREFLT PREPARATION WAS PROBABLY A FACTOR AND UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE PARTICULAR ACFT. IN FUTURE; KNOW THE ACFT AND PREPARE PROPERLY PROB #2; HDG, ALT, AND ARWY EXCURSIONS. I HAD FLOWN THIS ACFT, WHICH BELONGS TO AN ACQUAINTANCE, A COUPLE OF TIMES PRIOR TO THIS FLT. THESE FLTS WERE SHORT AND VFR IN NATURE AND I BELIEVED AND WAS TOLD BY THE OWNER THAT ALL EQUIP, EXCEPT THE ADF WORKED. AFTER TKOF FROM C73, I PROCEEDED VFR TO INTERCEPT V158 TO DBQ VOR. I WAS INITIALLY CONFUSED BY THE VOR INDICATOR AND MY KNOWN POSITION. I REALIZED, BY ORIENTATION TO THE GND, THAT I WAS PAST THE ARWY. AFTER A FEW MINS I THEN REALIZED THAT THE TO/FROM FLAGS WERE OPERATING BACKWARDS. I THOUGHT I COULD CONTINUE THE FLT AS LONG AS I KEPT THIS IN MIND SINCE OBS AND CDI INFO SEEMED REASONABLE. I CONTACTED ROCKFORD APCH TO PICK UP MY CLRNC FOR MY IFR FLT PLAN. I HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING ROCKFORD'S XMISSIONS AS THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH ANCIENT COM/NAV RECEIVERS. AFTER A COUPLE OF REPEATS, I UNDERSTOOD WHAT ROCKFORD WAS SAYING. AFTER MAYBE 10 OR 15 MINS, ROCKFORD ASKED IF I WAS GOING DIRECT TO DBQ AND I RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVE. THEY SAID I WAS OFF COURSE AND TO TURN TO A NEW HDG. THIS WAS MY FIRST CLUE THAT THE ACCURACY OF MY NAV EQUIP WAS IN QUESTION (EVEN THOUGH BOTH NEEDLES WERE WITHIN 6 DEG OF EACH OTHER AND ALMOST CENTERED). AFTER PASSING THE DBQ VOR, I TURNED ONTO V100 AND EVERYTHING SEEMED NORMAL. A SHORT TIME LATER, ATC QUERIED ABOUT MY HDG AND I WAS APPARENTLY OFF COURSE AGAIN. I TOLD ATC THAT MY VOR INDICATIONS WERE CORRECT ALTHOUGH THE CDI'S SEEMED SLUGGISH. GIVEN A NEW HDG, EVERYTHING SEEMED OK AGAIN. NOT LONG AFTER DBQ, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE TSTMS THAT HAD BEEN IN A LINE N OF OUR RTE WERE BUILDING FURTHER S AND WOULD CROSS OUR RTE. I BECAME LESS AND LESS CONFIDENT IN MY VOR INDICATIONS IN TRYING TO PICK UP ALO, WATERLOO VOR. I DECIDED TO TRY AND GET THE STS LORAN (NOT IFR APPROVED) WORKING AS A BACK UP. I HAVE USED SEVERAL OTHER LORANS BUT HAD GREAT DIFFICULTY IN GETTING THIS ONE SET UP. I EVEN CONSULTED THE MANUAL BUT COULDN'T GET IT TO WORK. MEANWHILE I WAS STARTING TO HAVE TO MAKE SMALL DEVS AROUND CLOUD TOPS. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT DUE TO MY DISTRS AND SOME TURB, THAT I LET MY ALT SLIP TO PLUS 600' OF THAT ASSIGNED. ATC (MINN CTR, I THINK) REQUESTED THAT I 'MAINTAIN 8000' WHICH DREW ATTN TO MY ERROR. I CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY, BUT REALIZE IT WAS TOTALLY MY ERROR. I SHOULD ALWAYS 'FLY THE AIRPLANE FIRST' EVEN THOUGH I WAS STRESSED ABOUT MY SITUATION. THE FLT CONTINUED WITH A CHANGE IN DEST FROM STORM LAKE, IA, TO FORT DODGE, IA, DUE TO MORE TSTMS THAT WERE DEVELOPING ACROSS OUR RTE. I CANCELLED IFR ABOUT 15 MI NE OF FORT DODGE. I CAN'T REALLY BE SURE HOW MUCH I DEVIATED FROM THE ARWY AS I WAS ABOVE A BROKEN LAYER AND MY VOR INDICATIONS WERE INDICATING THAT I WAS IN THE CTR OF THE ARWY. HOWEVER, FROM THE QUERIES FROM ATC, MY EQUIP MUST HAVE A PROB. LESSONS LEARNED. KNOW THE AIRPLANE, IT'S CAPABILITIES, TEST EQUIP MORE THOROUGHLY. FLY THE AIRPLANE FIRST. DON'T LET DISTRS OR TENSION GET IN THE WAY OF ACFT CTL. IN RETROSPECT, IN CONSIDERATION OF THE ACFT'S EQUIP PROBS AND THE WX, I SHOULD HAVE STAYED HOME. DON'T LET WANTING TO REACH MY DEST GET IN THE WAY OF GOOD JUDGEMENT. THIS RPT IS ACCURATE TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION. I'M NOT SURE WHICH ATC FACS WERE INVOLVED AT WHICH TIME UNLESS I STATED SO IN THE NARRATIVE. I WAS QUERIED ABOUT MY ALT ONE OTHER TIME WHILE WITH WATERLOO APCH BUT I'M NOT SURE WHY SINCE I WAS ONLY 100' HIGH.

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.