Narrative:

I've been flying far 135 charter in 4 jets and, rarely, 2 turboprops. I have thousands of hours of IFR, single pilot, in military jets and cabin class multieng, but this was my first single pilot IFR in 28 months, my first time in type in 3 plus months (98% of my time in type was 5 plus yrs ago). This one is an early example of the type: no annunciator panel, gauges and switches scattered at random across the panel, etc. Autoplt works, with some help and lots of supervision. Flight was assigned the night before. I planned to arrive a half-hour earlier than usual, to review the cockpit and checklists before the passenger arrived. Passenger rescheduled the trip 1/2 hour earlier, just before I left for the airport. I filed from home, direct a direct B, direct destination. During climb (IMC) and immediately after level-off (VMC), approaching a, I was distraction by a long list of things: searching for cruise checklist items, answering passenger questions about where to get coffee cups creamer stirring sticks napkins, etc. ('Is this stuff decaf?' can you make it warmer back here?'). Scan for traffic. Keep an eye on 'george.' think ahead: now that I've been cleared for what I filed, I'll plot a course from B to destination. (Amid the myriad preflight duties, I had eyeballed it to within a couple of degrees -- couldn't find the plotter). This is done, just as I approach a and answer a passenger question that takes a moment's thought and turn...to intercept the radial I had just plotted from B to destination. (Only, at this point, I'm still several mins from B and should be going from a to B). ATC catches my screw-up within 1 1/2 mins, asks my position; I quickly and accurately answer -- as it occurs to me where I'm supposed to be going. Oops! Fortunately, there were no traffic conflicts: center didn't issue any 'call this number when you land' warnings, and -- so far -- I haven't been issued any violations, ever. How to avoid this sort of thing? The guys who say 'ignore the passenger, or tell 'em to situation down and 'shut up' have never tried to make a living in charter flying. A passenger complaint will get you fired as fast as a violation will. Stay current in each machine? That was the original intent. However, this plane flies about twice/month lately, and I'm only the 'backup' pilot for it. Concentrate very *&%ing hard, and 'don't do nuthin' stupid.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV CREATES A NAV ERROR.

Narrative: I'VE BEEN FLYING FAR 135 CHARTER IN 4 JETS AND, RARELY, 2 TURBOPROPS. I HAVE THOUSANDS OF HRS OF IFR, SINGLE PLT, IN MIL JETS AND CABIN CLASS MULTIENG, BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST SINGLE PLT IFR IN 28 MONTHS, MY FIRST TIME IN TYPE IN 3 PLUS MONTHS (98% OF MY TIME IN TYPE WAS 5 PLUS YRS AGO). THIS ONE IS AN EARLY EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE: NO ANNUNCIATOR PANEL, GAUGES AND SWITCHES SCATTERED AT RANDOM ACROSS THE PANEL, ETC. AUTOPLT WORKS, WITH SOME HELP AND LOTS OF SUPERVISION. FLT WAS ASSIGNED THE NIGHT BEFORE. I PLANNED TO ARRIVE A HALF-HOUR EARLIER THAN USUAL, TO REVIEW THE COCKPIT AND CHKLISTS BEFORE THE PAX ARRIVED. PAX RESCHEDULED THE TRIP 1/2 HR EARLIER, JUST BEFORE I LEFT FOR THE ARPT. I FILED FROM HOME, DIRECT A DIRECT B, DIRECT DEST. DURING CLB (IMC) AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEVEL-OFF (VMC), APCHING A, I WAS DISTR BY A LONG LIST OF THINGS: SEARCHING FOR CRUISE CHKLIST ITEMS, ANSWERING PAX QUESTIONS ABOUT WHERE TO GET COFFEE CUPS CREAMER STIRRING STICKS NAPKINS, ETC. ('IS THIS STUFF DECAF?' CAN YOU MAKE IT WARMER BACK HERE?'). SCAN FOR TFC. KEEP AN EYE ON 'GEORGE.' THINK AHEAD: NOW THAT I'VE BEEN CLRED FOR WHAT I FILED, I'LL PLOT A COURSE FROM B TO DEST. (AMID THE MYRIAD PREFLT DUTIES, I HAD EYEBALLED IT TO WITHIN A COUPLE OF DEGS -- COULDN'T FIND THE PLOTTER). THIS IS DONE, JUST AS I APCH A AND ANSWER A PAX QUESTION THAT TAKES A MOMENT'S THOUGHT AND TURN...TO INTERCEPT THE RADIAL I HAD JUST PLOTTED FROM B TO DEST. (ONLY, AT THIS POINT, I'M STILL SEVERAL MINS FROM B AND SHOULD BE GOING FROM A TO B). ATC CATCHES MY SCREW-UP WITHIN 1 1/2 MINS, ASKS MY POS; I QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY ANSWER -- AS IT OCCURS TO ME WHERE I'M SUPPOSED TO BE GOING. OOPS! FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO TFC CONFLICTS: CTR DIDN'T ISSUE ANY 'CALL THIS NUMBER WHEN YOU LAND' WARNINGS, AND -- SO FAR -- I HAVEN'T BEEN ISSUED ANY VIOLATIONS, EVER. HOW TO AVOID THIS SORT OF THING? THE GUYS WHO SAY 'IGNORE THE PAX, OR TELL 'EM TO SIT DOWN AND 'SHUT UP' HAVE NEVER TRIED TO MAKE A LIVING IN CHARTER FLYING. A PAX COMPLAINT WILL GET YOU FIRED AS FAST AS A VIOLATION WILL. STAY CURRENT IN EACH MACHINE? THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT. HOWEVER, THIS PLANE FLIES ABOUT TWICE/MONTH LATELY, AND I'M ONLY THE 'BACKUP' PLT FOR IT. CONCENTRATE VERY *&%ING HARD, AND 'DON'T DO NUTHIN' STUPID.'

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.