Narrative:

On VOR approach to smo, we were brought in high by ATC. Broke out and were too high to land. They gave a vector and climb for a missed approach! We were vectored to intercept the approach VOR radial and began a normal approach. I was using a recently installed GPS to identify bevey intersection for a let- down altitude. Both GPS's showed us 5 mi inbound from bevey contradicting the DME reading on the VOR which showed us not yet to bevey. Bevey intersection was in both GPS units on the first approach. During the missed approach on initial climb in preparation for a new approach, I pushed the direct to button on both GPS to identify our location from bevey! I then took vectors and altitude assignments and was vectored onto the VOR radial. After intercept, I tried to determine my exact position on the radial by reference to both the VOR DME reading and the 2 GPS units. The cursor on both GPS units showed us 5 mi past bevey and the DME showed about 5 mi to bevey. I failed, (due to inadequate training with GPS), to realize that the direct to button was pushed prior to passing bevey while outbound and was thus giving a reverse reading. ATC radioed with an altitude alteration and I began an immediate climb. While climbing, I was transferred to tower and they gave another altitude alteration and a course correction as I had gone off the radial on the climb. I disconnected the autoplt for the climb, and now see that as an error, as it would have kept me on the radial. We broke out seconds after the tower's altitude alteration and landed. A major contributing factor to the error was allowing a single engine low time non-instrument pilot to ride in the right seat! He was extremely distracting, asking questions, giving advice, trying to change radios and set the altitude pre-select! I believe without this distraction I would have been further ahead of the airplane and found the GPS error before descending too soon! On the next leg of the flight from smo to logan, ut, he sat in the back and a very busy flight out of the los angles basin was an uneventful pleasure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A SINGLE PLT CPR JET MADE A MISSED APCH DUE TO SETTING ERROR OF THE GPS NAVIGATIONAL EQUIP.

Narrative: ON VOR APCH TO SMO, WE WERE BROUGHT IN HIGH BY ATC. BROKE OUT AND WERE TOO HIGH TO LAND. THEY GAVE A VECTOR AND CLB FOR A MISSED APCH! WE WERE VECTORED TO INTERCEPT THE APCH VOR RADIAL AND BEGAN A NORMAL APCH. I WAS USING A RECENTLY INSTALLED GPS TO IDENT BEVEY INTXN FOR A LET- DOWN ALT. BOTH GPS'S SHOWED US 5 MI INBOUND FROM BEVEY CONTRADICTING THE DME READING ON THE VOR WHICH SHOWED US NOT YET TO BEVEY. BEVEY INTXN WAS IN BOTH GPS UNITS ON THE FIRST APCH. DURING THE MISSED APCH ON INITIAL CLB IN PREPARATION FOR A NEW APCH, I PUSHED THE DIRECT TO BUTTON ON BOTH GPS TO IDENT OUR LOCATION FROM BEVEY! I THEN TOOK VECTORS AND ALT ASSIGNMENTS AND WAS VECTORED ONTO THE VOR RADIAL. AFTER INTERCEPT, I TRIED TO DETERMINE MY EXACT POS ON THE RADIAL BY REF TO BOTH THE VOR DME READING AND THE 2 GPS UNITS. THE CURSOR ON BOTH GPS UNITS SHOWED US 5 MI PAST BEVEY AND THE DME SHOWED ABOUT 5 MI TO BEVEY. I FAILED, (DUE TO INADEQUATE TRAINING WITH GPS), TO REALIZE THAT THE DIRECT TO BUTTON WAS PUSHED PRIOR TO PASSING BEVEY WHILE OUTBOUND AND WAS THUS GIVING A REVERSE READING. ATC RADIOED WITH AN ALT ALTERATION AND I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE CLB. WHILE CLBING, I WAS TRANSFERRED TO TWR AND THEY GAVE ANOTHER ALT ALTERATION AND A COURSE CORRECTION AS I HAD GONE OFF THE RADIAL ON THE CLB. I DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT FOR THE CLB, AND NOW SEE THAT AS AN ERROR, AS IT WOULD HAVE KEPT ME ON THE RADIAL. WE BROKE OUT SECONDS AFTER THE TWR'S ALT ALTERATION AND LANDED. A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE ERROR WAS ALLOWING A SINGLE ENG LOW TIME NON-INST PLT TO RIDE IN THE R SEAT! HE WAS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING, ASKING QUESTIONS, GIVING ADVICE, TRYING TO CHANGE RADIOS AND SET THE ALT PRE-SELECT! I BELIEVE WITHOUT THIS DISTR I WOULD HAVE BEEN FURTHER AHEAD OF THE AIRPLANE AND FOUND THE GPS ERROR BEFORE DSNDING TOO SOON! ON THE NEXT LEG OF THE FLT FROM SMO TO LOGAN, UT, HE SAT IN THE BACK AND A VERY BUSY FLT OUT OF THE LOS ANGLES BASIN WAS AN UNEVENTFUL PLEASURE.

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.