Switch position leads to track deviation leads to less than standard separation.

Attributes
ACN	300950
Time
Date	199504
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : vny
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid enroute airway : vny
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 6
ASRS Report	300950
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 6000 vertical : 600
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On apr/wed/95 at approximately XA00 I departed vny airport in an a- 36 bonanza on an IFR SID-glendale 7 departure. The glendale 7 departure calls for maintaining runway heading until 1.5 DME at or below 1700 ft, and then a left turn to a 110 degree heading for vectors to the vny R-095. After takeoff and passing 1.5 DME and approximately 1200 ft, I started my turn to a 110 degree heading. The controller called radar contact and I acknowledged his call. I then looked into the cockpit and saw that one VOR was reading to and the other was reading from the station. I attempted to center the HSI VOR needle and also the obs. I then began to wonder if I had an HSI failure or just a VOR failure. During this time I had allowed my heading to drift to the left to approximately 097 degrees. I looked out to the left and saw a large commercial aircraft, 757/767 probably on an approach into the bur airport, approximately 1 NM horizontal and 500- 700 ft vertical altitude separation. As I started to make a turn away to the right. The controller called me for an immediate right turn to a heading of 160 degrees. I immediately complied with the turn to 160 degree heading. After the next called turn to on course, I asked the controller to verify my course so I could determine if the #2 VOR was operating properly. It was determined that it was operating properly and the remainder of the flight was completed without incident. Postflt investigation revealed that the GPS/VOR push-tile was in the GPS position causing the #1 VOR to give erroneous indications. Due to the sitting ht of the pilot, the under the glare shield location of the GPS/VOR push-tile, and the GPS/VOR enunciator light being dim, the pilot did not notice the light/selection, which was the cause of the VOR false failure, and the ultimate cause of the incident. Recommendations: 1) the pilot be more attentive in ensuring proper set up and identify of navaids, and monitoring headings while trouble-shooting cockpit discrepancies. 2) since both aircraft were in close radar contact, any time there is any deviation in heading in high density areas, the controller immediately correct those deviations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SWITCH POS LEADS TO TRACK DEV LEADS TO LTSS.

Narrative: ON APR/WED/95 AT APPROX XA00 I DEPARTED VNY ARPT IN AN A- 36 BONANZA ON AN IFR SID-GLENDALE 7 DEP. THE GLENDALE 7 DEP CALLS FOR MAINTAINING RWY HDG UNTIL 1.5 DME AT OR BELOW 1700 FT, AND THEN A L TURN TO A 110 DEG HDG FOR VECTORS TO THE VNY R-095. AFTER TKOF AND PASSING 1.5 DME AND APPROX 1200 FT, I STARTED MY TURN TO A 110 DEG HDG. THE CTLR CALLED RADAR CONTACT AND I ACKNOWLEDGED HIS CALL. I THEN LOOKED INTO THE COCKPIT AND SAW THAT ONE VOR WAS READING TO AND THE OTHER WAS READING FROM THE STATION. I ATTEMPTED TO CTR THE HSI VOR NEEDLE AND ALSO THE OBS. I THEN BEGAN TO WONDER IF I HAD AN HSI FAILURE OR JUST A VOR FAILURE. DURING THIS TIME I HAD ALLOWED MY HDG TO DRIFT TO THE L TO APPROX 097 DEGS. I LOOKED OUT TO THE L AND SAW A LARGE COMMERCIAL ACFT, 757/767 PROBABLY ON AN APCH INTO THE BUR ARPT, APPROX 1 NM HORIZ AND 500- 700 FT VERT ALT SEPARATION. AS I STARTED TO MAKE A TURN AWAY TO THE R. THE CTLR CALLED ME FOR AN IMMEDIATE R TURN TO A HDG OF 160 DEGS. I IMMEDIATELY COMPLIED WITH THE TURN TO 160 DEG HDG. AFTER THE NEXT CALLED TURN TO ON COURSE, I ASKED THE CTLR TO VERIFY MY COURSE SO I COULD DETERMINE IF THE #2 VOR WAS OPERATING PROPERLY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS OPERATING PROPERLY AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. POSTFLT INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE GPS/VOR PUSH-TILE WAS IN THE GPS POS CAUSING THE #1 VOR TO GIVE ERRONEOUS INDICATIONS. DUE TO THE SITTING HT OF THE PLT, THE UNDER THE GLARE SHIELD LOCATION OF THE GPS/VOR PUSH-TILE, AND THE GPS/VOR ENUNCIATOR LIGHT BEING DIM, THE PLT DID NOT NOTICE THE LIGHT/SELECTION, WHICH WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VOR FALSE FAILURE, AND THE ULTIMATE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) THE PLT BE MORE ATTENTIVE IN ENSURING PROPER SET UP AND IDENT OF NAVAIDS, AND MONITORING HDGS WHILE TROUBLE-SHOOTING COCKPIT DISCREPANCIES. 2) SINCE BOTH ACFT WERE IN CLOSE RADAR CONTACT, ANY TIME THERE IS ANY DEV IN HDG IN HIGH DENSITY AREAS, THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY CORRECT THOSE DEVS.

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.