Narrative:

While departing cak on an IFR flight plan, during VFR conditions, I was given the ATC clearance 'radar vectors to the 092 degree radial of the mansfield VOR, direct waterville, direct grand rapids, direct sheboygan.' to begin with, I had some confusion with the initial clearance regarding the mansfield VOR. I figured they probably wanted me to intercept the 092 degree radial and track it to the VOR, but the wording I recall never said 'to' mansfield. I recall '092' degree radial of mansfield, direct waterville. This was not the problem as I clarified the clearance before departing. The event in question happened shortly after departing runway 1 on a tower assigned heading of 320 degrees. I had the 272 degree radial of mansfield dialed into the #1 VOR so I would have positive sensing on the equipment. The vors had been ground tested before leaving sheboygan that morning and the mansfield VOR was tuned and idented while airborne. Roughly 3-5 mi from the airport, still on a 320 degree heading, the #1 VOR showed the course line come in from left course deflection to center. Not being from that area and unfamiliar with the local navaids, I relied on the instruments and thought I was about to pass through the course. At this time I radioed to departure I was turning to intercept and parallel the course. It was here that ATC replied that a turn was not allowed without an ATC clearance for traffic separation, and to turn to a heading of 250 degrees for intercept. I noticed at this point that the VOR course line was fluctuating and the navigation flag began to flicker. The navigation flag shortly stabilized and I saw a left intercept angle was still required. I completed intercept and was shortly handed off to center. Upon landing in sheboygan I sat down with the en route charts to study what had happened while departing cak. What I immediately discovered was that I could never have intercepted the 092 degree radial of mansfield on a 320 degree heading, but not being from the area I relied on the instruments which were giving me bad information. I now realized why departure did not like my radio call that I was turning, as they probably thought I was tired of waiting for a turn from them and made up my own intercept heading. This was not the case as my instruments told me I was about to pass through my course and a turn to mansfield VOR was required to stay within my clearance. Unfortunately, this event happened so quickly that I was unable to explain to the controller what had just happened. I attribute the major causes of this event to be my lack of positional awareness coupled with some bad NAVAID information.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP ACFT HAS HDG DEV DUE TO INTERMITTENT MALFUNCTION OF VOR INDICATOR.

Narrative: WHILE DEPARTING CAK ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, DURING VFR CONDITIONS, I WAS GIVEN THE ATC CLRNC 'RADAR VECTORS TO THE 092 DEG RADIAL OF THE MANSFIELD VOR, DIRECT WATERVILLE, DIRECT GRAND RAPIDS, DIRECT SHEBOYGAN.' TO BEGIN WITH, I HAD SOME CONFUSION WITH THE INITIAL CLRNC REGARDING THE MANSFIELD VOR. I FIGURED THEY PROBABLY WANTED ME TO INTERCEPT THE 092 DEG RADIAL AND TRACK IT TO THE VOR, BUT THE WORDING I RECALL NEVER SAID 'TO' MANSFIELD. I RECALL '092' DEG RADIAL OF MANSFIELD, DIRECT WATERVILLE. THIS WAS NOT THE PROB AS I CLARIFIED THE CLRNC BEFORE DEPARTING. THE EVENT IN QUESTION HAPPENED SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING RWY 1 ON A TWR ASSIGNED HDG OF 320 DEGS. I HAD THE 272 DEG RADIAL OF MANSFIELD DIALED INTO THE #1 VOR SO I WOULD HAVE POSITIVE SENSING ON THE EQUIP. THE VORS HAD BEEN GND TESTED BEFORE LEAVING SHEBOYGAN THAT MORNING AND THE MANSFIELD VOR WAS TUNED AND IDENTED WHILE AIRBORNE. ROUGHLY 3-5 MI FROM THE ARPT, STILL ON A 320 DEG HDG, THE #1 VOR SHOWED THE COURSE LINE COME IN FROM L COURSE DEFLECTION TO CTR. NOT BEING FROM THAT AREA AND UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LCL NAVAIDS, I RELIED ON THE INSTS AND THOUGHT I WAS ABOUT TO PASS THROUGH THE COURSE. AT THIS TIME I RADIOED TO DEP I WAS TURNING TO INTERCEPT AND PARALLEL THE COURSE. IT WAS HERE THAT ATC REPLIED THAT A TURN WAS NOT ALLOWED WITHOUT AN ATC CLRNC FOR TFC SEPARATION, AND TO TURN TO A HDG OF 250 DEGS FOR INTERCEPT. I NOTICED AT THIS POINT THAT THE VOR COURSE LINE WAS FLUCTUATING AND THE NAV FLAG BEGAN TO FLICKER. THE NAV FLAG SHORTLY STABILIZED AND I SAW A L INTERCEPT ANGLE WAS STILL REQUIRED. I COMPLETED INTERCEPT AND WAS SHORTLY HANDED OFF TO CTR. UPON LNDG IN SHEBOYGAN I SAT DOWN WITH THE ENRTE CHARTS TO STUDY WHAT HAD HAPPENED WHILE DEPARTING CAK. WHAT I IMMEDIATELY DISCOVERED WAS THAT I COULD NEVER HAVE INTERCEPTED THE 092 DEG RADIAL OF MANSFIELD ON A 320 DEG HDG, BUT NOT BEING FROM THE AREA I RELIED ON THE INSTS WHICH WERE GIVING ME BAD INFO. I NOW REALIZED WHY DEP DID NOT LIKE MY RADIO CALL THAT I WAS TURNING, AS THEY PROBABLY THOUGHT I WAS TIRED OF WAITING FOR A TURN FROM THEM AND MADE UP MY OWN INTERCEPT HDG. THIS WAS NOT THE CASE AS MY INSTS TOLD ME I WAS ABOUT TO PASS THROUGH MY COURSE AND A TURN TO MANSFIELD VOR WAS REQUIRED TO STAY WITHIN MY CLRNC. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS EVENT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY THAT I WAS UNABLE TO EXPLAIN TO THE CTLR WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED. I ATTRIBUTE THE MAJOR CAUSES OF THIS EVENT TO BE MY LACK OF POSITIONAL AWARENESS COUPLED WITH SOME BAD NAVAID INFO.

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.