Narrative:

I was flying from cno to lgb in marginal VFR conditions. I was navigating with a new GPS-195 moving map which had created a lgb waypoint at los alamitos instead of long beach airport. En route I was following route 91 freeway until the GPS said lgb was directly south of my present position. I was in contact with lgb tower at this point and proceeded due south to what I thought was long beach airport. When the GPS said I was directly over the airport, I was at 1500 ft and figured out at that point what had happened. Then I proceeded due west directly to long beach airport. This situation could have been prevented in 2 ways. First I should have been more familiar with the GPS prior to solely relying on it for navigation information. Second, I will always in the future file IFR any time the WX is marginal VFR conditions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the GPS has a cursor which one moves around and he had moved the cursor to lgb but apparently bumped it just before it was entered and it moved to los alamitos instead. Since he was also using outside references he did not notice the error right away. Reporter feels the manufacturer would be of big help in holding seminars for the use of GPS for each specific model to give the pilot better in-depth information on its use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT USING NEW GPS UNIT ENTERS WRONG WAYPOINT AND FLIES DIRECTLY OVER WRONG ARPT BELOW THE CEILING OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM CNO TO LGB IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. I WAS NAVING WITH A NEW GPS-195 MOVING MAP WHICH HAD CREATED A LGB WAYPOINT AT LOS ALAMITOS INSTEAD OF LONG BEACH ARPT. ENRTE I WAS FOLLOWING RTE 91 FREEWAY UNTIL THE GPS SAID LGB WAS DIRECTLY S OF MY PRESENT POS. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH LGB TWR AT THIS POINT AND PROCEEDED DUE S TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS LONG BEACH ARPT. WHEN THE GPS SAID I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT, I WAS AT 1500 FT AND FIGURED OUT AT THAT POINT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEN I PROCEEDED DUE W DIRECTLY TO LONG BEACH ARPT. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IN 2 WAYS. FIRST I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE GPS PRIOR TO SOLELY RELYING ON IT FOR NAV INFO. SECOND, I WILL ALWAYS IN THE FUTURE FILE IFR ANY TIME THE WX IS MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE GPS HAS A CURSOR WHICH ONE MOVES AROUND AND HE HAD MOVED THE CURSOR TO LGB BUT APPARENTLY BUMPED IT JUST BEFORE IT WAS ENTERED AND IT MOVED TO LOS ALAMITOS INSTEAD. SINCE HE WAS ALSO USING OUTSIDE REFS HE DID NOT NOTICE THE ERROR RIGHT AWAY. RPTR FEELS THE MANUFACTURER WOULD BE OF BIG HELP IN HOLDING SEMINARS FOR THE USE OF GPS FOR EACH SPECIFIC MODEL TO GIVE THE PLT BETTER IN-DEPTH INFO ON ITS USE.

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.