Narrative:

I agreed to meet XXX to look at his kln 89 GPS installed in his mooney. I did not know XXX prior to our meeting and I informed him on the phone that I was not familiar with his particular GPS model. As we spoke, their was no clear agreement to fly, so when we met, I thought we would just be looking at the aircraft and its GPS system. As we approached the aircraft, XXX boarded first and I followed. At no time was there any discussion of what his intentions were nor did he contract with me for any flight instruction. He then pulled out the aircraft checklist and that was when I realized that he was going to take me flying in his mooney. As we taxied, I asked him what his intentions were. He said that he wanted to depart flying cloud airport and do some approachs at airlake airport. I then proceeded to take out my plates for airlake. While XXX was doing the runup, I asked if there was anything that I could do to help him since he was obviously going to be the PIC this flight. He told me that I could do the radios, so I did. We requested a popup IFR and departed flying cloud. Tower then handed us off to msp departure and I requested vectors for the VOR 11 at airlake. As we followed his instruction, I noticed that the CDI was centered on the navigation #1 giving me the illusion that we were on course. Msp proceeded to clear us for the VOR 11 approach and I went over to unicom frequency. XXX had not given me an approach briefing so I gave one to myself and verified that the aircraft was configured for the approach. I then proceeded to check the obs setting and the morse code for the lvn VOR. Yet as we tried to get established on the inbound course, I noticed that we were getting further away from airlake. We were VFR at this time, so we headed directly for the airport and as we were over the runway msp came on unicom and asked us to change to his frequency. As we did that, he informed us that we were 9 mi off course. He verified with us that we had the proper VOR frequency plugged in. Next I asked for vectors to the ILS 29 at airlake. As we flew northeast of the field, I made sure to communicate better with XXX on this approach and watch him closer since I knew nothing about his skill level prior to this flight. He configured the aircraft and the navigation #1 and navigation #2. I positively idented both the VOR/localizer morse codes. Msp again cleared us for the approach and still our needle failed to center. Next thing I know, msp was saying 'switch back to my frequency.' once I switched back, I told the controller that there was a definite problem with our navigation equipment and requested vectors to a full stop back to flying cloud. On the way back, I tried to figure out what could be wrong since I had never experienced anything like this before. Just then, XXX had noticed that the navigation/GPS switch was on GPS instead of navigation. Since we weren't using the GPS at all during the flight, the inputs into the navigation #1 and navigation #2 were useless. Since I didn't have any experience with this GPS I asked XXX if this had ever happened before. He told me that it had happened to him one other time. We then proceeded to land the aircraft. This flight was an excellent learning experience for me. The next time I go flying with anyone that I don't know, I will make every effort to determine his or her knowledge and proficiency level prior to starting.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT RPT REGARDING IFR FLT WITH NAV GPS SWITCH IN WRONG POS. MAJOR COURSE DEV.

Narrative: I AGREED TO MEET XXX TO LOOK AT HIS KLN 89 GPS INSTALLED IN HIS MOONEY. I DID NOT KNOW XXX PRIOR TO OUR MEETING AND I INFORMED HIM ON THE PHONE THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH HIS PARTICULAR GPS MODEL. AS WE SPOKE, THEIR WAS NO CLR AGREEMENT TO FLY, SO WHEN WE MET, I THOUGHT WE WOULD JUST BE LOOKING AT THE ACFT AND ITS GPS SYS. AS WE APCHED THE ACFT, XXX BOARDED FIRST AND I FOLLOWED. AT NO TIME WAS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OF WHAT HIS INTENTIONS WERE NOR DID HE CONTRACT WITH ME FOR ANY FLT INSTRUCTION. HE THEN PULLED OUT THE ACFT CHKLIST AND THAT WAS WHEN I REALIZED THAT HE WAS GOING TO TAKE ME FLYING IN HIS MOONEY. AS WE TAXIED, I ASKED HIM WHAT HIS INTENTIONS WERE. HE SAID THAT HE WANTED TO DEPART FLYING CLOUD ARPT AND DO SOME APCHS AT AIRLAKE ARPT. I THEN PROCEEDED TO TAKE OUT MY PLATES FOR AIRLAKE. WHILE XXX WAS DOING THE RUNUP, I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT I COULD DO TO HELP HIM SINCE HE WAS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE THE PIC THIS FLT. HE TOLD ME THAT I COULD DO THE RADIOS, SO I DID. WE REQUESTED A POPUP IFR AND DEPARTED FLYING CLOUD. TWR THEN HANDED US OFF TO MSP DEP AND I REQUESTED VECTORS FOR THE VOR 11 AT AIRLAKE. AS WE FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTION, I NOTICED THAT THE CDI WAS CTRED ON THE NAV #1 GIVING ME THE ILLUSION THAT WE WERE ON COURSE. MSP PROCEEDED TO CLR US FOR THE VOR 11 APCH AND I WENT OVER TO UNICOM FREQ. XXX HAD NOT GIVEN ME AN APCH BRIEFING SO I GAVE ONE TO MYSELF AND VERIFIED THAT THE ACFT WAS CONFIGURED FOR THE APCH. I THEN PROCEEDED TO CHK THE OBS SETTING AND THE MORSE CODE FOR THE LVN VOR. YET AS WE TRIED TO GET ESTABLISHED ON THE INBOUND COURSE, I NOTICED THAT WE WERE GETTING FURTHER AWAY FROM AIRLAKE. WE WERE VFR AT THIS TIME, SO WE HEADED DIRECTLY FOR THE ARPT AND AS WE WERE OVER THE RWY MSP CAME ON UNICOM AND ASKED US TO CHANGE TO HIS FREQ. AS WE DID THAT, HE INFORMED US THAT WE WERE 9 MI OFF COURSE. HE VERIFIED WITH US THAT WE HAD THE PROPER VOR FREQ PLUGGED IN. NEXT I ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE ILS 29 AT AIRLAKE. AS WE FLEW NE OF THE FIELD, I MADE SURE TO COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH XXX ON THIS APCH AND WATCH HIM CLOSER SINCE I KNEW NOTHING ABOUT HIS SKILL LEVEL PRIOR TO THIS FLT. HE CONFIGURED THE ACFT AND THE NAV #1 AND NAV #2. I POSITIVELY IDENTED BOTH THE VOR/LOC MORSE CODES. MSP AGAIN CLRED US FOR THE APCH AND STILL OUR NEEDLE FAILED TO CTR. NEXT THING I KNOW, MSP WAS SAYING 'SWITCH BACK TO MY FREQ.' ONCE I SWITCHED BACK, I TOLD THE CTLR THAT THERE WAS A DEFINITE PROB WITH OUR NAV EQUIP AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO A FULL STOP BACK TO FLYING CLOUD. ON THE WAY BACK, I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT COULD BE WRONG SINCE I HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. JUST THEN, XXX HAD NOTICED THAT THE NAV/GPS SWITCH WAS ON GPS INSTEAD OF NAV. SINCE WE WEREN'T USING THE GPS AT ALL DURING THE FLT, THE INPUTS INTO THE NAV #1 AND NAV #2 WERE USELESS. SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS GPS I ASKED XXX IF THIS HAD EVER HAPPENED BEFORE. HE TOLD ME THAT IT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM ONE OTHER TIME. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO LAND THE ACFT. THIS FLT WAS AN EXCELLENT LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME. THE NEXT TIME I GO FLYING WITH ANYONE THAT I DON'T KNOW, I WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO DETERMINE HIS OR HER KNOWLEDGE AND PROFICIENCY LEVEL PRIOR TO STARTING.

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.