Narrative:

My taxi clearance was taxi to FBO, hold short of taxiway T for aircraft in tow. I accepted the taxi clearance, taxied out of the tie-down area, and proceeded north on taxiway a to noting the aircraft in tow. During my slow taxi, I began to preoccupy myself with other items, such as a new fuel flow meter. This aircraft was a rental, which I had successfully completed a check out in, but was unfamiliar with the operation of this meter. This is where things started to break down, with the fault completely on my shoulders. While there was no accident or apparent incident, the preoccupation with the fuel-flow meter diverted my attention with the airplane in tow. When I fully reoriented myself I was past taxiway T, and still heading north. I continued my taxi to FBO as normal. Either I had subconsciously seen the aircraft in tow turn off, which is why I kept taxiing or maybe I was extremely lucky that a taxi collision did not occur to jolt my senses back to where they belonged. Even though I have time in the aircraft, the unfamiliarity of the fuel flow computer and the diversion of attention made me aware of my complacency. Therefore, I have made it a personal checklist to concentrate only on the task at hand and do things thoroughly and completely.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34 PLT BECAME DISTRACTED BY NEW ACFT EQUIP AND LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS DURING TAXI AT ADS.

Narrative: MY TAXI CLRNC WAS TAXI TO FBO, HOLD SHORT OF TXWY T FOR ACFT IN TOW. I ACCEPTED THE TAXI CLRNC, TAXIED OUT OF THE TIE-DOWN AREA, AND PROCEEDED N ON TXWY A TO NOTING THE ACFT IN TOW. DURING MY SLOW TAXI, I BEGAN TO PREOCCUPY MYSELF WITH OTHER ITEMS, SUCH AS A NEW FUEL FLOW METER. THIS ACFT WAS A RENTAL, WHICH I HAD SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED A CHK OUT IN, BUT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE OP OF THIS METER. THIS IS WHERE THINGS STARTED TO BREAK DOWN, WITH THE FAULT COMPLETELY ON MY SHOULDERS. WHILE THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR APPARENT INCIDENT, THE PREOCCUPATION WITH THE FUEL-FLOW METER DIVERTED MY ATTN WITH THE AIRPLANE IN TOW. WHEN I FULLY REORIENTED MYSELF I WAS PAST TXWY T, AND STILL HEADING N. I CONTINUED MY TAXI TO FBO AS NORMAL. EITHER I HAD SUBCONSCIOUSLY SEEN THE ACFT IN TOW TURN OFF, WHICH IS WHY I KEPT TAXIING OR MAYBE I WAS EXTREMELY LUCKY THAT A TAXI COLLISION DID NOT OCCUR TO JOLT MY SENSES BACK TO WHERE THEY BELONGED. EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TIME IN THE ACFT, THE UNFAMILIARITY OF THE FUEL FLOW COMPUTER AND THE DIVERSION OF ATTN MADE ME AWARE OF MY COMPLACENCY. THEREFORE, I HAVE MADE IT A PERSONAL CHKLIST TO CONCENTRATE ONLY ON THE TASK AT HAND AND DO THINGS THOROUGHLY AND COMPLETELY.

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.