Narrative:

I departed isp on an instrument flight plan in VMC. There was a strong northerly flow over the hills below causing at least moderate turbulence at the lower altitudes which I was assigned early in this flight. Departure is radar vectors to assigned route/fix. My flight plan was to take me wnw to my destination (9g3) near buffalo, ny, but I had been vectored northbound after takeoff. After some period of time and several vectors, I was told to fly direct carmel VOR (cmk). I had been expecting vectors, and didn't know exactly where that VOR was, but I believed it to be southwest of my position. I turned swbound, set the autoplt to follow the heading, and tried to call up the location in the (panel mounted IFR certified) GPS. Turbulence made it difficult to get my hand on the unit, and hanging onto the scrolling knob and pushing the proper buttons was slow due to the turbulence. I was heading wswbound, in the direction where I thought the VOR was, while I looked for it in the GPS, when ATC called me and asked me about what heading I was using. I told them, and they said I was on the wrong heading. I told them I was having difficulty getting the data from the GPS, but was working on it as we spoke. They may have given me a more northerly vector, or I may have found the correct heading at this point, but I recall heading toward the VOR on about a 300 degree or 310 degree heading. They asked me my new heading, I told them, and all appeared well for the rest of the flight. Several things impressed me about this incident. First, I had assumed I'd be given a vector to intercept my flight plan. In retrospect, this was clearly an incorrect assumption. Second, even though the autoplt flew the plane flawlessly in the turbulence that afternoon, it was surprisingly difficult to put my hand on the small buttons of the GPS (it's an allied signal kln-90B). Third, I believe the strong northerly airflow decreased my ground speed more than I realized, and thus while I felt I should have been northeast of the VOR, I in fact had not yet passed it and was still southeast of it. Lastly, I should have kept the VOR in my RNAV, or in my #2 VOR receiver, just in case I got an instruction as I did. Had I done this, I would have been able to fly directly to the VOR without difficulty. Instead, I had these radios set up for a return to the departure airport (in case of need) and had not changed them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INST RATED SMA PLT, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, LOSES SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, AS RESULT OF WHICH, WHEN CLRED DIRECT TO A VOR, (S)HE HEADS IN WRONG DIRECTION.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ISP ON AN INST FLT PLAN IN VMC. THERE WAS A STRONG NORTHERLY FLOW OVER THE HILLS BELOW CAUSING AT LEAST MODERATE TURB AT THE LOWER ALTS WHICH I WAS ASSIGNED EARLY IN THIS FLT. DEP IS RADAR VECTORS TO ASSIGNED RTE/FIX. MY FLT PLAN WAS TO TAKE ME WNW TO MY DEST (9G3) NEAR BUFFALO, NY, BUT I HAD BEEN VECTORED NBOUND AFTER TKOF. AFTER SOME PERIOD OF TIME AND SEVERAL VECTORS, I WAS TOLD TO FLY DIRECT CARMEL VOR (CMK). I HAD BEEN EXPECTING VECTORS, AND DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THAT VOR WAS, BUT I BELIEVED IT TO BE SW OF MY POS. I TURNED SWBOUND, SET THE AUTOPLT TO FOLLOW THE HEADING, AND TRIED TO CALL UP THE LOCATION IN THE (PANEL MOUNTED IFR CERTIFIED) GPS. TURB MADE IT DIFFICULT TO GET MY HAND ON THE UNIT, AND HANGING ONTO THE SCROLLING KNOB AND PUSHING THE PROPER BUTTONS WAS SLOW DUE TO THE TURB. I WAS HEADING WSWBOUND, IN THE DIRECTION WHERE I THOUGHT THE VOR WAS, WHILE I LOOKED FOR IT IN THE GPS, WHEN ATC CALLED ME AND ASKED ME ABOUT WHAT HEADING I WAS USING. I TOLD THEM, AND THEY SAID I WAS ON THE WRONG HEADING. I TOLD THEM I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING THE DATA FROM THE GPS, BUT WAS WORKING ON IT AS WE SPOKE. THEY MAY HAVE GIVEN ME A MORE NORTHERLY VECTOR, OR I MAY HAVE FOUND THE CORRECT HEADING AT THIS POINT, BUT I RECALL HEADING TOWARD THE VOR ON ABOUT A 300 DEG OR 310 DEG HDG. THEY ASKED ME MY NEW HEADING, I TOLD THEM, AND ALL APPEARED WELL FOR THE REST OF THE FLT. SEVERAL THINGS IMPRESSED ME ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. FIRST, I HAD ASSUMED I'D BE GIVEN A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT MY FLT PLAN. IN RETROSPECT, THIS WAS CLRLY AN INCORRECT ASSUMPTION. SECOND, EVEN THOUGH THE AUTOPLT FLEW THE PLANE FLAWLESSLY IN THE TURB THAT AFTERNOON, IT WAS SURPRISINGLY DIFFICULT TO PUT MY HAND ON THE SMALL BUTTONS OF THE GPS (IT'S AN ALLIED SIGNAL KLN-90B). THIRD, I BELIEVE THE STRONG NORTHERLY AIRFLOW DECREASED MY GND SPD MORE THAN I REALIZED, AND THUS WHILE I FELT I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NE OF THE VOR, I IN FACT HAD NOT YET PASSED IT AND WAS STILL SE OF IT. LASTLY, I SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE VOR IN MY RNAV, OR IN MY #2 VOR RECEIVER, JUST IN CASE I GOT AN INSTRUCTION AS I DID. HAD I DONE THIS, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FLY DIRECTLY TO THE VOR WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. INSTEAD, I HAD THESE RADIOS SET UP FOR A RETURN TO THE DEP ARPT (IN CASE OF NEED) AND HAD NOT CHANGED THEM.

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.