Narrative:

Was cleared from savannah airport as filed (sav V437 chs V1 wallo V213 tyi V189 waiks direct jgg). I tried to be very organized by presetting the GPS to sav as the first waypoint and an automatic transition to V437 after sav. I set the 2 vors to the sav and chs frequencys as a reference and carefully folded my chart to show the savanna area on one side and the charleston area on the other, so it could be 'flipped' as the flight progressed. After takeoff (runway heading 360 degrees) I was cleared to intercept V437 north of sav. I glanced at the chart (was in and out of clouds and it was moderately turbulent in the clouds) and noted that V437 is the 018 degree radial off the VOR. Rather than try to reprogram the GPS under the circumstances, I thought it would be more prudent to use VOR #1 and the HSI to intercept the airway first and then deal with the GPS. When the CDI centered, I started a left turn. ATC questioned my intentions and said I appeared to be turning on V3, not V437. I rechked the chart and the HSI setting, which appeared to be correct. ATC issued a vector of 090 degrees to join V437 and I complied. Checking the chart for the third time, I discovered that I had already turned the chart to the charleston side and I was looking at V437 out of chs not sav. The correct radial from sav is 052 degrees not 018 degrees. The incorrect radial had put me closer to V3 (sav 24 degree radial) than to V437. Once I realized this, I was able to join the airway with no further confusion. Lesson learned: 1) always use backup navigation if available (I should have a preset at least one CDI for the correct V437 radial while still on the ground and I probably should have entered one of the intxns along V437 in the GPS). 2) read the chart, don't just glance at it, and 3) expect clearance and routing changes anywhere in the flight. There were no conflicts in this case, but if the WX had been worse, the traffic heavier, or the controller less alert, there could have been a problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN M20P PLT MISINTERPRETED HIS NAV CHART, TURNING TO INTERCEPT THE CORRECT AIRWAY WHILE TUNED TO THE WRONG VOR.

Narrative: WAS CLRED FROM SAVANNAH ARPT AS FILED (SAV V437 CHS V1 WALLO V213 TYI V189 WAIKS DIRECT JGG). I TRIED TO BE VERY ORGANIZED BY PRESETTING THE GPS TO SAV AS THE FIRST WAYPOINT AND AN AUTOMATIC TRANSITION TO V437 AFTER SAV. I SET THE 2 VORS TO THE SAV AND CHS FREQS AS A REF AND CAREFULLY FOLDED MY CHART TO SHOW THE SAVANNA AREA ON ONE SIDE AND THE CHARLESTON AREA ON THE OTHER, SO IT COULD BE 'FLIPPED' AS THE FLT PROGRESSED. AFTER TKOF (RWY HEADING 360 DEGS) I WAS CLRED TO INTERCEPT V437 N OF SAV. I GLANCED AT THE CHART (WAS IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS AND IT WAS MODERATELY TURBULENT IN THE CLOUDS) AND NOTED THAT V437 IS THE 018 DEG RADIAL OFF THE VOR. RATHER THAN TRY TO REPROGRAM THE GPS UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE MORE PRUDENT TO USE VOR #1 AND THE HSI TO INTERCEPT THE AIRWAY FIRST AND THEN DEAL WITH THE GPS. WHEN THE CDI CTRED, I STARTED A L TURN. ATC QUESTIONED MY INTENTIONS AND SAID I APPEARED TO BE TURNING ON V3, NOT V437. I RECHKED THE CHART AND THE HSI SETTING, WHICH APPEARED TO BE CORRECT. ATC ISSUED A VECTOR OF 090 DEGS TO JOIN V437 AND I COMPLIED. CHKING THE CHART FOR THE THIRD TIME, I DISCOVERED THAT I HAD ALREADY TURNED THE CHART TO THE CHARLESTON SIDE AND I WAS LOOKING AT V437 OUT OF CHS NOT SAV. THE CORRECT RADIAL FROM SAV IS 052 DEGS NOT 018 DEGS. THE INCORRECT RADIAL HAD PUT ME CLOSER TO V3 (SAV 24 DEG RADIAL) THAN TO V437. ONCE I REALIZED THIS, I WAS ABLE TO JOIN THE AIRWAY WITH NO FURTHER CONFUSION. LESSON LEARNED: 1) ALWAYS USE BACKUP NAV IF AVAILABLE (I SHOULD HAVE A PRESET AT LEAST ONE CDI FOR THE CORRECT V437 RADIAL WHILE STILL ON THE GND AND I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ENTERED ONE OF THE INTXNS ALONG V437 IN THE GPS). 2) READ THE CHART, DON'T JUST GLANCE AT IT, AND 3) EXPECT CLRNC AND ROUTING CHANGES ANYWHERE IN THE FLT. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS IN THIS CASE, BUT IF THE WX HAD BEEN WORSE, THE TFC HEAVIER, OR THE CTLR LESS ALERT, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A PROB.

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.