Narrative:

I was on a vector to intercept the final approach course for the VOR/DME-a approach to mso. When I set up the HSI for the approach I inadvertently dialed in the 275 degree radial (095 degree course inbound) instead of the published 285 degrees (105 degree inbound), and repeated the error when I set up my #2 VOR head. While on the vector, the controller notified me that I 'appeared to be well south of the approach course' and gave me a left turn to put me back on course. He also gave an approximately distance off-course, but I don't' recall what he said, and I don't remember the DME distance displayed on my equipment at the time he called. Immediately after the second vector I realized and corrected my set-up error, and intercepted the published course. At the time I responded to the controller's correction, I was approximately on the 278 degree radial (about 3 degrees from ctring on what I had set up), or about 7 degrees south of the published approach course. Without knowing the distance off course, however, there is no way I can now calculate how far I was from the VOR -- and as I noted, I don't recall the DME distance. Thus, although the controller did not mention it, there's at least a theoretical possibility that I clipped the northern edge of the tfr described in fdc 3/7200 (mso 256 degree radial at 25 NM, 5 NM radius, for fire fighting activity), which lies along the southern edge of the approach corridor for mso runway 11. While it's important to keep track of tfr's, I think I could have painstakingly mapped out the whole area on my charts and it wouldn't have made any difference. My error was a simple mistake in setting up my equipment. All the NOTAM reading and plotting in the world won't fix that. I think the error resulted from lack of genuine currency. I was technically current (just passed a 135.293/.297 ride the week before, after an extended period off flight status), but not genuinely comfortable. I hadn't flown this airplane in nearly 2 months prior to the flight check. The rest of the approach wasn't pretty, either: sloppy altitude control, late let-down, multiple confign changes to 'manage' descent, and a slightly busted minimum at the FAF owing to poor descent control -- all of which are symptoms of being 'behind the airplane.' the only thing I did right was decline a straight-in landing on runway 11 in favor of a circle to runway 29. The only cure for this is to get back into the airplane with a safety pilot and brush up. If I'd done this a week ago, I would have been 'ahead' enough to avoid dumb set-up errors, and there would have been no event to report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C421 PLT HAD A TRACK DEV WHILE FLYING THE VOR DME-A APCH TO MSO.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR THE VOR/DME-A APCH TO MSO. WHEN I SET UP THE HSI FOR THE APCH I INADVERTENTLY DIALED IN THE 275 DEG RADIAL (095 DEG COURSE INBOUND) INSTEAD OF THE PUBLISHED 285 DEGS (105 DEG INBOUND), AND REPEATED THE ERROR WHEN I SET UP MY #2 VOR HEAD. WHILE ON THE VECTOR, THE CTLR NOTIFIED ME THAT I 'APPEARED TO BE WELL S OF THE APCH COURSE' AND GAVE ME A L TURN TO PUT ME BACK ON COURSE. HE ALSO GAVE AN APPROX DISTANCE OFF-COURSE, BUT I DON'T' RECALL WHAT HE SAID, AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE DME DISTANCE DISPLAYED ON MY EQUIP AT THE TIME HE CALLED. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SECOND VECTOR I REALIZED AND CORRECTED MY SET-UP ERROR, AND INTERCEPTED THE PUBLISHED COURSE. AT THE TIME I RESPONDED TO THE CTLR'S CORRECTION, I WAS APPROX ON THE 278 DEG RADIAL (ABOUT 3 DEGS FROM CTRING ON WHAT I HAD SET UP), OR ABOUT 7 DEGS S OF THE PUBLISHED APCH COURSE. WITHOUT KNOWING THE DISTANCE OFF COURSE, HOWEVER, THERE IS NO WAY I CAN NOW CALCULATE HOW FAR I WAS FROM THE VOR -- AND AS I NOTED, I DON'T RECALL THE DME DISTANCE. THUS, ALTHOUGH THE CTLR DID NOT MENTION IT, THERE'S AT LEAST A THEORETICAL POSSIBILITY THAT I CLIPPED THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE TFR DESCRIBED IN FDC 3/7200 (MSO 256 DEG RADIAL AT 25 NM, 5 NM RADIUS, FOR FIRE FIGHTING ACTIVITY), WHICH LIES ALONG THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE APCH CORRIDOR FOR MSO RWY 11. WHILE IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP TRACK OF TFR'S, I THINK I COULD HAVE PAINSTAKINGLY MAPPED OUT THE WHOLE AREA ON MY CHARTS AND IT WOULDN'T HAVE MADE ANY DIFFERENCE. MY ERROR WAS A SIMPLE MISTAKE IN SETTING UP MY EQUIP. ALL THE NOTAM READING AND PLOTTING IN THE WORLD WON'T FIX THAT. I THINK THE ERROR RESULTED FROM LACK OF GENUINE CURRENCY. I WAS TECHNICALLY CURRENT (JUST PASSED A 135.293/.297 RIDE THE WEEK BEFORE, AFTER AN EXTENDED PERIOD OFF FLT STATUS), BUT NOT GENUINELY COMFORTABLE. I HADN'T FLOWN THIS AIRPLANE IN NEARLY 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE FLT CHK. THE REST OF THE APCH WASN'T PRETTY, EITHER: SLOPPY ALT CTL, LATE LET-DOWN, MULTIPLE CONFIGN CHANGES TO 'MANAGE' DSCNT, AND A SLIGHTLY BUSTED MINIMUM AT THE FAF OWING TO POOR DSCNT CTL -- ALL OF WHICH ARE SYMPTOMS OF BEING 'BEHIND THE AIRPLANE.' THE ONLY THING I DID RIGHT WAS DECLINE A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG ON RWY 11 IN FAVOR OF A CIRCLE TO RWY 29. THE ONLY CURE FOR THIS IS TO GET BACK INTO THE AIRPLANE WITH A SAFETY PLT AND BRUSH UP. IF I'D DONE THIS A WEEK AGO, I WOULD HAVE BEEN 'AHEAD' ENOUGH TO AVOID DUMB SET-UP ERRORS, AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO EVENT TO RPT.

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.