Narrative:

I had filed an IFR flight plan for the 45 minute flight from hwd to rno. En route; WX was mixed with rain and light icing. I had filed oak V6 sac rno.SIER3 -- planning on using the SIERRA3 STAR into reno. I received my clearance from hwd ground as vectors V6 sac V392 fmg direct and checked the map to determine the necessary waypoints to add to the flight plan in the garmin 530 GPS that I had selected for primary navigation. Departure and initial climb were uneventful. I had just passed the sac VOR when norcal asked if I was following V392. I replied affirmative and immediately looked at the chart; as I was dialing in the VOR and radial to verify that I was on V392; the controller advised that it appeared I was tracking on V6 and to turn to a heading of 020 degrees and intercept V392. I did as directed; selected sac VOR; dialed in the appropriate radial and intercepted V392 shortly after. In looking back; I realize that I had not established enough waypoints in the flight plan to establish the route for V392; that; coupled with distraction due to WX on the climb out was the source of this deviation from the clearance I was issued. To avoid this in the future I will triple check my programmed flight plan and will back up the flight plan by verifying airways using the VOR and appropriate radials. As new avionics are developed; it would be helpful for manufacturers to include the ability to program flight plans directly using either victor or jet route identifiers. This would reduce one source of error in building appropriate flight plans. I have flown close to 750 hours in this aircraft using the same avionics. This is the first programming mistake that I have made but it highlights how easy it is to construct the wrong route.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that it was his error in programming the garmin GPS that caused the track deviation. However; he indicated that the manufacturer of the equipment should include the ability to select airways vice waypoints. Often a clearance is issued; while airborne; that combines a STAR with an airway or a departure with an airway. This requires the pilot to reprogram the GPS and without the ability to call-up the airway it becomes a labor intensive procedure to review the chart and program the waypoints associated with that airway. This is usually taking place while in a climb or descent during departure or arrival. The workload becomes quite intense and is prone to mistakes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PC-12 PILATUS PLT HAS A TRACK AND HDG DEV DURING AN IFR AIRWAYS FLT.

Narrative: I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR THE 45 MINUTE FLT FROM HWD TO RNO. ENRTE; WX WAS MIXED WITH RAIN AND LIGHT ICING. I HAD FILED OAK V6 SAC RNO.SIER3 -- PLANNING ON USING THE SIERRA3 STAR INTO RENO. I RECEIVED MY CLRNC FROM HWD GND AS VECTORS V6 SAC V392 FMG DIRECT AND CHKED THE MAP TO DETERMINE THE NECESSARY WAYPOINTS TO ADD TO THE FLT PLAN IN THE GARMIN 530 GPS THAT I HAD SELECTED FOR PRIMARY NAVIGATION. DEP AND INITIAL CLB WERE UNEVENTFUL. I HAD JUST PASSED THE SAC VOR WHEN NORCAL ASKED IF I WAS FOLLOWING V392. I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE AND IMMEDIATELY LOOKED AT THE CHART; AS I WAS DIALING IN THE VOR AND RADIAL TO VERIFY THAT I WAS ON V392; THE CTLR ADVISED THAT IT APPEARED I WAS TRACKING ON V6 AND TO TURN TO A HDG OF 020 DEGS AND INTERCEPT V392. I DID AS DIRECTED; SELECTED SAC VOR; DIALED IN THE APPROPRIATE RADIAL AND INTERCEPTED V392 SHORTLY AFTER. IN LOOKING BACK; I REALIZE THAT I HAD NOT ESTABLISHED ENOUGH WAYPOINTS IN THE FLT PLAN TO ESTABLISH THE RTE FOR V392; THAT; COUPLED WITH DISTRACTION DUE TO WX ON THE CLB OUT WAS THE SOURCE OF THIS DEV FROM THE CLRNC I WAS ISSUED. TO AVOID THIS IN THE FUTURE I WILL TRIPLE CHK MY PROGRAMMED FLT PLAN AND WILL BACK UP THE FLT PLAN BY VERIFYING AIRWAYS USING THE VOR AND APPROPRIATE RADIALS. AS NEW AVIONICS ARE DEVELOPED; IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR MANUFACTURERS TO INCLUDE THE ABILITY TO PROGRAM FLT PLANS DIRECTLY USING EITHER VICTOR OR JET RTE IDENTIFIERS. THIS WOULD REDUCE ONE SOURCE OF ERROR IN BUILDING APPROPRIATE FLT PLANS. I HAVE FLOWN CLOSE TO 750 HOURS IN THIS ACFT USING THE SAME AVIONICS. THIS IS THE FIRST PROGRAMMING MISTAKE THAT I HAVE MADE BUT IT HIGHLIGHTS HOW EASY IT IS TO CONSTRUCT THE WRONG RTE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT IT WAS HIS ERROR IN PROGRAMMING THE GARMIN GPS THAT CAUSED THE TRACK DEV. HOWEVER; HE INDICATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER OF THE EQUIP SHOULD INCLUDE THE ABILITY TO SELECT AIRWAYS VICE WAYPOINTS. OFTEN A CLRNC IS ISSUED; WHILE AIRBORNE; THAT COMBINES A STAR WITH AN AIRWAY OR A DEP WITH AN AIRWAY. THIS REQUIRES THE PLT TO REPROGRAM THE GPS AND WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO CALL-UP THE AIRWAY IT BECOMES A LABOR INTENSIVE PROC TO REVIEW THE CHART AND PROGRAM THE WAYPOINTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT AIRWAY. THIS IS USUALLY TAKING PLACE WHILE IN A CLB OR DSCNT DURING DEP OR ARR. THE WORKLOAD BECOMES QUITE INTENSE AND IS PRONE TO MISTAKES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.