Narrative:

The WX was VFR and this was a simple 35 minute ferry flight from fxe to fpr to reposition aircraft to complete work in preparation for its scheduled export. The aircraft was fueled and positioned on the ramp the evening prior to a planned morning departure. I would have filed and flown the flight IFR not being familiar with the area; finding IFR flying to be easier than VFR; however; during two 4 hour flts a month earlier as copilot in this aircraft; several hours were spent attempting to learn how to operate the bendix/KLN90B and determine how the EFIS/GPS system operated. Therefore with no formal training in the use of this avionics installation and having experienced prior difficulty operating its FMS; I was reluctant to commit to a single pilot IFR flight. After engine start; several unsuccessful attempts were made to program a direct to the destination airport waypoint with the GPS. Since the destination airport was located 10 NM sse of vero beach airport with a co-located VOR I tuned the copilot VOR to this frequency and navigation was accomplished flying across panel using the copilot's HSI. Approximately 10 miles south of the destination airport and 20 miles south of the VOR descent was initiated; radar advisories were terminated and the tower of the destination airport asked me to report a right downwind to runway 14. Since I did not have an integrated operational navigation display environment; I allowed my complete attention to be diverted outside to locate the airport by visible means. With visibility 6 miles in haze; I overflew the destination airport and called the destination tower to report that I had the airport in sight and would be entering a downwind for landing on runway 14 while I was unknowingly at the airport located 10 miles north. When the destination tower called to question my location I was so firmly convinced I was at the correct airport I could not get myself to reconcile the fact that I had overflown my destination. Only after fully taking stock of the fact that my DME indicated I was 2.5 miles from the VOR; did I begin to fully comprehend the fact that I had overflown the destination airport by 7.5 miles and I was a downwind to runway 11 at vero beach. Only then did I make the turn to enter an extended straight in landing to runway 14 at the intended destination. Obviously this situation resulted from several factors that added up to the inadvertent overflt. Having recently returned to flying after several years in a non-aviation field; the one thing that has had the greatest impact on my ability to operate with the same ease and capable manner aircraft in which I have extensive flight experience is the pervasive GPS systems with EFIS systems that require more training in their proper use than flying the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH INSTALLED NAV SYSTEMS CONTRIBUTES TO APCH TO WRONG ARPT WHILE VFR.

Narrative: THE WX WAS VFR AND THIS WAS A SIMPLE 35 MINUTE FERRY FLT FROM FXE TO FPR TO REPOSITION ACFT TO COMPLETE WORK IN PREPARATION FOR ITS SCHEDULED EXPORT. THE ACFT WAS FUELED AND POSITIONED ON THE RAMP THE EVENING PRIOR TO A PLANNED MORNING DEP. I WOULD HAVE FILED AND FLOWN THE FLT IFR NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA; FINDING IFR FLYING TO BE EASIER THAN VFR; HOWEVER; DURING TWO 4 HOUR FLTS A MONTH EARLIER AS COPLT IN THIS ACFT; SEVERAL HOURS WERE SPENT ATTEMPTING TO LEARN HOW TO OPERATE THE BENDIX/KLN90B AND DETERMINE HOW THE EFIS/GPS SYSTEM OPERATED. THEREFORE WITH NO FORMAL TRAINING IN THE USE OF THIS AVIONICS INSTALLATION AND HAVING EXPERIENCED PRIOR DIFFICULTY OPERATING ITS FMS; I WAS RELUCTANT TO COMMIT TO A SINGLE PLT IFR FLT. AFTER ENG START; SEVERAL UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO PROGRAM A DIRECT TO THE DEST ARPT WAYPOINT WITH THE GPS. SINCE THE DEST ARPT WAS LOCATED 10 NM SSE OF VERO BEACH ARPT WITH A CO-LOCATED VOR I TUNED THE COPLT VOR TO THIS FREQ AND NAVIGATION WAS ACCOMPLISHED FLYING ACROSS PANEL USING THE COPLT'S HSI. APPROX 10 MILES S OF THE DEST ARPT AND 20 MILES S OF THE VOR DSCNT WAS INITIATED; RADAR ADVISORIES WERE TERMINATED AND THE TWR OF THE DEST ARPT ASKED ME TO RPT A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 14. SINCE I DID NOT HAVE AN INTEGRATED OPERATIONAL NAV DISPLAY ENVIRONMENT; I ALLOWED MY COMPLETE ATTENTION TO BE DIVERTED OUTSIDE TO LOCATE THE ARPT BY VISIBLE MEANS. WITH VISIBILITY 6 MILES IN HAZE; I OVERFLEW THE DEST ARPT AND CALLED THE DEST TWR TO RPT THAT I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WOULD BE ENTERING A DOWNWIND FOR LNDG ON RWY 14 WHILE I WAS UNKNOWINGLY AT THE ARPT LOCATED 10 MILES N. WHEN THE DEST TWR CALLED TO QUESTION MY LOCATION I WAS SO FIRMLY CONVINCED I WAS AT THE CORRECT ARPT I COULD NOT GET MYSELF TO RECONCILE THE FACT THAT I HAD OVERFLOWN MY DEST. ONLY AFTER FULLY TAKING STOCK OF THE FACT THAT MY DME INDICATED I WAS 2.5 MILES FROM THE VOR; DID I BEGIN TO FULLY COMPREHEND THE FACT THAT I HAD OVERFLOWN THE DEST ARPT BY 7.5 MILES AND I WAS A DOWNWIND TO RWY 11 AT VERO BEACH. ONLY THEN DID I MAKE THE TURN TO ENTER AN EXTENDED STRAIGHT IN LNDG TO RWY 14 AT THE INTENDED DEST. OBVIOUSLY THIS SITUATION RESULTED FROM SEVERAL FACTORS THAT ADDED UP TO THE INADVERTENT OVERFLT. HAVING RECENTLY RETURNED TO FLYING AFTER SEVERAL YEARS IN A NON-AVIATION FIELD; THE ONE THING THAT HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON MY ABILITY TO OPERATE WITH THE SAME EASE AND CAPABLE MANNER ACFT IN WHICH I HAVE EXTENSIVE FLT EXPERIENCE IS THE PERVASIVE GPS SYSTEMS WITH EFIS SYSTEMS THAT REQUIRE MORE TRAINING IN THEIR PROPER USE THAN FLYING THE ACFT.

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.