Narrative:

Upon arrival in the danbury; ct; area; I had dxr at the end of my flight plan in my GPS. I then added the riced 2 arrival. I was following the GPS from south carolinas and at riced intersection; the GPS showed a heavy line to dxr and a faint set of lines showing its arrival. Due to my heightened workload; I set in the heading called for by the GPS and continued preparing for the arrival. ATC asked my heading at which time I realized my mistake. At that time; I was also descending from 9000 ft to 7000 ft. I worked with ATC to set the new heading in my autoplt only to find I had descended below 7000 ft. I immediately corrected my altitude and continued toward danbury. The only correction from ATC was the initial heading error. I was then xferred to the next ATC contact. I followed the wrong heading from the GPS. I realize that I had put in my flight plan and then added the arrival when I should have put the arrival ahead of the airport. I will not make this error again. I will also not assume the GPS is correct; I will doublechk its settings. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he knows this system well and in this event he simply did not follow what he knew he should have done. After purchasing the GPS navigation unit he flew with an instructor until he became proficient. He 'loves' the system but points out that it does have some flaws. In this case he attempted to add the arrival into the system before the airport. Once the flight plan is in the navigation system the user can only add the arrival after the airport and is then required to delete the airport and reinsert it after the arrival. Because he added the arrival and left the airport in the fpr; the arrival came after the airport (light white lines) as opposed to the heavy white line which was direct the airport. The light white lines showed progress on the arrival after passing the airport. Reporter stated that there should be an easier method of installing an arrival prior to an airport. In general; the reporter finds this system to be fairly simple.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C90 PLT MISREAD HIS GPS PROGRAMMED NAV SYS AND FOLLOWED INCORRECT HDG GUIDANCE. WHILE CORRECTING THE HDG ERROR; THE PLT DEVIATED FROM HIS ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: UPON ARR IN THE DANBURY; CT; AREA; I HAD DXR AT THE END OF MY FLT PLAN IN MY GPS. I THEN ADDED THE RICED 2 ARR. I WAS FOLLOWING THE GPS FROM SOUTH CAROLINAS AND AT RICED INTXN; THE GPS SHOWED A HVY LINE TO DXR AND A FAINT SET OF LINES SHOWING ITS ARR. DUE TO MY HEIGHTENED WORKLOAD; I SET IN THE HDG CALLED FOR BY THE GPS AND CONTINUED PREPARING FOR THE ARR. ATC ASKED MY HDG AT WHICH TIME I REALIZED MY MISTAKE. AT THAT TIME; I WAS ALSO DSNDING FROM 9000 FT TO 7000 FT. I WORKED WITH ATC TO SET THE NEW HDG IN MY AUTOPLT ONLY TO FIND I HAD DSNDED BELOW 7000 FT. I IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED MY ALT AND CONTINUED TOWARD DANBURY. THE ONLY CORRECTION FROM ATC WAS THE INITIAL HDG ERROR. I WAS THEN XFERRED TO THE NEXT ATC CONTACT. I FOLLOWED THE WRONG HDG FROM THE GPS. I REALIZE THAT I HAD PUT IN MY FLT PLAN AND THEN ADDED THE ARR WHEN I SHOULD HAVE PUT THE ARR AHEAD OF THE ARPT. I WILL NOT MAKE THIS ERROR AGAIN. I WILL ALSO NOT ASSUME THE GPS IS CORRECT; I WILL DOUBLECHK ITS SETTINGS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE KNOWS THIS SYS WELL AND IN THIS EVENT HE SIMPLY DID NOT FOLLOW WHAT HE KNEW HE SHOULD HAVE DONE. AFTER PURCHASING THE GPS NAV UNIT HE FLEW WITH AN INSTRUCTOR UNTIL HE BECAME PROFICIENT. HE 'LOVES' THE SYS BUT POINTS OUT THAT IT DOES HAVE SOME FLAWS. IN THIS CASE HE ATTEMPTED TO ADD THE ARR INTO THE SYS BEFORE THE ARPT. ONCE THE FLT PLAN IS IN THE NAV SYS THE USER CAN ONLY ADD THE ARR AFTER THE ARPT AND IS THEN REQUIRED TO DELETE THE ARPT AND REINSERT IT AFTER THE ARR. BECAUSE HE ADDED THE ARR AND LEFT THE ARPT IN THE FPR; THE ARR CAME AFTER THE ARPT (LIGHT WHITE LINES) AS OPPOSED TO THE HVY WHITE LINE WHICH WAS DIRECT THE ARPT. THE LIGHT WHITE LINES SHOWED PROGRESS ON THE ARR AFTER PASSING THE ARPT. RPTR STATED THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN EASIER METHOD OF INSTALLING AN ARR PRIOR TO AN ARPT. IN GENERAL; THE RPTR FINDS THIS SYS TO BE FAIRLY SIMPLE.

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.