Narrative:

We were being given vectors for ILS runway 7 at orl. I was flying as sic. The PF had less than 10 hours in the aircraft and was not totally familiar with the EFIS. The PF was given a descent to 1500 ft and vectors to intercept the localizer course for orl runway 7; and cleared for approach. I asked the PF to bring up the HSI on his mfd to display the localizer inbound. He was unfamiliar with how to perform this function and unwittingly locked up the EFIS system before we could get the HSI/localizer on the mfd. This resulted in our flying through the localizer and requiring the controller to immediately give us a vector to 180 degrees and climb to 2000 ft. The EFIS was still locked up so I knew we would not be able to capture the localizer on the second attempt. At that time I took over as the PIC and explained to the controller that we had an EFIS problem and needed vectors to the airport. Not being familiar with the area and never having flown into orl day or night we were unable to distinguish the orl airport in the sea of lights in the area. After several vectors and on about a 4 mi final; we had the airport in sight and were turned over to the tower and cleared to land. The remainder of the flight including the landing went without incident; however; the approach controller sounded like he was very upset with our less than professional ability to carry out a relatively simple ILS procedure under night VMC. I am a corporate pilot and CFI. The PF was the company owner; a 300 hour private pilot with a newly earned instrument rating. The aircraft was a recently purchased new single engine turboprop. The owner has had a total of 10 hours dual in the new airplane in daytime conditions in a much less complex and less busy environment. The purpose of our trip was to attend a turboprop transition class the next day. As a CFI; I should have not allowed the boss to talk me into letting him fly left seat into such a complex and busy airspace in a new plane with an EFIS system that we are both still in the learning stage with. I should have had the PF set up the EFIS/HSI earlier in the flight so he would have had more time to think the setup process through at a slower pace. Factors affecting human performance: low level of experience on the equipment being operated primarily on the EFIS system for both the PF and the PNF. Night arrival into a strange airport located in a heavily populated area where the lights all blend together.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF TWO -- BOTH INEXPERIENCED IN THE HIGH PERFORMANCE TURBO SINGLE; AND THE PF A 300 HR PVT PLT -- ATTEMPT AN ILS APCH TO ORL BUT LOCK UP THE UNFAMILIAR EFIS SYS. ATC VECTORED THEM TO A POS FROM WHICH THEY CAN MAKE A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: WE WERE BEING GIVEN VECTORS FOR ILS RWY 7 AT ORL. I WAS FLYING AS SIC. THE PF HAD LESS THAN 10 HRS IN THE ACFT AND WAS NOT TOTALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE EFIS. THE PF WAS GIVEN A DSCNT TO 1500 FT AND VECTORS TO INTERCEPT THE LOC COURSE FOR ORL RWY 7; AND CLRED FOR APCH. I ASKED THE PF TO BRING UP THE HSI ON HIS MFD TO DISPLAY THE LOC INBOUND. HE WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH HOW TO PERFORM THIS FUNCTION AND UNWITTINGLY LOCKED UP THE EFIS SYS BEFORE WE COULD GET THE HSI/LOC ON THE MFD. THIS RESULTED IN OUR FLYING THROUGH THE LOC AND REQUIRING THE CTLR TO IMMEDIATELY GIVE US A VECTOR TO 180 DEGS AND CLB TO 2000 FT. THE EFIS WAS STILL LOCKED UP SO I KNEW WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CAPTURE THE LOC ON THE SECOND ATTEMPT. AT THAT TIME I TOOK OVER AS THE PIC AND EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT WE HAD AN EFIS PROB AND NEEDED VECTORS TO THE ARPT. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND NEVER HAVING FLOWN INTO ORL DAY OR NIGHT WE WERE UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH THE ORL ARPT IN THE SEA OF LIGHTS IN THE AREA. AFTER SEVERAL VECTORS AND ON ABOUT A 4 MI FINAL; WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WERE TURNED OVER TO THE TWR AND CLRED TO LAND. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT INCLUDING THE LNDG WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT; HOWEVER; THE APCH CTLR SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS VERY UPSET WITH OUR LESS THAN PROFESSIONAL ABILITY TO CARRY OUT A RELATIVELY SIMPLE ILS PROC UNDER NIGHT VMC. I AM A CORPORATE PLT AND CFI. THE PF WAS THE COMPANY OWNER; A 300 HR PVT PLT WITH A NEWLY EARNED INST RATING. THE ACFT WAS A RECENTLY PURCHASED NEW SINGLE ENG TURBOPROP. THE OWNER HAS HAD A TOTAL OF 10 HRS DUAL IN THE NEW AIRPLANE IN DAYTIME CONDITIONS IN A MUCH LESS COMPLEX AND LESS BUSY ENVIRONMENT. THE PURPOSE OF OUR TRIP WAS TO ATTEND A TURBOPROP TRANSITION CLASS THE NEXT DAY. AS A CFI; I SHOULD HAVE NOT ALLOWED THE BOSS TO TALK ME INTO LETTING HIM FLY L SEAT INTO SUCH A COMPLEX AND BUSY AIRSPACE IN A NEW PLANE WITH AN EFIS SYS THAT WE ARE BOTH STILL IN THE LEARNING STAGE WITH. I SHOULD HAVE HAD THE PF SET UP THE EFIS/HSI EARLIER IN THE FLT SO HE WOULD HAVE HAD MORE TIME TO THINK THE SETUP PROCESS THROUGH AT A SLOWER PACE. FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN PERFORMANCE: LOW LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE ON THE EQUIP BEING OPERATED PRIMARILY ON THE EFIS SYS FOR BOTH THE PF AND THE PNF. NIGHT ARR INTO A STRANGE ARPT LOCATED IN A HEAVILY POPULATED AREA WHERE THE LIGHTS ALL BLEND TOGETHER.

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.