Narrative:

There was little moon on this night flight. The SID calls for a left turn off runway 20; direct ALS with a climb in a hold at ALS. Visibility was good; but with very little development on the ground; there was no reliable visual horizon at night; so I was pretty much on the instruments after we departed VFR. As we climbed in the hold; I contacted ZDV to obtain our IFR clearance. At about that time the laptop based GPS moving map went out. This has not happened before. I had complete paper backup for the flight; including maps; plates; and a printed flight plan. I proceeded to climb in the hold while my son worked on getting the moving map up and running. ATC cleared us to 14000 ft; the MEA on V83. Once at 14000 ft; we were cleared on course. We were instructed to report 10 east on V83. As we reached 14000 ft; I turned the course line on the HSI from 301 degrees; the inbound course for the hold; to an incorrect heading. Instead of 61 degrees; I set 241 degrees; the exact opposite. I don't know how this happened; as I have used an HSI for instrument flight for yrs. We then proceeded on the reversed course to the assigned altitude of 14000 ft. We reported 10 east; though we were actually 10 west. Over the next few mins the moving map came back online. We were shown precisely on a victor airway; though I now know it was not V83; it was V210. As soon as the map came up; we selected the terrain warning function. This causes the map to go blank for a few moments while the image is created. Soon thereafter the terrain came up. While there was no immediate conflict showing; the terrain did not appear in the locations where I expected it and I was beginning to wonder if we were off course. Right about then ATC contacted us to verify position; saying he had a single radar hit showing us off course. With that request I regained situational awareness and knew we were seriously off course. ATC gave us a climb and then a turn and we were back on course. The remainder of the flight was uneventful except for some up and downdrafts. I; however; was left seriously shaken by the event. I take pride in the professionalism I bring to flying. While I don't fly for a living; I like to think that I fly at level that is consistent with someone who does. I participate in training every year. I take an ipc ride every 6 months; whether or not I need it. How I could have become so disoriented in the vicinity of terrain is disturbing. Night flight was a factor. The distraction of the failed moving map and helping my son get it back on line was certainly a factor. Also a factor was that I was hand flying; because of the turbulence. It didn't help that I was receiving and reading back the clearance right about the time all of this was going on. I'd like to think I would have figured out the problem before the situation became truly life threatening; but who knows. I am thankful ATC was on the ball and followed up on that lone radar hit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT HAS A TRACK AND HDG DEV DURING DEP FROM ALS.

Narrative: THERE WAS LITTLE MOON ON THIS NIGHT FLT. THE SID CALLS FOR A L TURN OFF RWY 20; DIRECT ALS WITH A CLB IN A HOLD AT ALS. VISIBILITY WAS GOOD; BUT WITH VERY LITTLE DEVELOPMENT ON THE GND; THERE WAS NO RELIABLE VISUAL HORIZON AT NIGHT; SO I WAS PRETTY MUCH ON THE INSTS AFTER WE DEPARTED VFR. AS WE CLBED IN THE HOLD; I CONTACTED ZDV TO OBTAIN OUR IFR CLRNC. AT ABOUT THAT TIME THE LAPTOP BASED GPS MOVING MAP WENT OUT. THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED BEFORE. I HAD COMPLETE PAPER BACKUP FOR THE FLT; INCLUDING MAPS; PLATES; AND A PRINTED FLT PLAN. I PROCEEDED TO CLB IN THE HOLD WHILE MY SON WORKED ON GETTING THE MOVING MAP UP AND RUNNING. ATC CLRED US TO 14000 FT; THE MEA ON V83. ONCE AT 14000 FT; WE WERE CLRED ON COURSE. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO RPT 10 E ON V83. AS WE REACHED 14000 FT; I TURNED THE COURSE LINE ON THE HSI FROM 301 DEGS; THE INBOUND COURSE FOR THE HOLD; TO AN INCORRECT HDG. INSTEAD OF 61 DEGS; I SET 241 DEGS; THE EXACT OPPOSITE. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED; AS I HAVE USED AN HSI FOR INST FLT FOR YRS. WE THEN PROCEEDED ON THE REVERSED COURSE TO THE ASSIGNED ALT OF 14000 FT. WE RPTED 10 E; THOUGH WE WERE ACTUALLY 10 W. OVER THE NEXT FEW MINS THE MOVING MAP CAME BACK ONLINE. WE WERE SHOWN PRECISELY ON A VICTOR AIRWAY; THOUGH I NOW KNOW IT WAS NOT V83; IT WAS V210. AS SOON AS THE MAP CAME UP; WE SELECTED THE TERRAIN WARNING FUNCTION. THIS CAUSES THE MAP TO GO BLANK FOR A FEW MOMENTS WHILE THE IMAGE IS CREATED. SOON THEREAFTER THE TERRAIN CAME UP. WHILE THERE WAS NO IMMEDIATE CONFLICT SHOWING; THE TERRAIN DID NOT APPEAR IN THE LOCATIONS WHERE I EXPECTED IT AND I WAS BEGINNING TO WONDER IF WE WERE OFF COURSE. RIGHT ABOUT THEN ATC CONTACTED US TO VERIFY POS; SAYING HE HAD A SINGLE RADAR HIT SHOWING US OFF COURSE. WITH THAT REQUEST I REGAINED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND KNEW WE WERE SERIOUSLY OFF COURSE. ATC GAVE US A CLB AND THEN A TURN AND WE WERE BACK ON COURSE. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT FOR SOME UP AND DOWNDRAFTS. I; HOWEVER; WAS LEFT SERIOUSLY SHAKEN BY THE EVENT. I TAKE PRIDE IN THE PROFESSIONALISM I BRING TO FLYING. WHILE I DON'T FLY FOR A LIVING; I LIKE TO THINK THAT I FLY AT LEVEL THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH SOMEONE WHO DOES. I PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING EVERY YEAR. I TAKE AN IPC RIDE EVERY 6 MONTHS; WHETHER OR NOT I NEED IT. HOW I COULD HAVE BECOME SO DISORIENTED IN THE VICINITY OF TERRAIN IS DISTURBING. NIGHT FLT WAS A FACTOR. THE DISTR OF THE FAILED MOVING MAP AND HELPING MY SON GET IT BACK ON LINE WAS CERTAINLY A FACTOR. ALSO A FACTOR WAS THAT I WAS HAND FLYING; BECAUSE OF THE TURB. IT DIDN'T HELP THAT I WAS RECEIVING AND READING BACK THE CLRNC RIGHT ABOUT THE TIME ALL OF THIS WAS GOING ON. I'D LIKE TO THINK I WOULD HAVE FIGURED OUT THE PROB BEFORE THE SITUATION BECAME TRULY LIFE THREATENING; BUT WHO KNOWS. I AM THANKFUL ATC WAS ON THE BALL AND FOLLOWED UP ON THAT LONE RADAR HIT.

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.