Narrative:

Was on IFR flight at FL270 in a pressurized piston twin with 1 passenger. IFR clearance received; was radar vectored to orl; J53; crg; J174; hto; orw; gdm; direct destination. Entered this routing into both GPS navigators before taxi (GNS-430 and kln-90B). Was not familiar with airways in the south; so used high en route charts to enter waypoints for J53 and J174. At this point an error occurred; and crg inadvertently did not get entered into either GPS. Both were accidentally programmed for orl direct to milie intersection along J174. Center controller inquired of my routing just north of orl; as I was then flying east of the cleared route. I checked; realized my mistake; and asked center whether I should turn back westward toward the correct route at that point. The controller was very polite; said she'd checked with 'the guy sitting next to me' and then cleared me direct from my present position to chs (along J174). This was clearly a preflight data entry pilot error; for which I have no excuse. I was not in any hurry at the time (was returning from vacation); was sitting in a comfortable cockpit in good WX; and was under no pressure of any sort that I recall. It was just a mistake; and more careful diligence should have prevented it. In 33 yrs of flying; I've not entered a routing incorrectly like this before; but in the busy fl north/south airspace; this could have created a problem. Thankfully; center caught it. One strong recommendation. Let's get rid of 'airway clrncs' when the aircraft is /G equipped and only a few intervening waypoints are involved. Neither of my garmin or king navigators contain airway information; so when an airway clearance is received; a paper chart must be consulted; waypoints determined; and each then entered into the navigators. In about 300 hours per yr of flying; much of it east/west transcontinental flts with intervening fuel stops; almost all my flts are fairly direct; with an occasional 'direct-to' waypoint in between. No airways. Either let's eliminate airway clrncs whenever possible; or let's use tso requirements to get the GPS manufacturers to include airway data in their boxes. There must be a reason that those boxes know just about everything else that is knowable about the flight environment except the identity and rtes of airways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C414 PILOT FAILED TO ENTER A NAVAID IN TWO GPS SYSTEMS AND DEVIATED ON AIRWAYS. SUGGESTION: ALLOW ADVANCED NAV ACFT TO FLY DIRECT OFF AIRWAYS.

Narrative: WAS ON IFR FLT AT FL270 IN A PRESSURIZED PISTON TWIN WITH 1 PAX. IFR CLRNC RECEIVED; WAS RADAR VECTORED TO ORL; J53; CRG; J174; HTO; ORW; GDM; DIRECT DEST. ENTERED THIS ROUTING INTO BOTH GPS NAVIGATORS BEFORE TAXI (GNS-430 AND KLN-90B). WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH AIRWAYS IN THE S; SO USED HIGH ENRTE CHARTS TO ENTER WAYPOINTS FOR J53 AND J174. AT THIS POINT AN ERROR OCCURRED; AND CRG INADVERTENTLY DID NOT GET ENTERED INTO EITHER GPS. BOTH WERE ACCIDENTALLY PROGRAMMED FOR ORL DIRECT TO MILIE INTXN ALONG J174. CTR CTLR INQUIRED OF MY ROUTING JUST N OF ORL; AS I WAS THEN FLYING E OF THE CLRED RTE. I CHKED; REALIZED MY MISTAKE; AND ASKED CTR WHETHER I SHOULD TURN BACK WESTWARD TOWARD THE CORRECT RTE AT THAT POINT. THE CTLR WAS VERY POLITE; SAID SHE'D CHKED WITH 'THE GUY SITTING NEXT TO ME' AND THEN CLRED ME DIRECT FROM MY PRESENT POS TO CHS (ALONG J174). THIS WAS CLEARLY A PREFLT DATA ENTRY PLT ERROR; FOR WHICH I HAVE NO EXCUSE. I WAS NOT IN ANY HURRY AT THE TIME (WAS RETURNING FROM VACATION); WAS SITTING IN A COMFORTABLE COCKPIT IN GOOD WX; AND WAS UNDER NO PRESSURE OF ANY SORT THAT I RECALL. IT WAS JUST A MISTAKE; AND MORE CAREFUL DILIGENCE SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED IT. IN 33 YRS OF FLYING; I'VE NOT ENTERED A ROUTING INCORRECTLY LIKE THIS BEFORE; BUT IN THE BUSY FL NORTH/SOUTH AIRSPACE; THIS COULD HAVE CREATED A PROB. THANKFULLY; CTR CAUGHT IT. ONE STRONG RECOMMENDATION. LET'S GET RID OF 'AIRWAY CLRNCS' WHEN THE ACFT IS /G EQUIPPED AND ONLY A FEW INTERVENING WAYPOINTS ARE INVOLVED. NEITHER OF MY GARMIN OR KING NAVIGATORS CONTAIN AIRWAY INFO; SO WHEN AN AIRWAY CLRNC IS RECEIVED; A PAPER CHART MUST BE CONSULTED; WAYPOINTS DETERMINED; AND EACH THEN ENTERED INTO THE NAVIGATORS. IN ABOUT 300 HRS PER YR OF FLYING; MUCH OF IT E/W TRANSCONTINENTAL FLTS WITH INTERVENING FUEL STOPS; ALMOST ALL MY FLTS ARE FAIRLY DIRECT; WITH AN OCCASIONAL 'DIRECT-TO' WAYPOINT IN BETWEEN. NO AIRWAYS. EITHER LET'S ELIMINATE AIRWAY CLRNCS WHENEVER POSSIBLE; OR LET'S USE TSO REQUIREMENTS TO GET THE GPS MANUFACTURERS TO INCLUDE AIRWAY DATA IN THEIR BOXES. THERE MUST BE A REASON THAT THOSE BOXES KNOW JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IS KNOWABLE ABOUT THE FLT ENVIRONMENT EXCEPT THE IDENTITY AND RTES OF AIRWAYS.

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.