Narrative:

I was on a day cavu trip to a destination of about 115 mi. The route was almost featureless, but lay between a highway and the gulf of mexico coastline, about 20 mi apart. There was no way to miss my destination, but the situation would apply if on a marginal day trip or at night. I was using my new handheld navigation communication, as my communication system had been repaired, rewired and rearranged lately. The communication didn't work. I haven't got the operational situation worked out yet, as where to put the unit when not in use. I found the best place for reaching it and receiving signals, to be on dash in front of the windshield, which is near my compass mounted on center post. I got there ok, no problem, and was returning when I noticed the heading for destination was 15-20 degrees to east of course. This situation was very obvious because of my guide lines on each side of course. If the route was less obvious or in bad visual conditions, the discrepancy would not have been noticed, and I would have thought my inactivity lately was letting my heading wander, causing me to reset my dg. On using and replacing the handheld, I saw the compass progress to the right. As I moved the unit further from the compass, it corrected the error. Sliding it toward the compass showed a progressively greater turn to the right of correct position. This is a strong reminder to not do actions differently in other than usual situations. Don't change the position of flashlights, handhelds or headsets to different locations because of low visibility, night flying or mechanical problems. Before encountering such problems, decide where you will need to position all items that might be needed in adverse conditions, deciding during good VFR flts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIPMENT PROBLEM.

Narrative: I WAS ON A DAY CAVU TRIP TO A DEST OF ABOUT 115 MI. THE ROUTE WAS ALMOST FEATURELESS, BUT LAY BTWN A HWY AND THE GULF OF MEXICO COASTLINE, ABOUT 20 MI APART. THERE WAS NO WAY TO MISS MY DEST, BUT THE SITUATION WOULD APPLY IF ON A MARGINAL DAY TRIP OR AT NIGHT. I WAS USING MY NEW HANDHELD NAV COM, AS MY COM SYS HAD BEEN REPAIRED, REWIRED AND REARRANGED LATELY. THE COM DIDN'T WORK. I HAVEN'T GOT THE OPERATIONAL SITUATION WORKED OUT YET, AS WHERE TO PUT THE UNIT WHEN NOT IN USE. I FOUND THE BEST PLACE FOR REACHING IT AND RECEIVING SIGNALS, TO BE ON DASH IN FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD, WHICH IS NEAR MY COMPASS MOUNTED ON CENTER POST. I GOT THERE OK, NO PROB, AND WAS RETURNING WHEN I NOTICED THE HDG FOR DEST WAS 15-20 DEGS TO E OF COURSE. THIS SITUATION WAS VERY OBVIOUS BECAUSE OF MY GUIDE LINES ON EACH SIDE OF COURSE. IF THE ROUTE WAS LESS OBVIOUS OR IN BAD VISUAL CONDITIONS, THE DISCREPANCY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NOTICED, AND I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT MY INACTIVITY LATELY WAS LETTING MY HDG WANDER, CAUSING ME TO RESET MY DG. ON USING AND REPLACING THE HANDHELD, I SAW THE COMPASS PROGRESS TO THE RIGHT. AS I MOVED THE UNIT FURTHER FROM THE COMPASS, IT CORRECTED THE ERROR. SLIDING IT TOWARD THE COMPASS SHOWED A PROGRESSIVELY GREATER TURN TO THE RIGHT OF CORRECT POS. THIS IS A STRONG REMINDER TO NOT DO ACTIONS DIFFERENTLY IN OTHER THAN USUAL SITUATIONS. DON'T CHANGE THE POS OF FLASHLIGHTS, HANDHELDS OR HEADSETS TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS BECAUSE OF LOW VISIBILITY, NIGHT FLYING OR MECHANICAL PROBS. BEFORE ENCOUNTERING SUCH PROBS, DECIDE WHERE YOU WILL NEED TO POS ALL ITEMS THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED IN ADVERSE CONDITIONS, DECIDING DURING GOOD VFR FLTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.