Narrative:

IFR flight plan to fai. Level at 7000; IMC; autopilot engaged; cleared down to 6000 and cleared direct hosan (unfamiliar fix). Selected vertical speed/down on autopilot; began stable descent. Broke out into excellent VMC conditions (large hole; visibility estimated >20 nm; ground clearly visible below; familiar terrain). Relaxed when VMC conditions appeared; and started trying to find hosan in GPS and on approach charts (expected to find it easily). Unable to find hosan fix in GPS; found it on approach chart; still unable to find in GPS. Glancing out window showed no hazard from terrain. Head-down; programming GPS; looked up and noticed low altitude. Immediately disengaged autopilot; and climbed back to altitude in VMC. Lulled into sense of complacency by good VMC conditions and clear view of ground below; as well as familiar local terrain. Got lost in GPS programming. Did not ask for clearance to a familiar fix; which would be easier to find. Perhaps we should develop a rule of thumb (to help pilots in dealing with automated systems); and train them to recognize when to use this rule of thumb. Perhaps something like this: 'when programming an automated system; try it one time. If that attempt is unsuccessful; then try one more time. If the second attempt at programming fails; then drop back to the next lower level of automation.' a rule of thumb like this could help reduce head-down time in dealing with automated aircraft/systems. Scenario-based training is probably a good way to introduce this rule of thumb. If ATC only uses familiar; major fixes (initial approach fix; final approach fix; etc) in routing instructions; then pilots will spend less time searching for fixes. This would also reduce head-down time in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air taxi pilot descending into Fairbanks reported becoming distracted while attempting to find and enter the fix he was cleared direct to and descended below his assigned altitude.

Narrative: IFR flight plan to FAI. Level at 7000; IMC; Autopilot engaged; Cleared down to 6000 and cleared direct HOSAN (unfamiliar fix). Selected Vertical Speed/Down on autopilot; began stable descent. Broke out into excellent VMC conditions (large hole; visibility estimated >20 nm; ground clearly visible below; familiar terrain). Relaxed when VMC conditions appeared; and started trying to find HOSAN in GPS and on approach charts (expected to find it easily). Unable to find HOSAN fix in GPS; found it on approach chart; still unable to find in GPS. Glancing out window showed no hazard from terrain. Head-down; programming GPS; looked up and noticed low altitude. Immediately disengaged autopilot; and climbed back to altitude in VMC. Lulled into sense of complacency by good VMC conditions and clear view of ground below; as well as familiar local terrain. Got lost in GPS programming. Did not ask for clearance to a familiar fix; which would be easier to find. Perhaps we should develop a rule of thumb (to help pilots in dealing with automated systems); and train them to recognize when to use this rule of thumb. Perhaps something like this: 'When programming an automated system; try it one time. If that attempt is unsuccessful; then try one more time. If the second attempt at programming fails; then drop back to the next lower level of automation.' A rule of thumb like this could help reduce head-down time in dealing with automated aircraft/systems. Scenario-based training is probably a good way to introduce this rule of thumb. If ATC only uses familiar; major fixes (initial approach fix; final approach fix; etc) in routing instructions; then pilots will spend less time searching for fixes. This would also reduce head-down time in the cockpit.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.