Narrative:

I filed for the routing: ellensburg, wa, direct eln direct btg. When I activated my IFR flight plan 10 northwest of eln while in VFR flight I was given a new clearance: direct eln, V468 ykm, btg, climb maintain 7000', expected higher. After passing eln I turned and proceeded on V25 (then 27 NM direct to ykm) instead of V468 as assigned (a difference of 12 degrees in arwys). Shortly afterward the controller contacted me about this and I asked if he still wanted me to intercept V468 and he said yes. I did so, then referred to my map again. At this point I became confused about where to fly because the commercial map I had, which was the current map, us(lo) 1 dated 11/16/89 does not show how to fly V468 between eln and ykm. So I first turned back to go direct ykm and then while doing this contacted the controller and was ok'ed to intercept V468 ykm where its path was again clearly shown. This required another course reversal. No further problems were encountered. My conclusions. First, I made a mistake about the routing on the short 27 NM segment between eln and ykm. I think this was due to the second problem. The map I glanced at, while in flight and flying the airplane, did not clearly show another 'victor' route between eln and ykm and so I didn't think to recall V468 as the proper route number instead of V25 which was so clearly shown. I have written commercial to point out this map error.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA TRACK HEADING DEVIATION.

Narrative: I FILED FOR THE ROUTING: ELLENSBURG, WA, DIRECT ELN DIRECT BTG. WHEN I ACTIVATED MY IFR FLT PLAN 10 NW OF ELN WHILE IN VFR FLT I WAS GIVEN A NEW CLRNC: DIRECT ELN, V468 YKM, BTG, CLB MAINTAIN 7000', EXPECTED HIGHER. AFTER PASSING ELN I TURNED AND PROCEEDED ON V25 (THEN 27 NM DIRECT TO YKM) INSTEAD OF V468 AS ASSIGNED (A DIFFERENCE OF 12 DEGS IN ARWYS). SHORTLY AFTERWARD THE CTLR CONTACTED ME ABOUT THIS AND I ASKED IF HE STILL WANTED ME TO INTERCEPT V468 AND HE SAID YES. I DID SO, THEN REFERRED TO MY MAP AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I BECAME CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE TO FLY BECAUSE THE COMMERCIAL MAP I HAD, WHICH WAS THE CURRENT MAP, US(LO) 1 DATED 11/16/89 DOES NOT SHOW HOW TO FLY V468 BTWN ELN AND YKM. SO I FIRST TURNED BACK TO GO DIRECT YKM AND THEN WHILE DOING THIS CONTACTED THE CTLR AND WAS OK'ED TO INTERCEPT V468 YKM WHERE ITS PATH WAS AGAIN CLRLY SHOWN. THIS REQUIRED ANOTHER COURSE REVERSAL. NO FURTHER PROBS WERE ENCOUNTERED. MY CONCLUSIONS. FIRST, I MADE A MISTAKE ABOUT THE ROUTING ON THE SHORT 27 NM SEGMENT BTWN ELN AND YKM. I THINK THIS WAS DUE TO THE SECOND PROB. THE MAP I GLANCED AT, WHILE IN FLT AND FLYING THE AIRPLANE, DID NOT CLRLY SHOW ANOTHER 'VICTOR' RTE BTWN ELN AND YKM AND SO I DIDN'T THINK TO RECALL V468 AS THE PROPER RTE NUMBER INSTEAD OF V25 WHICH WAS SO CLRLY SHOWN. I HAVE WRITTEN COMMERCIAL TO POINT OUT THIS MAP ERROR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.