Narrative:

On sat june, I departed W54 for a flight to a flight to a private strip just south of the casanova VOR. With me was a passenger who himself was a private pilot. The plane being flown was a 2 seat small aircraft biplane where the pilot (along with all of the navigation avionics) is in the back seat and the passenger in the front seat. The plane is equipped with a navcom VOR and a LORAN unit. Part of the purpose of the flight was to allow the passenger to practice navigation and flying from the front seat of the small aircraft as that most closely approximately conditions he will find in the biplane he desired to purchase. He brought along a hand held transceiver (this model includes a VOR). On the trip from the small grass strip near casanova VOR down to our final destination 5w2 the passenger did the navigation using the hand held VOR with me in the back checking up. The trip was about 178 mi in length. For the duration of the trip the VOR needle was more or less centered. My passenger also assured me this indicator indicated we were more or less on course. After 1.5 hours when we were suppose to be near the airport it became apparent we were no where near the 150 right we had been following (lvl VOR). I asked my passenger to shut of his hand held and I performed the lost plane procedure. I then landed at a small airport near richmond, va. In the period of time we had gotten lost we covered a lot of territory and did not know exactly where we were. We then refueled an proceeded to our destination. Later investigation showed there to be a strong amount of interaction between the VOR installed in the plane and the VOR indicator of the hand held unit. This was confirmed by a test flight we made the next day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA GOT LOST AND LANDED ABOUT 50 NM FROM DESTINATION ARPT.

Narrative: ON SAT JUNE, I DEPARTED W54 FOR A FLT TO A FLT TO A PRIVATE STRIP JUST S OF THE CASANOVA VOR. WITH ME WAS A PAX WHO HIMSELF WAS A PRIVATE PLT. THE PLANE BEING FLOWN WAS A 2 SEAT SMA BIPLANE WHERE THE PLT (ALONG WITH ALL OF THE NAV AVIONICS) IS IN THE BACK SEAT AND THE PAX IN THE FRONT SEAT. THE PLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH A NAVCOM VOR AND A LORAN UNIT. PART OF THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS TO ALLOW THE PAX TO PRACTICE NAV AND FLYING FROM THE FRONT SEAT OF THE SMA AS THAT MOST CLOSELY APPROX CONDITIONS HE WILL FIND IN THE BIPLANE HE DESIRED TO PURCHASE. HE BROUGHT ALONG A HAND HELD TRANSCEIVER (THIS MODEL INCLUDES A VOR). ON THE TRIP FROM THE SMALL GRASS STRIP NEAR CASANOVA VOR DOWN TO OUR FINAL DEST 5W2 THE PAX DID THE NAV USING THE HAND HELD VOR WITH ME IN THE BACK CHKING UP. THE TRIP WAS ABOUT 178 MI IN LENGTH. FOR THE DURATION OF THE TRIP THE VOR NEEDLE WAS MORE OR LESS CTRED. MY PAX ALSO ASSURED ME THIS INDICATOR INDICATED WE WERE MORE OR LESS ON COURSE. AFTER 1.5 HRS WHEN WE WERE SUPPOSE TO BE NEAR THE ARPT IT BECAME APPARENT WE WERE NO WHERE NEAR THE 150 R WE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING (LVL VOR). I ASKED MY PAX TO SHUT OF HIS HAND HELD AND I PERFORMED THE LOST PLANE PROC. I THEN LANDED AT A SMALL ARPT NEAR RICHMOND, VA. IN THE PERIOD OF TIME WE HAD GOTTEN LOST WE COVERED A LOT OF TERRITORY AND DID NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE. WE THEN REFUELED AN PROCEEDED TO OUR DEST. LATER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THERE TO BE A STRONG AMOUNT OF INTERACTION BTWN THE VOR INSTALLED IN THE PLANE AND THE VOR INDICATOR OF THE HAND HELD UNIT. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY A TEST FLT WE MADE THE NEXT DAY.

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.