Small aircraft missets VOR obs results in the heading deviation.

Attributes
ACN	307740
Time
Date	199506
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pdz
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 670 flight time type : 480
ASRS Report	307740
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After radar vectors, told to join V8 and resume own navigation. Set 'from' radial into obs and failed to intercept crossing airway. Was using LORAN as backup, however V8 had not been set into LORAN because route contained unnamed intxns and flying single pilot IFR, did not want to calculate intxns in-flight. Pilot error, confused 'from' radial with 'to' bearing. Will try to use better common sense, situational awareness and correct chart reading. Suggest that with the wide availability of RNAV, LORAN and GPS, it would be helpful to have all intxns ATC uses named and in databases to facilitate their entry. Had the intersection of V8 and V363 between pdz, prado, aheim and jogit been in the database, route could have been quickly and easily entered into the LORAN and GPS flight plans and the error would have been instantly obvious.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MISSETS VOR OBS RESULTS IN THE HDG DEV.

Narrative: AFTER RADAR VECTORS, TOLD TO JOIN V8 AND RESUME OWN NAV. SET 'FROM' RADIAL INTO OBS AND FAILED TO INTERCEPT XING AIRWAY. WAS USING LORAN AS BACKUP, HOWEVER V8 HAD NOT BEEN SET INTO LORAN BECAUSE RTE CONTAINED UNNAMED INTXNS AND FLYING SINGLE PLT IFR, DID NOT WANT TO CALCULATE INTXNS INFLT. PLT ERROR, CONFUSED 'FROM' RADIAL WITH 'TO' BEARING. WILL TRY TO USE BETTER COMMON SENSE, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND CORRECT CHART READING. SUGGEST THAT WITH THE WIDE AVAILABILITY OF RNAV, LORAN AND GPS, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE ALL INTXNS ATC USES NAMED AND IN DATABASES TO FACILITATE THEIR ENTRY. HAD THE INTXN OF V8 AND V363 BTWN PDZ, PRADO, AHEIM AND JOGIT BEEN IN THE DATABASE, RTE COULD HAVE BEEN QUICKLY AND EASILY ENTERED INTO THE LORAN AND GPS FLT PLANS AND THE ERROR WOULD HAVE BEEN INSTANTLY OBVIOUS.

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.