Narrative:

The airplane had been in the shop for the installation of a king GPS. The shop's owner test-flew the airplane the day before the incident and flew the necessary approachs to certify the installation. Because of a business crisis, I was unable to test-fly the airplane myself, however, I met him when he returned from the test flight. He said, 'everything works fine, except that the to-from arrow in the VOR reads backwards. I'll fix it when you get back.' on the day of the incident, I departed poc on an instrument flight plan to 3KM, in wichita, ks, to attend flight safety recurrency training. The approach clearance called for a climbing turn to intercept a VOR radial, then to prado intersection, then to pdz VOR. I noticed that the HSI needle didn't center properly, and told socal approach that I was having a problem and would try to diagnose it. Socal cleared me to 7000 ft, and gave me a vector. In a few mins, he said, 'watch your altitude,' and I said 'out of 4600 ft.' he said 'your mode C shows 1400 ft.' I switched xponders, and verified the new mode C with socal. He then gave me 'direct pdz.' I centered the needle, and flew it, but then clearly swung off course. I told socal that I'd had a navigation failure, that nothing in the cockpit agreed, and that rather than diagnose the problem, I'd like to return to poc. He said, 'vectors for the VOR-a approach,' and I told him I couldn't navigation. He then gave me a set of vectors direct to poc, and various altitudes, ending with 2500 ft, and said 'turn left (heading) straight- in runway 26L at brackett.' it was hazy, and I didn't see brackett until I was almost on top of it. (I had become quite disoriented in this process.) he then handed me to the tower, which said 'you were assigned 2500 ft.' I had let my altitude drift down to 2100 ft as I lined up with the runway. After I landed, I discovered that the needle sense (l-r) in the HSI was reversed. This didn't show up when I crosschecked the vors before takeoff, because they were both properly centered. It was not reversed for the GPS, as it turned out. Also, the transponder was evidently wired wrong when they connected it to the GPS. All of this caused a very heavy overload on me. I am proud that I coped as well as I did, though I am ashamed that I descended through my last altitude assignment, even though I was confused by the 'vectors to final' I should have known better. Wiring the HSI backward is the electrical equivalent of rigging the ailerons backward. It could have been deadly. The only way I could have avoided the problem was to have flown the airplane myself, in VFR, and thoroughly checked everything, which I will do from now on. The installation shop, of course, could have found the problem with a few simple tests with a radiated signal. What I learned: 1) fly the airplane, 2) deal with a reliable shop, and 3) don't trust them. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he found out himself what happened, being an electrical engineer. There were two unrelated problems, one the HSI which has a 'resolver' to tell the needles which way to move. The instrument was hooked up backwards. Second problem was the transponder. When the connecting wires were crimped, they were actually cut off. He had a new GPS installed but had never used it and did not feel this was a good time to try to learn how to use it. He went to the maintenance people, sat them down and used his best intimidation to chat with them. He requested they establish very specific procedures for work being done and for test procedures when work is completed. This seems to have worked and they are quite concerned about doing things right. He sent the report because he was very disturbed about the altitude bust.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE58 HAS NAV EQUIP AND MODE C FAILURE ON FIRST FLT AFTER MAINT.

Narrative: THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A KING GPS. THE SHOP'S OWNER TEST-FLEW THE AIRPLANE THE DAY BEFORE THE INCIDENT AND FLEW THE NECESSARY APCHS TO CERTIFY THE INSTALLATION. BECAUSE OF A BUSINESS CRISIS, I WAS UNABLE TO TEST-FLY THE AIRPLANE MYSELF, HOWEVER, I MET HIM WHEN HE RETURNED FROM THE TEST FLT. HE SAID, 'EVERYTHING WORKS FINE, EXCEPT THAT THE TO-FROM ARROW IN THE VOR READS BACKWARDS. I'LL FIX IT WHEN YOU GET BACK.' ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, I DEPARTED POC ON AN INST FLT PLAN TO 3KM, IN WICHITA, KS, TO ATTEND FLT SAFETY RECURRENCY TRAINING. THE APCH CLRNC CALLED FOR A CLBING TURN TO INTERCEPT A VOR RADIAL, THEN TO PRADO INTXN, THEN TO PDZ VOR. I NOTICED THAT THE HSI NEEDLE DIDN'T CTR PROPERLY, AND TOLD SOCAL APCH THAT I WAS HAVING A PROB AND WOULD TRY TO DIAGNOSE IT. SOCAL CLRED ME TO 7000 FT, AND GAVE ME A VECTOR. IN A FEW MINS, HE SAID, 'WATCH YOUR ALT,' AND I SAID 'OUT OF 4600 FT.' HE SAID 'YOUR MODE C SHOWS 1400 FT.' I SWITCHED XPONDERS, AND VERIFIED THE NEW MODE C WITH SOCAL. HE THEN GAVE ME 'DIRECT PDZ.' I CTRED THE NEEDLE, AND FLEW IT, BUT THEN CLRLY SWUNG OFF COURSE. I TOLD SOCAL THAT I'D HAD A NAV FAILURE, THAT NOTHING IN THE COCKPIT AGREED, AND THAT RATHER THAN DIAGNOSE THE PROB, I'D LIKE TO RETURN TO POC. HE SAID, 'VECTORS FOR THE VOR-A APCH,' AND I TOLD HIM I COULDN'T NAV. HE THEN GAVE ME A SET OF VECTORS DIRECT TO POC, AND VARIOUS ALTS, ENDING WITH 2500 FT, AND SAID 'TURN L (HEADING) STRAIGHT- IN RWY 26L AT BRACKETT.' IT WAS HAZY, AND I DIDN'T SEE BRACKETT UNTIL I WAS ALMOST ON TOP OF IT. (I HAD BECOME QUITE DISORIENTED IN THIS PROCESS.) HE THEN HANDED ME TO THE TWR, WHICH SAID 'YOU WERE ASSIGNED 2500 FT.' I HAD LET MY ALT DRIFT DOWN TO 2100 FT AS I LINED UP WITH THE RWY. AFTER I LANDED, I DISCOVERED THAT THE NEEDLE SENSE (L-R) IN THE HSI WAS REVERSED. THIS DIDN'T SHOW UP WHEN I XCHKED THE VORS BEFORE TKOF, BECAUSE THEY WERE BOTH PROPERLY CTRED. IT WAS NOT REVERSED FOR THE GPS, AS IT TURNED OUT. ALSO, THE XPONDER WAS EVIDENTLY WIRED WRONG WHEN THEY CONNECTED IT TO THE GPS. ALL OF THIS CAUSED A VERY HVY OVERLOAD ON ME. I AM PROUD THAT I COPED AS WELL AS I DID, THOUGH I AM ASHAMED THAT I DSNDED THROUGH MY LAST ALT ASSIGNMENT, EVEN THOUGH I WAS CONFUSED BY THE 'VECTORS TO FINAL' I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. WIRING THE HSI BACKWARD IS THE ELECTRICAL EQUIVALENT OF RIGGING THE AILERONS BACKWARD. IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. THE ONLY WAY I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THE PROB WAS TO HAVE FLOWN THE AIRPLANE MYSELF, IN VFR, AND THOROUGHLY CHKED EVERYTHING, WHICH I WILL DO FROM NOW ON. THE INSTALLATION SHOP, OF COURSE, COULD HAVE FOUND THE PROB WITH A FEW SIMPLE TESTS WITH A RADIATED SIGNAL. WHAT I LEARNED: 1) FLY THE AIRPLANE, 2) DEAL WITH A RELIABLE SHOP, AND 3) DON'T TRUST THEM. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE FOUND OUT HIMSELF WHAT HAPPENED, BEING AN ELECTRICAL ENGINEER. THERE WERE TWO UNRELATED PROBS, ONE THE HSI WHICH HAS A 'RESOLVER' TO TELL THE NEEDLES WHICH WAY TO MOVE. THE INST WAS HOOKED UP BACKWARDS. SECOND PROB WAS THE XPONDER. WHEN THE CONNECTING WIRES WERE CRIMPED, THEY WERE ACTUALLY CUT OFF. HE HAD A NEW GPS INSTALLED BUT HAD NEVER USED IT AND DID NOT FEEL THIS WAS A GOOD TIME TO TRY TO LEARN HOW TO USE IT. HE WENT TO THE MAINT PEOPLE, SAT THEM DOWN AND USED HIS BEST INTIMIDATION TO CHAT WITH THEM. HE REQUESTED THEY ESTABLISH VERY SPECIFIC PROCS FOR WORK BEING DONE AND FOR TEST PROCS WHEN WORK IS COMPLETED. THIS SEEMS TO HAVE WORKED AND THEY ARE QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT DOING THINGS RIGHT. HE SENT THE RPT BECAUSE HE WAS VERY DISTURBED ABOUT THE ALT BUST.

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.