Narrative:

While flying at FL270 I was given an amended flight clearance. The amended clearance was direct abc and to descend to FL250. I loaded the flight plan into the garmin 530 and activated it. The plane made a turn to intercept the desired track line. I then went to work on the altitude. I tried to enter the vertical speed several times to no avail. I then tried to make the aircraft descend using the autoplt vertical trim control rocker switch. In the darkness of the cockpit and not being familiar with the trim I mistakenly trimmed the plane up. The controller then inquired about my heading. I reported I was direct abc as the GPS and autoplt indicated the aircraft had turned to intercept the desired track line I had inputted. I then noticed the aircraft had not descended but had climbed 200 ft. The controller then gave me a radar vector to intercept abc and also reminded me to descend to FL250. I then disconnected the autoplt and turned on course and descended. Some contributing factors were my relatively few hours in the aircraft I was flying; the low lighting on the autoplt panel; and my not being as familiar with the autoplt as I thought. I spent too much time trying to get the autoplt to descend. I should have been quicker to hand-fly the aircraft; when I was having problems with my understanding of how to operate the autoplt. I now have mastered the vertical mode on the autoplt. Also; from the time I inputted the new flight plan into the GPS and activated it a lot of distance had been covered in this high performance aircraft. Next time I will activate direct to the first fix and then while I have more time I will input the entire flight plan.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME SOCATA TBM 700 PLT RPTS A TRACK AND ALTDEV AS HE ATTEMPTED TO COMPLY WITH AN ATC CLRNC. SYS IN USE WAS A GARMIN 530.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING AT FL270 I WAS GIVEN AN AMENDED FLT CLRNC. THE AMENDED CLRNC WAS DIRECT ABC AND TO DSND TO FL250. I LOADED THE FLT PLAN INTO THE GARMIN 530 AND ACTIVATED IT. THE PLANE MADE A TURN TO INTERCEPT THE DESIRED TRACK LINE. I THEN WENT TO WORK ON THE ALT. I TRIED TO ENTER THE VERT SPD SEVERAL TIMES TO NO AVAIL. I THEN TRIED TO MAKE THE ACFT DSND USING THE AUTOPLT VERT TRIM CTL ROCKER SWITCH. IN THE DARKNESS OF THE COCKPIT AND NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THE TRIM I MISTAKENLY TRIMMED THE PLANE UP. THE CTLR THEN INQUIRED ABOUT MY HDG. I RPTED I WAS DIRECT ABC AS THE GPS AND AUTOPLT INDICATED THE ACFT HAD TURNED TO INTERCEPT THE DESIRED TRACK LINE I HAD INPUTTED. I THEN NOTICED THE ACFT HAD NOT DSNDED BUT HAD CLBED 200 FT. THE CTLR THEN GAVE ME A RADAR VECTOR TO INTERCEPT ABC AND ALSO REMINDED ME TO DSND TO FL250. I THEN DISCONNECTED THE AUTOPLT AND TURNED ON COURSE AND DSNDED. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE MY RELATIVELY FEW HRS IN THE ACFT I WAS FLYING; THE LOW LIGHTING ON THE AUTOPLT PANEL; AND MY NOT BEING AS FAMILIAR WITH THE AUTOPLT AS I THOUGHT. I SPENT TOO MUCH TIME TRYING TO GET THE AUTOPLT TO DSND. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN QUICKER TO HAND-FLY THE ACFT; WHEN I WAS HAVING PROBS WITH MY UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO OPERATE THE AUTOPLT. I NOW HAVE MASTERED THE VERT MODE ON THE AUTOPLT. ALSO; FROM THE TIME I INPUTTED THE NEW FLT PLAN INTO THE GPS AND ACTIVATED IT A LOT OF DISTANCE HAD BEEN COVERED IN THIS HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT. NEXT TIME I WILL ACTIVATE DIRECT TO THE FIRST FIX AND THEN WHILE I HAVE MORE TIME I WILL INPUT THE ENTIRE FLT PLAN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.