Narrative:

The aircraft I was flying is equipped with a garmin G1000. I had about 12 hours of G1000 experience up to this flight. I filed an IFR flight plan due to probable IFR conditions en route and at my destination. Departing dnn (dalton; GA) IFR I was cleared direct nello intersection. I selected direct nello on the GPS. Within about 8 mi of nello I attempted to load in the rest of the flight plan so that the GPS/autoplt would continue to navigation along the filed route of flight. After nello the next leg of my flight plan was along V415. As I approached nello I inadvertently deleted the nello waypoint from the flight plan and loaded direct to odf VOR; the next waypoint defining V415. At this point I rationalized I was very near or over nello so I turned toward odf. After I made my turn toward odf ZTL advised me that nello was 5 mi to my south and gave me a heading to join V415. As I approached V415 I managed to locate the airways page on the multi-function display so that I could tell when I had joined V415. Upon joining V415 I entered direct odf. Center confirmed I was on course. Over the next several mins I was successful in loading the remainder of the flight plan (with help from the garmin G1000 manual kept in the airplane). Due to my inexperience with the G1000; particularly in the IFR environment; I failed to navigation to nello for which I was cleared. This resulted in an inadvertent deviation from my IFR clearance. I completed the rest of the flight without incident. While proficient and experienced with IFR operations; this experience taught me that I needed to have a higher level of proficiency operating new and unfamiliar avionics. Prior to my next IFR flight I have been studying the G1000 manual; reading books on operating the G1000 in the IFR environment; and utilizing the computer based G1000 simulator available from garmin. In addition; I'm in the process of completing a personal G1000 navigation and autoplt checklist for the departure; climb; en route; descent; and approach legs. This checklist includes procedures to load the flight plan prior to takeoff; change the flight plan en route; and set up the appropriate approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DA40 PLT RECOUNTS HOW LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH GPS AVIONICS RESULTED IN A TRACK DEVIATION.

Narrative: THE ACFT I WAS FLYING IS EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN G1000. I HAD ABOUT 12 HRS OF G1000 EXPERIENCE UP TO THIS FLT. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN DUE TO PROBABLE IFR CONDITIONS ENRTE AND AT MY DEST. DEPARTING DNN (DALTON; GA) IFR I WAS CLRED DIRECT NELLO INTXN. I SELECTED DIRECT NELLO ON THE GPS. WITHIN ABOUT 8 MI OF NELLO I ATTEMPTED TO LOAD IN THE REST OF THE FLT PLAN SO THAT THE GPS/AUTOPLT WOULD CONTINUE TO NAV ALONG THE FILED RTE OF FLT. AFTER NELLO THE NEXT LEG OF MY FLT PLAN WAS ALONG V415. AS I APCHED NELLO I INADVERTENTLY DELETED THE NELLO WAYPOINT FROM THE FLT PLAN AND LOADED DIRECT TO ODF VOR; THE NEXT WAYPOINT DEFINING V415. AT THIS POINT I RATIONALIZED I WAS VERY NEAR OR OVER NELLO SO I TURNED TOWARD ODF. AFTER I MADE MY TURN TOWARD ODF ZTL ADVISED ME THAT NELLO WAS 5 MI TO MY S AND GAVE ME A HDG TO JOIN V415. AS I APCHED V415 I MANAGED TO LOCATE THE AIRWAYS PAGE ON THE MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY SO THAT I COULD TELL WHEN I HAD JOINED V415. UPON JOINING V415 I ENTERED DIRECT ODF. CTR CONFIRMED I WAS ON COURSE. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MINS I WAS SUCCESSFUL IN LOADING THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PLAN (WITH HELP FROM THE GARMIN G1000 MANUAL KEPT IN THE AIRPLANE). DUE TO MY INEXPERIENCE WITH THE G1000; PARTICULARLY IN THE IFR ENVIRONMENT; I FAILED TO NAV TO NELLO FOR WHICH I WAS CLRED. THIS RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT DEV FROM MY IFR CLRNC. I COMPLETED THE REST OF THE FLT WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHILE PROFICIENT AND EXPERIENCED WITH IFR OPS; THIS EXPERIENCE TAUGHT ME THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE A HIGHER LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY OPERATING NEW AND UNFAMILIAR AVIONICS. PRIOR TO MY NEXT IFR FLT I HAVE BEEN STUDYING THE G1000 MANUAL; READING BOOKS ON OPERATING THE G1000 IN THE IFR ENVIRONMENT; AND UTILIZING THE COMPUTER BASED G1000 SIMULATOR AVAILABLE FROM GARMIN. IN ADDITION; I'M IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETING A PERSONAL G1000 NAV AND AUTOPLT CHKLIST FOR THE DEP; CLB; ENRTE; DSCNT; AND APCH LEGS. THIS CHKLIST INCLUDES PROCS TO LOAD THE FLT PLAN PRIOR TO TKOF; CHANGE THE FLT PLAN ENRTE; AND SET UP THE APPROPRIATE APCH.

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