Cardinal 177/177RG
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 20; Flight Crew Total 1675; Flight Crew Type 700
Situational Awareness; Distraction; Training / Qualification
Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Ground Incursion Runway
Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Aircraft; Human Factors; Procedure
When I was taxiing out I heard an ELT on 121.5. I asked another plane being fueled if he heard it too; but he said he only heard it when I transmitted; so maybe it was mine. I tested mine and didn't think it was on and kept taxiing out. I was at the runup area when I started programming my panel mount GPS; my portable GPS and my iPad. I also tried to figure out where the ELT was coming from. It must have taken longer than I expected because I didn't realize that the other plane was waiting to takeoff behind me. He came on the radio and said; 'You know; I'm burning 30 gallons an hour sitting here.' I immediately headed toward the runway to takeoff when he yelled over the radio 'STOP! There's an aircraft on short final.' I stopped and immediately saw the aircraft. Fortunately I did not enter the runway; but the plane on final had the good sense to go-around. When I took the active; I saw that there were three other planes waiting to depart behind the plane. Not only was I holding things up programming three different navigation units on a perfect VFR day; but I let myself get spooked into doing something that could have been dangerous. The lesson is not to let unimportant things distract you and never lose situational awareness.
C177 pilot; distracted by programming two GPS units and an iPad; and also conscious of traffic waiting behind him; started to taxi onto the active runway causing an aircraft on final to go-around at a non-towered airport.