Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 12.7; Flight Crew Total 2263.7; Flight Crew Type 743.2
Confusion; Training / Qualification; Workload
Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Procedure; Aircraft
While flying some instrument approaches for currency purposes; I had trouble remembering how to set up the GPS (a KLN-94) for each approach. This was very distracting; and I exceeded tolerances for holding heading and altitude assignments; especially between the first and second approaches.... The Controller gave me a heading to fly for my first approach to SNS and direct to the Intermediate Fix (IF) when able. After loading the approach; I tried to select the IF for the direct leg; but it was not displayed on the Flight Plan page. I think I must have mistakenly selected Vectors when I loaded the approach. I reloaded the approach and made sure that I did not select Vectors; and this time the IF showed up; so I was able to select direct to it. After the missed approach the Controller started vectoring me to the IF for the RNAV Runway 29 approach at Marina. I couldn't figure out how to delete the flight plan prior to entering a new destination airport; and when I tried to select an approach; it only showed me approaches to Salinas; not Marina. During this time my heading and altitude got way off; and the Controller called to alert me to my heading. The Controller had to correct me on this more than once; which was embarrassing to say the least. Eventually I gave up on trying to delete the flight plan and just entered direct to Marina Airport; after which I was able to select the approach for Marina. This resulted in a lot of unnecessary waypoints in the flight plan; but I was able to scroll to the IF so that I was ready when the Controller gave me direct to it. Next I flew the localizer approach to Watsonville. The #2 Nav/Com display had failed during the flight; so that I was not able to select frequencies on it. This meant that I had to ask to leave the ATC frequency to check the Watsonville ASOS. By the time I got back on frequency; I was closer than normal to the Final Approach Fix (FAF); 2.5 miles instead of three; and the Controller asked if this was OK. I said OK; he cleared me for the approach; and I intercepted the localizer. After getting established; I realized that the lack of being able to set the Nav 2 frequency meant that I would have to use the GPS to identify the FAF. This was not a problem to set up; but by the time I got it done; I was already past the FAF; so it was too late to set my timer; and I had to look up the distance to the missed approach point on the chart. By the time I got this done; I had a full scale fly left indication on the localizer needle; so I turned left a bit and initiated a climb for the missed approach. When the Controller offered to clear me for the localizer approach closer in than normal; I was already rushed; and since I didn't yet have the avionics set up to identify the FAF; clearly I should have asked for another vector onto the final approach course. I also should have notified the Controller of the failure of the #2 Nav/Com when I first noticed it. I thought I knew the KLN-94 better than I did; which led to my constructing a flight profile that was more challenging than I was capable of flying proficiently.... Additional problems were that there is no simulator for the KLN-94; and while the manual is OK as a tutorial; it is not very good for reference purposes. Flying three approaches that dovetail closely together may be time-efficient; but it severely taxed my ability to quickly set up the approaches.... I need to work on doing a better job of dividing my attention between flying the airplane and setting up avionics.... Another thing that would help would be using the autopilot; when available. AIM 1-1-19p has a list of tasks that a pilot should familiarize himself with before using a GPS in IMC. In the past I'm afraid I didn't take this list seriously; but no more! I need to be more willing to change the plan when things don't go as expected; even on proficiency flights. One thing I did right was that prior to the flight; I refreshed my memory of how to put the GPS intomissed approach mode; since I knew that I would be doing this in IMC close to the ground.
Pilot of a small aircraft had difficulty maintaining heading and altitude due to distractions caused by lack of proficiency with a KLN-94 GPS which was being used for navigation and instrument approaches at two airports.