Date: 201507
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: FAT.Airport, CA
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Small Transport
Operator: Air Taxi
Operating under: Part 91
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Ferry / Re-Positioning
Flight phase: Initial Climb
Airspace: Class C FAT
ATC / advisory: TRACON FAT
Aircraft component: GPS & Other Satellite Navigation
Component problem: Improperly Operated
Reporter organization: Air Taxi
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Human factors: Time Pressure; Workload; Confusion; Distraction; Fatigue; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Contributing factors: Human Factors
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: I departed runway 29L from FAT to reposition equipment under an IFR flight plan using the FRESNO EIGHT DEPARTURE; FRES8.FRA. On handoff to departure control; I was told to proceed direct to the first fix on my clearance; FRAME intersection. During pre-flight I had inadvertently set up FRIANT VOR (FRA) instead of FRAME as my first fix. I had forgotten the location of FRAME to the west and had not taken the time to verify its location. The controller; to the best of my memory; did not assign a direction of turn toward FRAME nor did he give a radar vector (heading) to follow to establish a firm direction; but simply said to proceed 'direct to FRAME'. Using the 'direct to' function of my Garmin 530 navigation radio; I saw what I thought was FRAME to my right and turned right toward it. This put me in potential conflict with aircraft departing from 29R; but I assumed departure control [would notify me] of any traffic. Fortunately there were no traffic departing from 29R at that time. After 30 seconds or so the controller queried my right turn. Still thinking FRA was FRAME; I told him I was going 'direct FRAME'. He told me that FRAME was to my left and gave me a left vector toward the northwest; but then changed his mind back to a right turn to the southeast. After that he cleared me present position direct to SHAFTER VOR (EHF). A few minutes after that; a second controller came on and asked if I had time to answer a question. He asked me how I had gone the wrong direction; and if I had put the wrong information in my navigation device. I told him I mistook FRIANT VOR for FRAME INTERSECTION on initial setup of my nav equipment. I then asked him if there was going to be a problem and he replied to 'just be more careful next time'. That was all that was said regarding the incident. I was aware I had done something wrong when the controller asked me why I had turned right instead of left. Then he told me the location of FRAME was to my left. I finally realized that FRA was not FRAME.My day started typically early at XA:00 AM. My showtime was at XB:05 AM. I took off on my scheduled flight at XB:53; arriving XC:49. I called in my times at XC:52. I had been having problems with the fuel gauges on my plane and been in contact about the issue with maintenance. I called maintenance at XC:57 AM to report some numbers we were using to find what the fuel problem could be. I was told they would let me know what to do next; so I went to the hotel thinking it would be a normal day.During my breakfast I received a call from maintenance that I would be needed to fuel the airplane to a known quantity by watching the fueler and using a measuring stick to verify exact quantity. I finished breakfast and went back out to the airport to order fuel and watch the fueling closely; which I did. The decision after calling back was to move the plane up to Fresno for them to work on it and to swap into another plane. I did this arriving in Fresno at exactly XI:00; a 2.3 hour trip. I then used the bathroom; filed an IFR fight plan using my phone's flight planning app; swapped airplanes; and did the pre-flight on the new plane. In the aircraft; I received my clearance to use the FRESNO8 departure; FRAME; EHF VOR (SHAFTER); then as filed. I then set up my nav radio to use the pre-loaded FRESNO8 departure. From runway 29L it had the FRA fix and I loaded it; thinking it was the VOR and not the FRAME intersection in spite of knowing quite well the difference. I was under a time constraint and had sweat running down my face from the heat in the cockpit. At this time; I should have either just put FRAME in as a fix; or at least verified its location on the IFR enroute chart. This was the main mistake that set up the others. I started up and taxied out at XJ:05. At this time; I had been up for 9 hours and at work for 8. My scheduled show time back at the original airport was XL:22 and it was over 2 hours away so I had a time constraint. I arrived and blockedin at XL:18; only 4 minutes prior to my showtime for the evening leg.




Synopsis: Small transport pilot inadvertently loaded FRA instead of FRAME into their GPS for the FAT FRESNO.8 Departure and turned the wrong way when cleared direct.