Date: 201603
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: Mixed
Weather elements / visibility: VFR Enroute; IFR Approach; 10
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Small Transport
Operator: Air Taxi
Operating under: Part 135
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Cruise
Airspace: Class E ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZ
Aircraft component: Navigation Database
Component problem: Design
Reporter organization: Air Taxi
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Single Pilot
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Human factors: Troubleshooting; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Contributing factors: Weather; Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Airport; Aircraft
Primary problem: Airport

Narrative: Medevac flight en route to ZZZ to pick up a patient. I went to load the RNAV D approach. The GPS Data base did not have the current fixes that were listed on the approach plate that I had. I was using an Ipad with the current charts and had a Jepp binder of plates for back up. Around 40 miles from ZZZ I checked the weather on the GPS (The AWOS was not coming in at my altitude yet). I loaded the RNAV D approach and noticed the fixes in the GPS were different from the fixes on my approach plate. I then looked at the other GPS approaches in the GPS and noticed they had the wrong fixes as well. I then loaded the VOR approach.I requested through Center (ATC) direct to the ZZZ VOR for the VOR Approach. ATC instructed me that the ZZZ VOR was NOTAM'd out of service. I did not remember seeing a NOTAM about this during my preflight planning. I informed ATC that I was receiving the VOR and that it was identifying with the proper Morse Code. I then asked them how long the VOR was out of service. I was instructed that it would be out for another day and a half. I asked to go into holding over the ZZZ VOR and used the on board GPS for the hold. During the hold I discussed with ATC the fixes I had for the two GPS approaches into ZZZ. They did not have any of the fixes that I had in my GPS.I held for 15-20 minutes while discussing with the nursing staff what they would like to do. We discussed a couple of options and decided it was best to return to [the departure airport]. Upon returning I discussed with Maintenance the issues I was having with the GPS and a write up was entered into the maintenance discrepancy log. The initial screen in the Garmin 750 Showed the database current. As maintenance ran through the system they found that there was an update loaded and activated a few days before its effective date. When a new database is loaded in the Garmin 750 there is a different initial page which allows the pilot or mechanic to activate a new database even before it is effective. If a new database is activated prior to the effective date; there is no way to revert to the old database. (The new database activation screen did NOT show up when I turned the GPS on. It would be really nice to have on the initial page of the Garmin 750 the effective dates for the database. It would also be very helpful to be able to revert to the previous database should an update get activated early.When I got back into the office; I pulled up the FAA website for NOTAMs and there was no NOTAM listed in ZZZ for the ZZZ VOR. I then went to [the website] where I flied my flight plan and saw there were no NOTAMs listed for the ZZZ VOR.




Synopsis: A pilot had issues with the NAV database in the GPS system. There were also discrepancies as to the functionality of the arrival VOR. The pilot elected to return to point of departure because of these issues.