Incident Overview
Following departure from Meigs Airport, the pilot of a VFR aircraft established contact with the control tower at Midway Airport, requesting a vector through the airport radar service area (ARSA). The ARSA controller assigned a specific heading to guide the aircraft through the ARSA while remaining clear of the adjacent Chicago Terminal Control Area (TCA).
Deviation and Airspace Entry
For a period of approximately five minutes, the airplane tracked 25 degrees to the right of the assigned heading, a deviation that went unnoticed by the pilot. As a result, the aircraft entered the TCA, where a local controller observed it as traffic opposing departures under his jurisdiction.
Traffic Separation and Resolution
The local controller maintained traffic separation between the VFR aircraft and departing traffic until the ARSA controller was able to direct the pilot out of the TCA. No further incidents were reported.