STUDENT PLT ON SOLO XCOUNTRY INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A RESTRICTED AREA WHILE PRACTICING NAV BY PILOTAGE.
Synopsis
STUDENT PLT ON SOLO XCOUNTRY INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A RESTRICTED AREA WHILE PRACTICING NAV BY PILOTAGE.
Narrative
THE PROBLEM AROSE BY NOT HAVING ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE MY FLT TO BE BACK AT MY HOME BASE FOR THE NEXT TRAINEE SCHEDULED TO RENT THE ACFT I HAD. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR COMPLETION OF ENTIRE 'LONG' XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT; LACK OF TELEPHONE CALL TO FBO TO INFORM THEM OF MY ETA. INCURSION INTO RESTR AREA 6602 IS CONSIDERED SINCE; AFTER DEPARTING MECKLENBURG/BRUNSWICK ARPT (5W2) I HAD INTENDED TO FOLLOW INTERSTATE RTE 85 BY PILOTAGE UNTIL I COULD PICK UP THE 181 DEG RADIAL FROM FLATROCK VORTAC AND TURN N. I BELIEVE I MAY HAVE MISTAKEN INTERSTATE RTE 58 WHICH DISORIENTED ME AS TO MY EXACT LOCATION. I WAS FLYING E; WHICH WAS THE DIRECTION I WANTED BUT THE WIND THAT DAY WAS 350/16 KTS AND IT WAS BLOWING ME OFF COURSE TO THE SE. I WAS ABLE TO TUNE IN THE FLATROCK VORTAC; IDENTING IT; AND FLY TOWARDS THE STATION WITH THE OBS SET AT 001 DEGS WITH A 'TO' INDICATION. THE NEEDLE KEPT INDICATING THAT THE RADIAL WAS TO MY R ABOUT 4 DEGS SO I CONTINUED TO ADD MORE WIND CORRECTION INTO MY HDG. WHEN I GOT CLOSE TO WHAT I BELIEVE WAS THE TWR LOCATED AT 37 DEGS; 3 MINS N; 77 DEGS; 49 MINS W; I FLEW APPROX 1/2 MI TO THE L OF THE TWR. I WAS NOT EXACTLY SURE OF MY LOCATION SINCE MY ORIGINAL DESIRE TO FOLLOW INTERSTATE RTE 85 WAS NOT TAKEN WHEN I TURNED E AFTER TKOF FROM MECKINGBURG AND FOLLOWED INTERSTATE 58 INSTEAD. AFTER PASSING THE TWR I CONTINUED N WITH MY INCREASED WIND CORRECTION ANGLE ALREADY ESTABLISHED UNTIL THE NAV NEEDLE WAS CTRED. I SHOULD HAVE ALLOWED MORE TIME FOR THIS ENTIRE FLT GIVEN THE FACT THAT I AM A STUDENT PLT. I WILL DOUBLE MY ANTICIPATED TIME REQUIRED FOR PLANNING PURPOSES FOR FUTURE FLTS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.