SMA PLT BECOMES TOTALLY DISORIENTED. ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE; CALLS FOR FLT ASSIST.

Narrative

I DEPARTED 4I8 ARPT AND HEADED FOR C49; THE LNDGS. I WAS FLYING VFR INTO THE SETTING SUN; AWARE THAT THE CEILINGS WERE LOWER AHEAD; SINCE I HAD JUST FLOWN DOWN 1/2 HR EARLIER. I STILL MET VFR REQUIREMENTS. I TOOK UP MY HDG AND INTENTIONALLY DIVERTED OFF COURSE TO THE R (LAFAYETTE WAS TO THE L) TO AVOID CLASS D AIRSPACE AT LAFAYETTE. AS DARKNESS CAME I FOUND MYSELF INADVERTENTLY OVER LAFAYETTE ARPT AT 1500 FT MSL; CLOSE TO PATTERN ALT. MY COURSE HAD BEEN 2-3 MI TO THE R OF THIS ARPT; PLUS I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE DIVERTED 3 MI TO THE R TO AVOID THIS AIRSPACE. I PROCEEDED TOWARD MY COURSE CORRECTING SLIGHTLY FOR THIS DEV. I CONTINUED ON EVEN THOUGH THE CEILING SEEMED A LITTLE LOWER AND THINGS WERE A LITTLE FOGGY. THE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY WERE SLIGHTLY WORSE AROUND THIS AREA ON THE FLT DOWN. I DIVERTED TO THE W; SHORTLY; TO AVOID A LOWER CEILING. SUDDENLY I BECAME DISORIENTED AND DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS. I KNEW FROM MY INST TRAINING THAT I HAD TO #1; FLY THE AIRPLANE. I PUT ALL MY ATTN TOWARD THAT; BUT I COULDN'T MAKE SENSE OF WHAT I SAW ON MY VOR; SO I CONCENTRATED ON MY ALTIMETER AND ELECTRICAL. I TRIED TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE; BUT IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE WITH MY RADIO; I HAVE TO SWITCH OFF MY NAV MODE. I COULDN'T 'GET OUT' ON MY RADIO; FOR SOME REASON. I TRIED 122.0; FLT WATCH; BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS NEAR KANKAKEE FSS; BUT COULDN'T 'GET OUT.' I TRIED AGAIN USING THE VOR TO CONFIRM MY POS; BUT NOTHING MADE SENSE. SINCE I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY KEEPING THE R SIDE UP; I OPTED TO TRY AGAIN TO CALL FOR HELP. AFTER JIGGLING THE CONNECTING WIRES FROM THE HEADSET; MY CALL GOT OUT. I THOUGHT I WAS E OF KANKAKEE; AND CALLED; BUT GOT NO RESPONSE UNTIL ANOTHER PLT HEARD MY CALL AND APPARENTLY HEARD FSS RESPOND AND RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO ME. I COULDN'T RECEIVE FSS'S CALL. THEY GAVE ME 7700 SQUAWK CODE AND A CHICAGO DEP FREQ. THEY (CHICAGO DEP) WERE ABLE TO ASSIST ME. I SAID I WAS DISORIENTED; LOST; AND NEEDED VECTORS. I ACCEPTED VECTORS TO KANKAKEE ARPT OF 010 DEGS; 11 MI. STRUGGLING; I HAD TO BELIEVE MY COMPASS. I GOT TURNED TO THAT HDG AND PROCEEDED TO KANKAKEE. AS SOON AS I SAW THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT; I WAS ORIENTED. I EXECUTED A NORMAL LNDG AND SPENT THE NIGHT. I COMPLETED THE FLT HOME IN THE MORNING WHEN DAYLIGHT AND CLR SKIES PREVAILED. THE AIRSPACE INCURSION AND DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS; COMPLICATED BY THE COM PROB CONTRIBUTED TO MY BECOMING DISORIENTED; BUT MY PRIOR INST TRAINING HAD TAUGHT ME HOW TO BELIEVE THE INSTS AND USE THE SYS.