AN ERCOUPE STUMBLED INTO A RESTR AREA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

I AM SORRY THAT I DO NOT HAVE THE PROPER FORMS TO FILL OUT CONCERNING A 'GET HOMEITIS' SHORTCOMING I FELL INTO ON JUN/XX/94. I FLEW MY ERCOUPE FROM MY HOME PORT; MANTEO; NC (MQI) TO INT (WINSTON SALEM; NC) ON JUN/XX/94. ALL WENT WELL UNTIL JUN/XX/94; MY PLANNED DEP DATE. THE WX SOCKED IN AND; AFTER SPENDING ALL DAY AT THE ARPT; I RETURNED TO MY CHILDREN'S HOME FOR ANOTHER NIGHT. THE NEXT MORNING I CHKED WX AT RALEIGH AND FOUND EARLY FOG; SHOWERS AND TSTMS. THEY ADVISED TO CHK AGAIN AT XA00. NO CHANGE BUT THE CEILING HAD GONE UP FROM 600 FT TO 800 FT. THEY ADVISED THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY CLR ON THE XC00 RPT. THE ROTATING BEACON AT INT WAS TURNED OFF ABOUT XC15 AND THE WX WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME TO LEAVE BUT I WAS ADVISED TO USE CAUTION ENRTE BECAUSE OF HVY SHOWER ACTIVITY AND TSTMS. I DEPARTED; WAS FLYING ALONG WHEN I GLANCED AT THE L WING GLASS FUEL TANK AND SAW THAT THE LINE BOY HAD PUT THE CAP ON BACKWARD AND THAT I WAS SYPHONING FUEL OVERBOARD. I LANDED IN BURLINGTON (BUY); CALLED THE FBO AT INT AND ADVISED THEM THAT I DIDN'T MIND THE 4.5 GALLONS I HAD LOST OVERBOARD BUT THAT THEY SHOULD BE CAREFUL WITH OTHER LIGHT PLANES. I NEXT FLEW TO JOHNSON COUNTY AND LANDED SINCE THERE WAS HVY TSTM ACTIVITY AND I WANTED TO STAY WELL AWAY FROM RDU AND THEIR TCA. AGAIN; I GOT A LOT OF CLRING AND DETERMINED THAT I WOULD CONTINUE ON HOME. IN THE AIR; WX DETERIORATED AND I WAS DODGING AROUND TSTMS. I MAINTAINED (I THOUGHT) HDG BUT SUDDENLY SAW WATER; A SOUND; ON MY R WHEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON MY L. I SPOTTED LANDMARKS AND TURNED TOWARD THE COAST REALIZING THAT THE WIND AND SOME OF THE STORM HAD TAKEN ME OFF COURSE. I DECIDED TO TRY FOR HYDE FIELD WHEN SUDDENLY I SAW A CLRING; REALIZED I HAD BEEN BLOWN OVER THE GUNNERY RANGE AT STUMPY POINT; A RESTR AREA. AT ALMOST THE SAME INSTANT 2 NAVY TOMCATS FLEW AHEAD AND UNDER ME. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL GIANT KILLER ON 118.10 BUT LATER REALIZED THE MAP CALLED FOR 118.125; A FREQ I DO NOT HAVE. I WAS VERY SHORTLY CLR OF THE AREA; HIT THE PROPER SOUND AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT MQI. WHEN I DEPARTED INT ON RWY 3; THE WIND WAS RIGHT ON THE NOSE. WHEN I LANDED MQI THE WIND WAS FROM 180 AND I USED RWY 16. I HAD OBVIOUSLY OVER-CORRECTED DURING MY STORM DODGING. THE ENTIRE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL BUT PERHAPS WE COULD ALL LEARN THAT MORE PATIENCE IN RESPECTING THE WX MIGHT JUST BE TO OUR ADVANTAGE. HAD I A BIT MORE EQUIP IN THE ERCOUPE; I BELIEVE THE TRIP WOULD HAVE BEEN A BIT BETTER ALBEIT NOT QUITE AS EXCITING. I FLEW THE ENTIRE TRIP VFR.