GA PLT MAKES UNAUTH LNDG AT A MIL FACILITY AIR BASE AFTER LOSING RADIO CONTACT WITH ZID AND HAVING JUST PERFORMED AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Date: 1996-10 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-landing-without-clearance|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit

Synopsis

GA PLT MAKES UNAUTH LNDG AT A MIL FACILITY AIR BASE AFTER LOSING RADIO CONTACT WITH ZID AND HAVING JUST PERFORMED AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative

THE FLT BEGAN FROM GARY; IN; FOLLOWING SEVERAL PREFLT BRIEFINGS FROM FSS. I ALSO REVIEWED THE LCL COLOR RADAR AVAILABLE TO PLTS AT THE FBO. I FURTHER DISCUSSED THE FLT AND REVIEWED MY SECTIONALS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE FBO. I LEFT VFR FROM GARY; IN; FOR GEORGETOWN; OH. WX CONDITIONS WERE EXPECTED TO BE IMPROVING; I FLEW SE AWAY FROM GARY. AS THE FLT PROCEEDED; WX CONDITIONS DETERIORATED. WHILE MAINTAINING VFR; I LOST TRACK OF WHERE I WAS AND BECAME DISORIENTED. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ZID FOR HELP; BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I COULD HEAR CTR TALKING OVER MY HEADPHONES; BUT THEY DID NOT RESPOND BACK. MY INSTRUCTOR BELIEVES THAT THIS MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A WEAK BATTERY IN MY INTERCOM BOX. I ALWAYS CARRY A SPARE BATTERY; BUT DID NOT THINK TO CHANGE IT AT THE TIME. MY INSTRUCTOR SAYS I SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP THE HAND-HELD MIKE; WHEN CTR DID NOT ANSWER. AT THIS POINT I BECAME WORRIED AND FELT THAT TO CONTINUE THE FLT WOULD NOT BE WISE. I STARTED TO LOOK FOR ANY SUITABLE LNDG FACILITY. OFF TO MY L I SPOTTED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SMALL RWY AND FLEW TOWARDS IT. THE RWY APPEARED TO BE AT AN UNMANNED ARPT AND THERE WERE SOME SMALL HOUSES NEARBY. MY THINKING WAS THAT I COULD LAND; AND FIND OUT WHERE I WAS! I MADE 1 LOW PASS OVER THE STRIP TO MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE; THEN MADE A NORMAL PATTERN AND LANDED. A MAN IN A MIL JEEP CAME OUT TO MEET US. WE TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY EMER LNDG BECAUSE WE WERE LOST. HE SHOWED US WHERE I WAS ON MY SECTIONAL. HE TOLD US THAT CTR HAD FEARED WE HAD CRASHED! NOW KNOWING THAT COLUMBUS; IN; WAS LESS THAN 10 NM AWAY; WE DEPARTED CAMP ATTERBURY RWY IN R-3401A AND PROCEEDED VFR TO BAK. I MADE A NORMAL PATTERN ENTRY AND LANDED. AT THIS TIME I WAS NOT WEARING MY HEADSET AND WAS USING THE SPEAKER AND MIKE TO COMMUNICATE. UPON LNDG WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CALL MR X AT THE FAA FACILITY IN INDIANAPOLIS. WE EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE TOLD ME THAT IN ADDITION TO FLYING INTO RESTR AIRSPACE AT R-3401A; WE HAD ALSO FLOWN TOO CLOSE TO INDIANAPOLIS AIRSPACE INADVERTENTLY. AT THIS TIME I WAS QUITE EMOTIONALLY UPSET AND WE CHOSE TO TIE THE PLANE DOWN AT BAK AND RENT A CAR TO DRIVE BACK TO CINCINNATI. ON OCT/XX/96; I DROVE BACK TO BAK WITH ONE OF MY AIRPLANE PARTNERS AND WE FLEW THE AIRPLANE BACK TO GEO. I HAVE REVIEWED THIS EVENT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR AND INTEND TO SPEND EXTENSIVE TIME WITH HIM IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I AM ALSO MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER; TO COMPLETE MY INST TRAINING! MY PLANE PARTNERS AND I ALSO PURCHASED A GPS SYS WITH MOVING MAP FOR THE PLANE ON OCT/THU/96. I INTEND TO BECOME FULLY AWARE OF ITS CAPABILITY SO THAT I WILL NEVER BE IN A SIT LIKE ON OCT/TUE/96 AGAIN!

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.