DURING A XCOUNTRY FLT; PLT OF AN SMA SEL FOUND THAT HIS INST PANEL LIGHTS DID NOT WORK AND THE ONLY FLASHLIGHT WAS BROKEN. BY CALLING FOR HELP ON EMER FREQ; HE WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC CTLR WHO ADVISED THAT HE WAS IN A RESTR AIRSPACE AND TURNED HIM OUT OF THE AREA. HE WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO SUBSEQUENT ATC FACILITIES FOR CONTINUATION OF HIS FLT.
Synopsis
DURING A XCOUNTRY FLT; PLT OF AN SMA SEL FOUND THAT HIS INST PANEL LIGHTS DID NOT WORK AND THE ONLY FLASHLIGHT WAS BROKEN. BY CALLING FOR HELP ON EMER FREQ; HE WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC CTLR WHO ADVISED THAT HE WAS IN A RESTR AIRSPACE AND TURNED HIM OUT OF THE AREA. HE WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO SUBSEQUENT ATC FACILITIES FOR CONTINUATION OF HIS FLT.
Narrative
I WORK FOR A BANNER TOW COMPANY AND HAD BEEN FLYING ALL DAY. WHEN I LANDED THE BOSS TOLD ME I HAD TO FLY TO AVRA VALLEY ARPT NEAR TUCSON TO DELIVER A MAGNETO TO ONE OF OUR PLTS STRANDED THERE. I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. HE TOSSED ME MAPS; MAGNETO AND FLASHLIGHT; WHICH I DROPPED; BUSTING THE BULB AND WHICH WE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO GET A REPLACEMENT. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL IT GOT DARK. I FOUND MY INST LIGHTS WOULD NOT WORK; THUS I COULD NO LONGER READ MY VOR HDGS. COULD BARELY MAKE OUT ALTIMETER. I WAS ON V94 OUT OF BLYTHE; CA. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF CHANGING FROM BLYTHE TO GILA BEND TO CONTINUE ON V94. I TRIED FOR 5 MINS TO DIAL IN THE RIGHT RADIAL BUT JUST COULD NOT SEE IT ANYMORE; SO I CALLED ON 121.5 PAN; PAN; PAN. GOT SOME AIRPLANE WHO GOT ME TO ZLA. ZLA SAID THAT I WAS IN A RESTR AIRSPACE. I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE AS I COULD NO LONGER SEE MAPS OR INSTS. THEY GOT ME OUT BY START TURN TO THE L STOP TURN; THEN HANDED ME OFF TO PHX APCH THEN TO TUS APCH WHICH GOT ME TO AVRA VALLEY. NOT ENOUGH PREPARATION; NO WORKING FLASHLIGHT AND NON OPERATING INST LIGHTS MADE ALL THIS POSSIBLE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.