A TIRED PA28 PLT MISIDENTED A VISUAL CHKPOINT AND STARTED HIS DSCNT FOR A LNDG FAR TOO SOON. HE RPTS THAT HE MAY HAVE VIOLATED A RESTR AREA AND CLASS C AIRSPACE.
Synopsis
A TIRED PA28 PLT MISIDENTED A VISUAL CHKPOINT AND STARTED HIS DSCNT FOR A LNDG FAR TOO SOON. HE RPTS THAT HE MAY HAVE VIOLATED A RESTR AREA AND CLASS C AIRSPACE.
Narrative
AFTER COMPLETING BUSINESS IN WINSTON-SALEM; NC; I MADE THE DECISION TO PROCEED TO MY HOME FIELD; EVEN THOUGH I HAD ALREADY BEEN UP AND WORKING SINCE EARLY MORNING; AND WAS VERY TIRED. I HAD DONE ONLY SUPERFICIAL PREFLT PLANNING; HAVING JUST FLOWN THE RTE ON THE WAY TO INT. THE ONLY PROFESSIONAL DECISIONS I MADE WERE TO CHK WX AND FILL MY TANKS WITH GAS; GIVING ME APPROX 4 HRS FLYING TIME. WHILE ENRTE CRUISING AT 5500 FT MSL I MISIDENTED A GND CHKPOINT; WITHOUT REALIZING THAT I HAD NOT BEEN MAINTAINING PROPER HEADING CTL. THIS LED ME TO TRY AND INTERCEPT THE 255 DEG RADIAL ON ISO WHICH WOULD TAKE ME TO MY HOME FIELD; EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT ON COURSE. FURTHERMORE; WHILE BEING ON THE CORRECT RADIAL; BUT WITHOUT DME OR A CROSS RADIAL; I DSNDED TOO EARLY FOR APCH TO LAND. WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS; I FINALLY FOUND AN NDB STATION TO FIX MY POS WITH THE ISO 255 DEG RADIAL. PREVIOUSLY I HAD BEEN UNABLE TO IDENT THE NDB'S ON MY COURSE. SINCE I WAS GETTING ISO WITH A GOOD IDENT (I HAD SUSPECTED COM/ICS PROBS EARLIER) I THOUGHT THE NDB RECEIVER WAS BAD; RATHER THAN THINKING I WAS OFF COURSE. THE FGP NDB TOLD ME THAT WHILE I WAS ON THE ISO 255 DEG RADIAL; I WAS VERY CLOSE TO FAYETTEVILLE. ENRTE TO THIS POS IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT I PASSED THROUGH RESTR AIRSPACE (R-5311) WHERE PARACHUTE OPS; AMONG OTHER THINGS; ARE CONDUCTED; AND THAT I VIOLATED CLASS C AIRSPACE. NOT KNOWING MY EXACT POS BEFORE THIS IT IS HARD TO TELL. AFTER FINALLY FIXING MY POS; I RELUCTANTLY CHKED IN WITH FAYETTEVILLE APCH TO SEE IF I HAD BEEN CAUSING ANY PROBS; BUT WHEN I CHKED IN WITH THEM THEY SIMPLY REPLIED THAT I WAS LEAVING THEIR AIRSPACE AND TO CHANGE FREQS. WHEN I GOT ON THE GND I CALLED THE RADAR FACILITY AT FAYETTEVILLE TO ASK IF ANYONE HAD RPTED A STRAY ACFT; AND I CALLED AGAIN LATER TO MAKE SURE. BOTH TIMES I SPOKE WITH THE SAME CTLR AND SHE SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO VIOLATIONS THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF. MY FATIGUE; DESIRE TO GET HOME; AND LACK OF PREFLT PLANNING CONTRIBUTED TO POSITIONAL DISORIENTATION (BEING LOST); AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.