A C150 PVT PLT PASSES UP THE DEST ARPT OF LAUGHLIN BULLHEAD ON A NIGHT OP. PLT CONTINUES ON TO AND PENETRATES THE LAS CLASS B AIRSPACE; LNDG WITH A ROUGH ENG AT LVS; NELLIS AFB.

Date: 1998-09 · Aircraft: Cessna 150

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit

Synopsis

A C150 PVT PLT PASSES UP THE DEST ARPT OF LAUGHLIN BULLHEAD ON A NIGHT OP. PLT CONTINUES ON TO AND PENETRATES THE LAS CLASS B AIRSPACE; LNDG WITH A ROUGH ENG AT LVS; NELLIS AFB.

Narrative

WE MADE AN EMER LNDG ON SEP/XA/98 AT XX35 DUE TO ENG FAILURE INFLT. RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 3L FROM THE TWR AT NELLIS AFB. WE WERE HDG FOR LAUGHLIN/BULLHEAD; GOT OFF COURSE AND ENDED UP PASSING IT IN THE DARKNESS. WHEN WE REALIZED THIS 'MISTAKE' OF OURS WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK. INSTEAD; WE HEADED FOR THE CITY WE SAW IN THE DISTANCE WITHOUT KNOWING THAT THIS WAS LAS VEGAS SINCE WE ONLY HAD A SECTIONAL CHART OVER ARIZONA TO LOOK AT. WHEN WE GOT CLOSER TO THE CITY WE DECIDED TO STAY ON THE INSIDE OF THE 'SOUTH MOUNTAINS' SINCE OUR ENG WAS RUNNING ROUGH AND WE WANTED TO STAY CLOSE TO AVAILABLE EMER LNDG PLACES. THAT'S WHEN WE ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT KNOWING. AT THIS POINT WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE WE WERE AND WHAT FREQS TO CALL UP. THEN EVERYTHING HAPPENED SO FAST; THE ENG STARTED TO CUT OUT; WE HAD JUST FOUND THE FREQ TO NELLIS AFB AND I CALLED THEM UP SINCE WE WERE JUST ABOUT 2 MI AWAY FROM THE BASE. WE DECLARED AN EMER; GOT LINED UP WITH THE RWY AND GOT THE CLRNC FROM THE TWR TO LAND. AFTERWARD WE CALLED A MAN NAMED MR X AT THE FAA THERE AND EXPLAINED THE SIT FOR HIM. WE REALIZED THAT WE CAUSED A LOT OF PROBS FOR THE CTL TWR AT LAS AND FOR THAT WE APOLOGIZE DEEPLY. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE PRECAUTIONARY ACTION AND RECEIVE RECURRENCY TRAINING IN NIGHT FLYING SO THAT THIS 'MISTAKE' WON'T OCCUR EVER AGAIN.

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