C210 PLT; FLYING A VOR APCH; BECAME DISORIENTED; ENTERED RESTR AREA.

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FLT ORIGINATED IN ALB 3 HRS PRIOR. CROSSED OCN VORTAC; DSNDED TO 2500 FT WITH 1 LOOP IN HOLD; PARALLEL ENTRY. FAF CROSSED (OCN). BEGAN DSCNT TO MDA. PLT ACQUIRED ARPT VISUALLY. DSCNT TO MDA CONTINUED. PLT DID NOT REACQUIRE VISUAL OF ARPT! MAY HAVE MISTAKEN RWY FOR FREEWAY INITIALLY. PLT ATTEMPTED REACQUISITION; CROSSED 3+ MI DME. PLT WAS INCREDULOUS THAT WAS NOT WHERE HE THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE; WENT MISSED APCH! CALLED APCH; DECLARED MISSED APCH. ATC REQUESTED INTENTIONS. PLT RESPONDED; 'BACK TO VOR AND TRY AGAIN.' ATC STATED TO 'FLY FULL PUBLISHED MISSED APCH TO OCEAN VISTA.' PLT SET UP TO NAV TO OCEAN VISTA. WE WERE THEN ON MISSED APCH COURSE TO OCEAN VISTA. ATC CALLED BACK WITH CLRNC DIRECT OCN VOR AND VOR APCH. PLT (STILL WAY BEHIND IN COCKPIT) SET UP FOR IAP AS PUBLISHED. SECOND APCH: CROSSED OCN PROC TURN OUTBOUND; RPTED AS REQUESTED BY ATC. (I THINK) CROSSED FAF AND AGAIN BEGAN NON PRECISION APCH DSCNT. DID NOT ACQUIRE ARPT. WHILE IN DSCNT; PAX IDENTED ARPT AT 10 O'CLOCK. PLT ATTEMPTED TO ACQUIRE ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK POS; AGAIN INCREDULOUS THAT IT WAS NOT OUT THERE. PLT WENT VISUAL APCH AND TURNED 40 DEGS L. PLT WAS AWARE OF DEP FROM PUBLISHED APCH. BELIEVED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. IMPROPER SET-UP OF INSTS; WRONG APCH PLATE; INST MALFUNCTION. PLT WENT VISUAL; LOOKED FOR ACFT AND TERRAIN. VISIBILITY GOOD; PLT FELT HE MUST GO VISUAL TO DEAL WITH THIS SIT. DID NOT SEE MAJOR SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE; BUT COULDN'T CONTINUE TO FLY THE IAP IF THERE WAS A PROB. APCHED THE ARPT THAT WAS ACQUIRED AT 10 O'CLOCK POS. WHEN IN VISUAL RANGE; PLT IDENTED THAT IT WAS NOT THE SAME ARPT THAT WAS OVERFLOWN DURING THE MISSED APCH. PLT TURNED E; THEN S. WENT BACK TO APCH FREQ. APCH WAS ALREADY CALLING. REQUESTED VECTOR TO ARPT; GOT AN APPROPRIATE ADMONISHMENT FROM CTLR REGARDING INCURSION INTO RESTR AREA. RECEIVED VECTORS TO OCN. CONCLUSION: THIS WAS A SCREW-UP WHERE NO ONE GOT HURT. THIS IS THE STUFF THAT ACCIDENTS ARE MADE OF.