A GOLDEN RETRIEVER IS INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF DISTRACTIONS THAT LEADS TO ENCROACHMENT ON P-49.

Date: 2002-01 · Aircraft: Piper Single Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-track-heading-all-types|inflight-event-encounter-other-unknown

Synopsis

A GOLDEN RETRIEVER IS INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF DISTRACTIONS THAT LEADS TO ENCROACHMENT ON P-49.

Narrative

I FLEW VERY CLOSE TO P-49 NEAR CRAWFORD; TX. I DON'T THINK I VIOLATED THE AIRSPACE; BUT I GOT CLOSER THAN I WOULD EVER CARE TO. I DEPARTED WACO REGIONAL ARPT; (ACT; CLASS D AIRSPACE) RWY 19 AND WAS CLRED FOR A R TURN-OUT AND NW DEP. BECAUSE WINDS WERE SOUTHERLY AT 10-15 KTS; I TOOK UP ABOUT A 300 DEG HDG TO ACCOUNT FOR THE DRIFT AND HEAD TOWARDS CLIFTON; TX. A FEW MINS AFTER DEP; I SAW VALLEY MILLS; TX; AT ABOUT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS AND 2-3 MI AWAY -- NOT WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS; AND VERY CLOSE TO P-49. I WAS STILL ON WACO TWR FREQ; BUT THEY DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO ME. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) COMPASS PRECESSION. I ALIGNED MY GYROSCOPE COMPASS TO THE MAGNETIC COMPASS DURING TAXI-OUT; BUT A SHARP 'TAIL-DRAGGER' TURN MAY HAVE PRECESSED IT. PREOCCUPATION WITH DOG IN BACK SEAT (SEE BELOW) DISTRACTED ME. I WAS LOOKING AT GYROSCOPE COMPASS AND NOT XCHKING MAGNETIC COMPASS. PERHAPS MY 300 DEG HDG WAS NOT REALLY A 300 DEG HDG. 2) I WAS TAKING MY 2 YR OLD DOG FLYING FOR THE FIRST TIME; SO I WAS (PROBABLY) OVER-CONCERNED WITH HOW SHE WOULD DO IN AN AIRPLANE (TURNS OUT; SHE IS A GREAT FLYER). 3) VISIBILITY -- ALTHOUGH RPTED BY THE TWR AS 10 MI; IT WAS QUITE HAZY (I ESTIMATE IT WAS 7-8 MI). WHILE THIS SOUNDS LIKE PLENTY; I FIND I OFTEN RELY ON MULTIPLE; DISTANT LANDMARKS TO CORRELATE MY POS. THESE DISTANT POINTS WERE NOT VISIBLE ON THIS DAY. HOW TO CORRECT IT? GO BACK TO THE BASICS: 1) XCHK COMPASSES WHEN ALIGNED ON THE RWY AND FREQUENTLY DURING FLT. 2) AVOID DISTRACTIONS! (DOG IN BACK).

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