A PVT PLT IN A C172 NIGHT OP INCURS AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION; ENTERING THE CLASS C AIRSPACE OF OAK; CA.

Narrative

I WAS SBOUND FOLLOWING HWY 680 TO SUNOL TO RETURN TO SQL. IN RETROSPECT; I MISTOOK HWY 580 W FOR HWY 680 AT SUNOL. I TURNED WBOUND AND COMPOUNDED MY ERROR BY MISTAKING SAN MATEO BRIDGE FOR DUMBARTON. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH SQL TWR BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND ME AFTER RECYCLING XPONDER AND IDENT. AT THAT POINT I REALIZED I WAS OVER AN ARPT -- HAYWARD; I THOUGHT. I SET HAYWARD TWR 120.2 AND CALLED TWR. HAYWARD TWR RESPONDED. I TOLD THEM I BELIEVED MYSELF TO BE IN THEIR AIRSPACE. I IDENTED XPONDER. I HEARD HWD TWR TALKING TO HELI; BUT I HEARD NOTHING MORE FROM THEM. AT THIS POINT I SAW OAKLAND RWY 29 AND REALIZED I WAS IN CLASS C AIRSPACE. I HAD ALREADY TURNED S AND WAS APCHING MIDSPAN SAN MATEO BRIDGE. AT THAT POINT I WENT BACK TO SQL TWR AND LANDED AT SQL. I WAS ASKED TO CALL OAK TWR; WHICH I PROMPTLY DID; TALKING TO SUPVR. CONCLUSION: I HAVE 11 HRS NIGHT FLT. I WAS PAYING TOO MUCH ATTN TO INSTS AND NOT ENOUGH TO MY LOCATION. BEFORE I DO ANY MORE NIGHT FLYING; I NEED TO SPEND SEVERAL MORE HRS WITH A CFI TO IMPROVE MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AT NIGHT.