C152 PLT GOT LOST; WITH NIGHT APCHING; AND RUNNING SHORT OF FUEL; THE PLT LANDED AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. IT HAPPENED TO BE IN CANADA.

Narrative

I DEPARTED BREMERTON (PWT) FOR A DIRECT VFR FLT TO BLAINE (4W6). 40 MINS INTO THE FLT; I NOTICED THE R FUEL GAUGE READ ALMOST ZERO. ALTHOUGH I KNEW THAT I COULDN'T HAVE USED 13 GALS ALREADY; I DID WONDER IF I HAD A LEAK OR A LOOSE FUEL CAP. I WAS CLOSE TO BLAINE; SO I CONTINUED. THEN I STARTED TO QUESTION MY EXACT LOCATION. I COULDN'T MAKE OUT LANDMARKS THAT APPEARED ON MY SECTIONAL. SOON; I WAS SEEING THINGS AND LANDMARKS THAT I KNEW MUST BE IN CANADA! ONCE I SAW A 'LARGE' ARPT; (LATER IDENTED AS VANCOUVER INTL) I TURNED WESTERLY AND FOLLOWED THE SHORELINE. WITHIN JUST A FEW MOMENTS; I FOUND A SMALLER ARPT (BLAINE?). I CIRCLED THE FIELD; ATTEMPTING TO SEE A NAME OR FREQ ON THE RWY OR HANGAR. NOTHING! I VIEWED THE SIT AS THIS: I HAVE FUEL CONCERNS; IT'S GETTING LATE (THE SUN IS ALREADY DOWN); I'M LOST; EVERY MIN SEEMS LIKE AN HR; AND THIS COULD BE BLAINE. I PUT 122.8 (BLAINE) IN THE RADIO; ENTERED THE PATTERN; AND LANDED. I TAXIED UP TO THE FIRST HUMAN I COULD FIND AND ASKED HIM WHERE HE THOUGHT WE WERE. HE SAID 'BOUNDARY BAY'...'CANADA.' HE GAVE ME THE NECESSARY FREQS FOR TWR/GND. ONCE IN THE AIR; THE TWR DIRECTED ME STRAIGHT TO THE REAL BLAINE. WITHIN MINS; 5 LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES ARRIVED TO WELCOME ME TO BLAINE; AND THE UNITED STATES. LOTS OF QUESTIONS; LOTS OF EXPLAINING; SEARCH OF THE PLANE; MORE QUESTIONS. IT ALL ENDED WITH A GROUP PHOTO. I HAD CHKED MY FUEL LEVEL BACK IN BOUNDARY BAY (CZBB) WITH 14 GALS REMAINING; I FLEW BACK TO PWT WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE I'VE COVERED ALL OF THE CHAIN OF EVENTS EXCEPT ONE; 'CORRECTIVE ACTION.' I WOULDN'T HEAD OFF TO A NEW DEST SO LATE IN THE FALL AFTERNOON. IT BECAME DARKER MUCH SOONER THAN I EXPECTED. WHILE NOT A PROB IN GETTING BACK TO FAMILIAR TERRITORY; IT WAS DEFINITELY A PROB FINDING MY DEST. I WOULD PUT MORE INTO THE PLANNING PHASE OF THE FLT. WITH LANDMARKS EASIER TO IDENT; I WOULD DEFINITELY MAKE BETTER USE OF AVAILABLE NAVAIDS. I WOULD ALSO MAKE USE OF 'FLT FOLLOWING.' EVEN THIS BY ITSELF COULD HAVE MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE. I NOW HAVE MY WIFE'S AUTH TO GET A GOOD 'GPS.'