GA-SMA OVERFLEW ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG AND PENETRATED ATA OF CLOSE PROX MIL ARPT.

Date: 1988-01 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit

Synopsis

GA-SMA OVERFLEW ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG AND PENETRATED ATA OF CLOSE PROX MIL ARPT.

Narrative

I WAS A STUDENT PLT ON MY FINAL XCOUNTRY FROM SANTA ANA/BLYTHE/IMPERIAL/SANTA ANA. I WAS ON THE LEG FROM BLYTH TO IMPERIAL AND WAS STEERING A COURSE OF 260 DEGS MAGNETIC AND ONE OF MY CHKPOINTS; THE HOLTVILLE ARPT; WAS ON MY STARBOARD BEAM. THE TOWN OF HOLTVILLE; ANOTHER OF MY CHKPOINTS; APPEARED BEFORE ME AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. AT THE SAME TIME; I BELIEVED I SAW THE IMPERIAL ARPT FARTHER IN FRONT OF ME. AT THIS POINT; I CALLED NAF EL CENTRO ON 126.20 AND INFORMED THEM OF MY INTENTIONS TO ENTER THE AIRSPACE SURROUNDING IMPERIAL AND NAF EL CENTRO FOR LNDG AT IMPERIAL; TO WHICH THEY REPLIED; 'ROGER; SMA.' I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 AND DON'T RECALL AN ATC CHANGE IN SQUAWK CODE. AT THE TOWN OF HOLTVILLE; I AGAIN CALLED NAF EL CENTRO AND REQUESTED A FREQ CHANGE TO IMPERIAL CTAF. I AGAIN RECEIVED A REPLY OF; 'ROGER; SMA.' I THEN CALLED IMPERIAL FOR ARPT ADVISORIES AND WAS TOLD; AMONG OTHER THINGS; RWY 14 WAS IN USE. I NOTED ON MY ARPT APCH INFO (PLT'S GUIDE TO CA ARPTS; PUBLICATIONS/86 REV) THAT THE DIAGRAM INDICATED RWYS 32 AND 14; WHICH THE TEXT INDICATED 'RIGHT TFC RWY 24.' IN TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS CONFLICT; I EVIDENTLY BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH ITS RESOLUTION. INASMUCH AS I WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE IT IMMEDIATELY; I CALLED THE FLT SVC STATION AT IMPERIAL ONCE AGAIN TO INQUIRE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PROPER RWY WAS 14L. BY THIS TIME; I HAD APPARENTLY OVERFLOWN IMPERIAL AND BECAME FIXED ON THE RWY AT NAF EL CENTRO. WHEN I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO NAF EL CENTRO TO DISTINGUISH THE NUMBER '26' PAINTED ON THE RWY; I REALIZED THAT THIS INFO WAS INCONSISTENT WITH ANY OF THE NUMBERS AT IMPERIAL. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE IMPERIAL FLT SVC STATION AGAIN; ASKING IF IMPERIAL HAD A RWY 26. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY DID NOT AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT NAVAL AIR TFC CTL ON A FREQ THAT I CANNOT REMEMBER. I CONTACTED THIS FREQ IMMEDIATELY; INFORMED THEM OF MY PREDICAMENT; AND ASKED THEM TO 'GET ME OUT OF HERE.' I WAS IMMEDIATELY GIVEN VECTORS TO THE IMPERIAL FIELD; WHICH LAY APPROX 180 DEGS FROM MY POS. I INQUIRED OF THE ATC OPERATOR IF I HAD CREATED ANY DIFFICULTIES AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD NOT. FROM THIS POINT FORWARD; I MADE A ROUTINE APCH AND LNDG AT IMPERIAL. AFTER REFUELING; I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A TELEPHONE CALL FOR ME. I SPOKE WITH A FEMALE; WHO IDENTIFIED HERSELF AS THE EL CENTRO CHIEF TWR OPERATOR. SHE INQUIRED OF ME ALL PERTINENT IDENTIFYING DATA; INCLUDING MY NAME; ADDRESS; TELEPHONE NUMBER; ACFT IDENT; FLT SCHOOL AND FLT INSTRUCTOR; ALL OF WHICH I GAVE HER. SHE ALSO INQUIRED AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I HAD SEEN ANY JETS IN THE AREA; TO WHICH I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE; 'SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THE HOLTVILLE ARPT.' SHE FURTHER INFORMED ME THAT SHE WAS TELEPHONING ME BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT I HAD ENTERED THEIR RESTRICTION AREA. I HAVE SINCE EXAMINED MY CHARTS IN GREAT DETAIL AND HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE CLOSEST RESTRICTION AREA WAS APPROX 3-4 MI FROM MY POS. UPON RETURNING HOME THAT EVENING; I TELEPHONED MY FLT INSTR TO INFORM HIM OF THE DAY'S EVENTS AND HE ADVISED ME TO SUBMIT THIS RPT TO NASA.

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