PLT USED BROADCAST STATION AS ADF NAV AID. DID NOT ID THE STATION. PENETRATED THE TCA.

Narrative

UPON CLRNC OUT OF THE TRSA; I RESUMED MY OWN NAV; WHICH WAS TO FLY DIRECT TO THE WOODSIDE VOR ON THE 320 DEG R. FROM THE WOODSIDE VOR; I WAS GOING TO FLY THE OSI; 356 DEG R DIRECT TO SAN CARLOS. UPON REACHING THE WOODSIDE VOR; I CONTACTED SAN CARLOS TWR AND RECEIVED CLRNC INTO THE SQL ATA. HOWEVER; INSTEAD OF FLYING MY PLAN; OSI; 356 DEG R TO SQL; I DECIDED TO FLY THE ADF DIRECT TO SAN CARLOS; USING KNBR; 690. I GLANCED AT MY SAN FRANCISCO TCA; CHART TO CONFIRM THE FREQ. WHAT I READ; HOWEVER; IN THE AMBER LIGHT OF A JOSTLING ACFT AT NIGHT; WAS THE HEIGHT OF KNBR'S TWRS AT 560'; RATHER THAN THE FREQ OF 680. THE TWO BEING ALMOST SIDE BY SIDE ON THE CHART. I THUS DIALED IN 560 AS THE FREQ FOR KNBR; AND FLEW THE HDF NEEDLE ON A HDG OF 330 DEG; OUTBND FROM THE WOODSIDE VOR. I HAVE IDENTED THREE BASIC; BUT CRUCIAL ERRORS. ANY ONE OF WHICH HAD I IDENTED AND PREVENTED; WOULD HAVE OBVIATED THE INCIDENT. FIRST; AND THE MOST IMPORTANT; I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BECOME OVER CONFIDENT IN MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA AND ITS NAVIGATIONAL AIDS. BY BEING OVER CONFIDENT I DID NOT TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS WHEN DEVIATING FROM A PRESCRIBED FLT PLAN. SECOND; THOUGH I PLANNED MY FLT; I DID NOT FLY MY PLAN. THIRD; I DID NOT IDENT THE NAV AID PRIOR TO RELYING ON IT FOR NAV PURPOSES.