GA SMA LOST OVER CSN VOR.
Synopsis
GA SMA LOST OVER CSN VOR.
Narrative
I DEPARTED FROM FDK. FLEW TO CSN VORTAC AFTER CONTACTING IAD APCH. THEY INFORMED ME THEY WERE NOT GETTING ANY RETURN FROM MY TRANSPONDER. APPROX 12-15 MI N OF IAD THEY ADVISED THEY HAD RADAR CONTACT. I BELIEVED MY TRANSPONDER (NON MODE C HAD BEGUN OPERATING. MY INTENDED ROUTE OF FLT WAS TO CSN AND FLY 168 DEGS TO MY DEST; W 83. I CHKED THE WX VIA MARTINSBURG FSS THEY ADVISED WINDS AT 270 DEGS; 27-45 KTS INCREASING WITH ALT. SOME CUMULO FORM CLOUDS WITH BOTTOMS AT 4500' VFR. I PASSED OVER CSN; I BELIEVE. I DID NOT NOTE THE FLIP OF THE TO/FROM INDICATOR AND OVERFLEW THE VORTAC. THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A SINGLE NAVCOM. I DO NOT KNOW WHEN I NOTICED THE FROM INDICATION; I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS EITHER. MY ALT WAS 4500' MSL. I DECIDED TO TURN LEFT TO 120 DEGS AND SET 168 DEGS IN THE OBS. THE NEEDLE SWUNG FULL LEFT DEFLECTION. MY INTENTION WAS TO INTERCEPT I95 AND FOLLOW IT TO HANOVER (W 83). I MUST HAVE OVERFLOWN I95 W/O SEEING IT. AFTER APPROX 10-20 MINS I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THAT I MIGHT HAVE MISSED I95. I BEGAN TO SEARCH THE MAP AND TURNED TO 090 DEGS. I CLBED TO 5500'. WHEN I TURNED TO 090 DEGS I NOTICED AN INCREASE IN GND SPD. I DID NOT COMPUTE MY GND SPD. I WAS TOO BUSY TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE ACFT'S ATTITUDE AND READ MY SECTIONAL. THE TURB WAS INCREASING AND I WAS GETTING ALARMED ABOUT THE ENTIRE SITUATION. I KNEW I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL; MY MAJOR CONCERN WAS TO FIND WHERE I WAS SO I COULD GET TO MY DEST AND TO NOT FLY IN AIRSPACE W/O PRIOR PERMISSION WHEN REQUIRED. MY THOUGHTS WERE INCORRECT; I BELIEVED I WAS FARTHER S AND TRIED EVERY VOR/VORTAC. I COULD RECEIVE NONE. I WAS SET ON FINDING WHERE I WAS AND COMPLETING MY FLT. AS I FLEW OVER WATER I CONVINCED MYSELF I WAS OVER LAKE ANNA. THE VOR WAS STILL FULL LEFT DEFLECTION. THAT AT THE TIME SEEMED CORRECT. I HAD TUNED AND IDENTED THE VORTAC AND ALTHOUGH WEAK I WAS ABLE TO IDENT (CSN). I KNEW I HAD OVERFLOWN MY CHKPOINT(S) BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT AND SIZE OF THE BODIES OF WATER I WAS FLYING OVER. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE E. I WAS UNABLE TO IDENT ANY OF THEM. I CONTINUED EWARD; DSNDING NEAR THE COAST. I TURNED N AT THE COAST AND DSNDED TO AN ALT OF 1500' FROM WHICH I COULD READ THE WATER TWRS. FRANKFORT AND MILLSBORO CAME INTO VIEW AND IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT I WAS IN DELAWARE. I WASN'T EVEN ON THE CORRECT SIDE OF THE SECTIONAL. AFTER OBSERVING THE TFC FLOW; KEEPING AN EYE ON THE TWR; I LANDED AT SUSSEX COUNTY ARPT. I REFUELED AND FLEW BACK TO FDK. ATC AT BWI CONFIRMED THE TRANSPONDER WAS INOP.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.