Narrative:

I departed torrance airport en route to montgomery field, san diego with a magnetic heading of 140 degree at XX40 am. Everything was going fine until I flew VFR on top of the cloud coverage. Having flown several hours, I had to land to find out where I was so I started tracking various landmarks. Nothing was familiar. I was looking the entire time for the del mar race track but couldn't find it. Finally, I saw a runway, so I landed. I was immediately interrogated by military officials at a military base. I didn't know it but I had landed in ensenada, mexico. I tried to explain to the mexican officials that I was on my way to san diego, that I was lost above cloud coverage, but communication was poor. I didn't understand too well. They wanted me to taxi to the tower. I complied with their request. They asked me to leave the plane and follow them so I told my wife and 2 other passenger to stay inside the plane. Getting out of the plane, I noticed all these other military men pointing machine guns at my 3 passenger and myself. I was very scared! I was very anxious to leave so I discussed with them the possibility of departure. They hesitated at first, but after about 50 minutes, they let us go. We were so relieved. All I could think about was getting back into the united states. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that his first error was in not checking the WX prior to leaving torrance for sdm. His estimated time en route of 1:30 was exceeded by about :45 minutes because he was on top of a solid layer and could not reckon where he was. The mexican authorities were very nice to him and his passengers. The landing fee of $10 was paid as well as a round of soft drinks for everyone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT HAS MANY EXPERIENCES ON A VFR FLT. PENETRATES MEXICAN AIRSPACE AFTER A PROLONGED VFR FLT TO A MISSED DESTINATION.

Narrative: I DEPARTED TORRANCE ARPT ENRTE TO MONTGOMERY FIELD, SAN DIEGO WITH A MAG HDG OF 140 DEG AT XX40 AM. EVERYTHING WAS GOING FINE UNTIL I FLEW VFR ON TOP OF THE CLOUD COVERAGE. HAVING FLOWN SEVERAL HOURS, I HAD TO LAND TO FIND OUT WHERE I WAS SO I STARTED TRACKING VARIOUS LANDMARKS. NOTHING WAS FAMILIAR. I WAS LOOKING THE ENTIRE TIME FOR THE DEL MAR RACE TRACK BUT COULDN'T FIND IT. FINALLY, I SAW A RWY, SO I LANDED. I WAS IMMEDIATELY INTERROGATED BY MIL OFFICIALS AT A MIL BASE. I DIDN'T KNOW IT BUT I HAD LANDED IN ENSENADA, MEXICO. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO THE MEXICAN OFFICIALS THAT I WAS ON MY WAY TO SAN DIEGO, THAT I WAS LOST ABOVE CLOUD COVERAGE, BUT COM WAS POOR. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND TOO WELL. THEY WANTED ME TO TAXI TO THE TWR. I COMPLIED WITH THEIR REQUEST. THEY ASKED ME TO LEAVE THE PLANE AND FOLLOW THEM SO I TOLD MY WIFE AND 2 OTHER PAX TO STAY INSIDE THE PLANE. GETTING OUT OF THE PLANE, I NOTICED ALL THESE OTHER MIL MEN POINTING MACHINE GUNS AT MY 3 PAX AND MYSELF. I WAS VERY SCARED! I WAS VERY ANXIOUS TO LEAVE SO I DISCUSSED WITH THEM THE POSSIBILITY OF DEP. THEY HESITATED AT FIRST, BUT AFTER ABOUT 50 MINUTES, THEY LET US GO. WE WERE SO RELIEVED. ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS GETTING BACK INTO THE UNITED STATES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATED THAT HIS FIRST ERROR WAS IN NOT CHECKING THE WX PRIOR TO LEAVING TORRANCE FOR SDM. HIS ESTIMATED TIME ENRTE OF 1:30 WAS EXCEEDED BY ABOUT :45 MINUTES BECAUSE HE WAS ON TOP OF A SOLID LAYER AND COULD NOT RECKON WHERE HE WAS. THE MEXICAN AUTHORITIES WERE VERY NICE TO HIM AND HIS PASSENGERS. THE LNDG FEE OF $10 WAS PAID AS WELL AS A ROUND OF SOFT DRINKS FOR EVERYONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.