Narrative:

Flying alone, and left st george island, fl about XA30 am 2/xx/90. Stopped for fuel and then stopped again at morristown, nj for fuel. Continued on north and then west toward my destination of danbury, ct. At the hudson river there was some fog and danbury airport was deteriorating so I decided to return to morristown for the night. When I was about 10 mi out my portable LORAN dropped off the seat and the antenna wire pulled out of the connector and circled about 10 minutes getting VOR fixes and triangulating on the sectional. Essex and morristown are close together and I didn't want to land at the wrong airport. I called morristown from about 10 mi out and got permission to land. After I landed I was asked to call the tower. I called the tower and the controller told me they had seen me circling and that when I radioed in I was closer than 10 mi. I think she said that when I was circling I was already in their space and that when I called in I was already in their space. Here is the problem as I see it: 1) I should not have been depending on the LORAN and visual only, I should have been actively using the vors as a backup as I had done for most of the trip. 2) I should have given the portable LORAN antenna lead more slack so if it did fall off the seat the antenna would not pull out. 3) when I lost the LORAN signal I should have flown west, upwind, directly away from any airports while I was fixing on the vors. When I was circling I did not see the airport, but circling could give morristown tower the message that I was having radio trouble. 4) I now feel that I need more experience for flying alone at night. I plan to get that experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ENTERS ARPT TRAFFIC AREA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: FLYING ALONE, AND LEFT ST GEORGE ISLAND, FL ABOUT XA30 AM 2/XX/90. STOPPED FOR FUEL AND THEN STOPPED AGAIN AT MORRISTOWN, NJ FOR FUEL. CONTINUED ON N AND THEN W TOWARD MY DEST OF DANBURY, CT. AT THE HUDSON RIVER THERE WAS SOME FOG AND DANBURY ARPT WAS DETERIORATING SO I DECIDED TO RETURN TO MORRISTOWN FOR THE NIGHT. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 10 MI OUT MY PORTABLE LORAN DROPPED OFF THE SEAT AND THE ANTENNA WIRE PULLED OUT OF THE CONNECTOR AND CIRCLED ABOUT 10 MINUTES GETTING VOR FIXES AND TRIANGULATING ON THE SECTIONAL. ESSEX AND MORRISTOWN ARE CLOSE TOGETHER AND I DIDN'T WANT TO LAND AT THE WRONG ARPT. I CALLED MORRISTOWN FROM ABOUT 10 MI OUT AND GOT PERMISSION TO LAND. AFTER I LANDED I WAS ASKED TO CALL THE TWR. I CALLED THE TWR AND THE CTLR TOLD ME THEY HAD SEEN ME CIRCLING AND THAT WHEN I RADIOED IN I WAS CLOSER THAN 10 MI. I THINK SHE SAID THAT WHEN I WAS CIRCLING I WAS ALREADY IN THEIR SPACE AND THAT WHEN I CALLED IN I WAS ALREADY IN THEIR SPACE. HERE IS THE PROBLEM AS I SEE IT: 1) I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DEPENDING ON THE LORAN AND VISUAL ONLY, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACTIVELY USING THE VORS AS A BACKUP AS I HAD DONE FOR MOST OF THE TRIP. 2) I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN THE PORTABLE LORAN ANTENNA LEAD MORE SLACK SO IF IT DID FALL OFF THE SEAT THE ANTENNA WOULD NOT PULL OUT. 3) WHEN I LOST THE LORAN SIGNAL I SHOULD HAVE FLOWN W, UPWIND, DIRECTLY AWAY FROM ANY ARPTS WHILE I WAS FIXING ON THE VORS. WHEN I WAS CIRCLING I DID NOT SEE THE ARPT, BUT CIRCLING COULD GIVE MORRISTOWN TWR THE MESSAGE THAT I WAS HAVING RADIO TROUBLE. 4) I NOW FEEL THAT I NEED MORE EXPERIENCE FOR FLYING ALONE AT NIGHT. I PLAN TO GET THAT EXPERIENCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.