Narrative:

VFR flight plan from dnn to atl. WX was fine until rome VOR. Stayed under clouds. Called atl approach on 121.0 3 times with no response. Hit a real scuzzy patch, and put down at a small airport. I thought it was stockmar airfield. A guy there confirmed it. Closed VFR flight plan. Decided it was too yucky to try atl. Filed VFR to fulton county brown airport, 20 mi east of stockmar. Tuned to flanc NDB, which was directly in between airport. Figured I would fly 085 degrees for 11 mins, and if I didn't see it, turn around. Called brown tower after 7 mins. Didn't see airport. Controller advised there was no modulation, so I used a microphone instead of headset. Controller asked me to identify a few times, and he didn't see me. Thought I was north, because ADF needle pointed at right wing tip. Saw an airfield, I thought it was dobbins AFB, and thought I trespassed into an air traffic area. As it turned out, it was cartersville, 20 mi north of where I thought I was. Finally got to brown, and was cleared for 9. I asked controller if 9 was the big or small runway. He gave me small runway. I figured that the controller was probably upset with me by now, so I figured I'd work real hard on a good landing to show him I wasn't a total imbecile. It was a perfect landing, too, held short at 8 as instructed, then expedited my crossing when told to expedite. Requested progressive taxi. All navigation and communication radios were real goofy this trip, so I asked them to take a look at it. I remember hearing of an ad on voltage regulators for single engine aircraft, symptoms sounded familiar. It might be that it was operator trouble, but I honestly don't think so. In any case, it may sound kind of crazy to scud-run 20 mi, but at least I'm patting myself on the back that I didn't file IFR. I'm scheduled for an IFR chkride next week, and thought it would be a lot easier to fly IFR to atl, and who would know I wasn't rated? But I didn't. This was my first time south of the maxon-dixon line, and I swear it took 10 times of listening to atl ATIS to understand it all. I guess I'm glad to live through it. Visibility wasn't too bad to see mountains, but it easily could have turned out to be! It is kind of dangerous to be lost that close to atl, also. It turned out I wasn't starting out at stockmar, and the redneck hick there told me wrong (and I believed him)! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he really doesn't know where he was. Lots of guessing, but not sure. No real problem with his navigation equipment. Reporter has since passed his instrument chkride. Heaven help us!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PLT FORCED TO DESCEND DUE TO WX GETS DISORIENTED.

Narrative: VFR FLT PLAN FROM DNN TO ATL. WX WAS FINE UNTIL ROME VOR. STAYED UNDER CLOUDS. CALLED ATL APCH ON 121.0 3 TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE. HIT A REAL SCUZZY PATCH, AND PUT DOWN AT A SMALL ARPT. I THOUGHT IT WAS STOCKMAR AIRFIELD. A GUY THERE CONFIRMED IT. CLOSED VFR FLT PLAN. DECIDED IT WAS TOO YUCKY TO TRY ATL. FILED VFR TO FULTON COUNTY BROWN ARPT, 20 MI E OF STOCKMAR. TUNED TO FLANC NDB, WHICH WAS DIRECTLY IN BTWN ARPT. FIGURED I WOULD FLY 085 DEGS FOR 11 MINS, AND IF I DIDN'T SEE IT, TURN AROUND. CALLED BROWN TWR AFTER 7 MINS. DIDN'T SEE ARPT. CTLR ADVISED THERE WAS NO MODULATION, SO I USED A MIC INSTEAD OF HEADSET. CTLR ASKED ME TO IDENT A FEW TIMES, AND HE DIDN'T SEE ME. THOUGHT I WAS N, BECAUSE ADF NEEDLE POINTED AT RIGHT WING TIP. SAW AN AIRFIELD, I THOUGHT IT WAS DOBBINS AFB, AND THOUGHT I TRESPASSED INTO AN ATA. AS IT TURNED OUT, IT WAS CARTERSVILLE, 20 MI N OF WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS. FINALLY GOT TO BROWN, AND WAS CLRED FOR 9. I ASKED CTLR IF 9 WAS THE BIG OR SMALL RWY. HE GAVE ME SMALL RWY. I FIGURED THAT THE CTLR WAS PROBABLY UPSET WITH ME BY NOW, SO I FIGURED I'D WORK REAL HARD ON A GOOD LNDG TO SHOW HIM I WASN'T A TOTAL IMBECILE. IT WAS A PERFECT LNDG, TOO, HELD SHORT AT 8 AS INSTRUCTED, THEN EXPEDITED MY XING WHEN TOLD TO EXPEDITE. REQUESTED PROGRESSIVE TAXI. ALL NAV AND COM RADIOS WERE REAL GOOFY THIS TRIP, SO I ASKED THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I REMEMBER HEARING OF AN AD ON VOLTAGE REGULATORS FOR SINGLE ENG ACFT, SYMPTOMS SOUNDED FAMILIAR. IT MIGHT BE THAT IT WAS OPERATOR TROUBLE, BUT I HONESTLY DON'T THINK SO. IN ANY CASE, IT MAY SOUND KIND OF CRAZY TO SCUD-RUN 20 MI, BUT AT LEAST I'M PATTING MYSELF ON THE BACK THAT I DIDN'T FILE IFR. I'M SCHEDULED FOR AN IFR CHKRIDE NEXT WK, AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A LOT EASIER TO FLY IFR TO ATL, AND WHO WOULD KNOW I WASN'T RATED? BUT I DIDN'T. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME S OF THE MAXON-DIXON LINE, AND I SWEAR IT TOOK 10 TIMES OF LISTENING TO ATL ATIS TO UNDERSTAND IT ALL. I GUESS I'M GLAD TO LIVE THROUGH IT. VISIBILITY WASN'T TOO BAD TO SEE MOUNTAINS, BUT IT EASILY COULD HAVE TURNED OUT TO BE! IT IS KIND OF DANGEROUS TO BE LOST THAT CLOSE TO ATL, ALSO. IT TURNED OUT I WASN'T STARTING OUT AT STOCKMAR, AND THE REDNECK HICK THERE TOLD ME WRONG (AND I BELIEVED HIM)! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE REALLY DOESN'T KNOW WHERE HE WAS. LOTS OF GUESSING, BUT NOT SURE. NO REAL PROB WITH HIS NAV EQUIP. RPTR HAS SINCE PASSED HIS INST CHKRIDE. HEAVEN HELP US!

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.