Narrative:

I was flying from tulsa riverside airport to rolla national airport. The WX was forecast as VFR cavu for the first 2/3 of the trip with the last portion of the trip with light rain and low ceilings leading to marginal VFR. As I approached the forney VOR the WX began to deteriorate to the marginal conditions forecast. I saw the richland municipal airport and figured if the WX deteriorated any more I would divert to richland and wait out the WX. As I continued on, the WX did deteriorate. I have a LORAN in the plane and was using it for navigation. I pressed the keys to give me the nearest airport assuming it would be richland. (The unit showed the 3 character airport code, but as the sectional chart does not show the 3 character code I did not realize it wasn't richland). I followed the course given by the unit to the airport indicated. As I approached the airport I saw military aircraft on the ramp and a control tower. This told me it was not richland but had to be ft leonard wood. As I approached the airport (ft leonard wood) I realized my mistake and broke off my approach because I did not want to risk violating a restr area. The WX had also cleared somewhat. Being near the airport also put me near highway 44. I then decided to follow highway 44 to rolla where I arrived safely now that the bad storm cell had passed. For the majority of the flight I was utilizing flight following from dallas center. But about 90 mi from rolla I was no longer able to communication with them. I could hear them fine, but they could not hear me. I assume this was due to the onset of bad WX and my low altitude. I did keep my identify code etc so they could track me. Checking the charts more carefully on arrival I am not sure I busted the hot restr areas R4501 (a-g) but do know I busted the ft leonard wood air traffic area (forney aaf).

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BIPLANE ENCOUNTERS DETERIORATING WX, DIVERTS TO WRONG ARPT. ENTERS ATA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM TULSA RIVERSIDE ARPT TO ROLLA NATIONAL ARPT. THE WX WAS FORECAST AS VFR CAVU FOR THE FIRST 2/3 OF THE TRIP WITH THE LAST PORTION OF THE TRIP WITH LIGHT RAIN AND LOW CEILINGS LEADING TO MARGINAL VFR. AS I APCHED THE FORNEY VOR THE WX BEGAN TO DETERIORATE TO THE MARGINAL CONDITIONS FORECAST. I SAW THE RICHLAND MUNICIPAL ARPT AND FIGURED IF THE WX DETERIORATED ANY MORE I WOULD DIVERT TO RICHLAND AND WAIT OUT THE WX. AS I CONTINUED ON, THE WX DID DETERIORATE. I HAVE A LORAN IN THE PLANE AND WAS USING IT FOR NAV. I PRESSED THE KEYS TO GIVE ME THE NEAREST ARPT ASSUMING IT WOULD BE RICHLAND. (THE UNIT SHOWED THE 3 CHARACTER ARPT CODE, BUT AS THE SECTIONAL CHART DOES NOT SHOW THE 3 CHARACTER CODE I DID NOT REALIZE IT WASN'T RICHLAND). I FOLLOWED THE COURSE GIVEN BY THE UNIT TO THE ARPT INDICATED. AS I APCHED THE ARPT I SAW MIL ACFT ON THE RAMP AND A CTL TWR. THIS TOLD ME IT WAS NOT RICHLAND BUT HAD TO BE FT LEONARD WOOD. AS I APCHED THE ARPT (FT LEONARD WOOD) I REALIZED MY MISTAKE AND BROKE OFF MY APCH BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO RISK VIOLATING A RESTR AREA. THE WX HAD ALSO CLRED SOMEWHAT. BEING NEAR THE ARPT ALSO PUT ME NEAR HIGHWAY 44. I THEN DECIDED TO FOLLOW HIGHWAY 44 TO ROLLA WHERE I ARRIVED SAFELY NOW THAT THE BAD STORM CELL HAD PASSED. FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE FLT I WAS UTILIZING FLT FOLLOWING FROM DALLAS CENTER. BUT ABOUT 90 MI FROM ROLLA I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO COM WITH THEM. I COULD HEAR THEM FINE, BUT THEY COULD NOT HEAR ME. I ASSUME THIS WAS DUE TO THE ONSET OF BAD WX AND MY LOW ALT. I DID KEEP MY IDENT CODE ETC SO THEY COULD TRACK ME. CHKING THE CHARTS MORE CAREFULLY ON ARR I AM NOT SURE I BUSTED THE HOT RESTR AREAS R4501 (A-G) BUT DO KNOW I BUSTED THE FT LEONARD WOOD ATA (FORNEY AAF).

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.