Narrative:

I had planned to travel from west palm beach lantana airport (lcn) to kissimmee airport (ism), near orlando, fl. I called WX briefing at am, and at each hour thereafter. There was a low pressure system across mid florida in the form of a stationary trough, however, by am it was reported that en route there was a 2500 ft ceiling with better than 10 mi of visibility and the same conditions existed at orlando. I listened to the ATIS at west palm international, plotted an RNAV course along victor 531, and departed approximately am. I was predominantly using the nos low altitude en route chart L-20, expiration date nov/xx/91. Shortly after departure the ceiling appeared to be lower than had been predicted, and it was necessary to fly at approximately 1500 ft. However, the visibility was excellent as had been reported. After traveling approximately 50 mi the ceiling appeared to be descending even further, and I called st petersburg WX and was informed that orlando now had 600 scattered, 1200 broken, although the visibility was still good. I felt it unwise to continue and immediately headed east where there appeared to be a break in the clouds over the coastline. I decided to land at vero beach, listened to their ATIS, and contacted vero beach tower identing myself as small aircraft X. I was told to proceed up the river, notify the tower when I was 2 mi out, thus, I was cleared into their air traffic area. I had shut off my RNAV and was now navigating by the vero beach VORTAC, using my DME as well. As I discovered only later, the VORTAC was not located on the vero beach airport but rather approximately 7 mi further north. Thus, my estimated position was at least 7 mi south of vero beach airport. I looked to my left out the window and could clearly see an airport very close to the river, quickly looked at the map realizing that st lucy county airport, or ft pierce, was in approximately this position, and notified the vero beach tower that I was going to divert to this closer airport, and contacted 128.2, the control tower frequency for st lucy. I idented myself and was cleared to land on runway 14. This decision to divert was made because the WX was clearly getting thicker heading north, and I could clearly see the airport with no difficulty at this point at 1000 ft. I remained in contact with the tower, turned downwind, and as I turned base I could clearly see the numbers on the airport runway were not 14 but 11, and I immediately contacted the tower. I was told that 11 was indeed a runway at vero beach and that I must be over vero beach, not ft pierce. I switched frequencys, contacted the vero beach tower who had me in sight at that time, and who told me that during the interim they had shifted to IFR conditions and thus, as a VFR aircraft, I was in violation of their IFR control zone. Since the WX was deteriorating I requested SVFR, which was granted, followed their instructions, and landed safely on their runway. I was turned over to ground control and ultimately asked to call the tower which informed me that I was in violation of their control zone. As I am sure is the case in many of these circumstances, first of all I readily admit I made a mistake in navigation and thought the DME VORTAC was on the vero beach airfield, which it was not. Secondly, from a visual position, both of these airports have control towers, and both are almost exactly the same distance from the inland waterway. They are also almost the same distance apart as the VORTAC was north of the vero beach airport. I did obtain the vero beach ATIS, I did contact the vero beach tower, I was given permission to go to with 2 mi and thus was cleared into their air traffic area, and in actuality I was already within the control zone area when it became a control zone. Thus, I was a VFR aircraft operating in an IFR situation, but I was already in the air traffic area when it went IFR, and as such I don't believe this is a violation if I was cleared into an air traffic area, enter it, and it becomes a control zone while I am on VFR. In summary, this has been an extremely good lesson to me. I will use my NDB's in the future as a xchk for my VOR navigation, and make certain of the location of the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA MISTAKES DEST ARPT WHICH BECOMES IFR AFTER CONTACT. REQUESTS SVFR, LANDS.

Narrative: I HAD PLANNED TO TRAVEL FROM W PALM BEACH LANTANA ARPT (LCN) TO KISSIMMEE ARPT (ISM), NEAR ORLANDO, FL. I CALLED WX BRIEFING AT AM, AND AT EACH HR THEREAFTER. THERE WAS A LOW PRESSURE SYS ACROSS MID FLORIDA IN THE FORM OF A STATIONARY TROUGH, HOWEVER, BY AM IT WAS RPTED THAT ENRTE THERE WAS A 2500 FT CEILING WITH BETTER THAN 10 MI OF VISIBILITY AND THE SAME CONDITIONS EXISTED AT ORLANDO. I LISTENED TO THE ATIS AT WEST PALM INTL, PLOTTED AN RNAV COURSE ALONG VICTOR 531, AND DEPARTED APPROX AM. I WAS PREDOMINANTLY USING THE NOS LOW ALT ENRTE CHART L-20, EXPIRATION DATE NOV/XX/91. SHORTLY AFTER DEP THE CEILING APPEARED TO BE LOWER THAN HAD BEEN PREDICTED, AND IT WAS NECESSARY TO FLY AT APPROX 1500 FT. HOWEVER, THE VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT AS HAD BEEN RPTED. AFTER TRAVELING APPROX 50 MI THE CEILING APPEARED TO BE DSNDING EVEN FURTHER, AND I CALLED ST PETERSBURG WX AND WAS INFORMED THAT ORLANDO NOW HAD 600 SCATTERED, 1200 BROKEN, ALTHOUGH THE VISIBILITY WAS STILL GOOD. I FELT IT UNWISE TO CONTINUE AND IMMEDIATELY HEADED E WHERE THERE APPEARED TO BE A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS OVER THE COASTLINE. I DECIDED TO LAND AT VERO BEACH, LISTENED TO THEIR ATIS, AND CONTACTED VERO BEACH TWR IDENTING MYSELF AS SMA X. I WAS TOLD TO PROCEED UP THE RIVER, NOTIFY THE TWR WHEN I WAS 2 MI OUT, THUS, I WAS CLRED INTO THEIR ATA. I HAD SHUT OFF MY RNAV AND WAS NOW NAVING BY THE VERO BEACH VORTAC, USING MY DME AS WELL. AS I DISCOVERED ONLY LATER, THE VORTAC WAS NOT LOCATED ON THE VERO BEACH ARPT BUT RATHER APPROX 7 MI FURTHER N. THUS, MY ESTIMATED POS WAS AT LEAST 7 MI S OF VERO BEACH ARPT. I LOOKED TO MY L OUT THE WINDOW AND COULD CLRLY SEE AN ARPT VERY CLOSE TO THE RIVER, QUICKLY LOOKED AT THE MAP REALIZING THAT ST LUCY COUNTY ARPT, OR FT PIERCE, WAS IN APPROX THIS POS, AND NOTIFIED THE VERO BEACH TWR THAT I WAS GOING TO DIVERT TO THIS CLOSER ARPT, AND CONTACTED 128.2, THE CTL TWR FREQ FOR ST LUCY. I IDENTED MYSELF AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 14. THIS DECISION TO DIVERT WAS MADE BECAUSE THE WX WAS CLRLY GETTING THICKER HDG N, AND I COULD CLRLY SEE THE ARPT WITH NO DIFFICULTY AT THIS POINT AT 1000 FT. I REMAINED IN CONTACT WITH THE TWR, TURNED DOWNWIND, AND AS I TURNED BASE I COULD CLRLY SEE THE NUMBERS ON THE ARPT RWY WERE NOT 14 BUT 11, AND I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE TWR. I WAS TOLD THAT 11 WAS INDEED A RWY AT VERO BEACH AND THAT I MUST BE OVER VERO BEACH, NOT FT PIERCE. I SWITCHED FREQS, CONTACTED THE VERO BEACH TWR WHO HAD ME IN SIGHT AT THAT TIME, AND WHO TOLD ME THAT DURING THE INTERIM THEY HAD SHIFTED TO IFR CONDITIONS AND THUS, AS A VFR ACFT, I WAS IN VIOLATION OF THEIR IFR CTL ZONE. SINCE THE WX WAS DETERIORATING I REQUESTED SVFR, WHICH WAS GRANTED, FOLLOWED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS, AND LANDED SAFELY ON THEIR RWY. I WAS TURNED OVER TO GND CTL AND ULTIMATELY ASKED TO CALL THE TWR WHICH INFORMED ME THAT I WAS IN VIOLATION OF THEIR CTL ZONE. AS I AM SURE IS THE CASE IN MANY OF THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, FIRST OF ALL I READILY ADMIT I MADE A MISTAKE IN NAV AND THOUGHT THE DME VORTAC WAS ON THE VERO BEACH AIRFIELD, WHICH IT WAS NOT. SECONDLY, FROM A VISUAL POS, BOTH OF THESE ARPTS HAVE CTL TWRS, AND BOTH ARE ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME DISTANCE FROM THE INLAND WATERWAY. THEY ARE ALSO ALMOST THE SAME DISTANCE APART AS THE VORTAC WAS N OF THE VERO BEACH ARPT. I DID OBTAIN THE VERO BEACH ATIS, I DID CONTACT THE VERO BEACH TWR, I WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO GO TO WITH 2 MI AND THUS WAS CLRED INTO THEIR ATA, AND IN ACTUALITY I WAS ALREADY WITHIN THE CTL ZONE AREA WHEN IT BECAME A CTL ZONE. THUS, I WAS A VFR ACFT OPERATING IN AN IFR SITUATION, BUT I WAS ALREADY IN THE ATA WHEN IT WENT IFR, AND AS SUCH I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS A VIOLATION IF I WAS CLRED INTO AN ATA, ENTER IT, AND IT BECOMES A CTL ZONE WHILE I AM ON VFR. IN SUMMARY, THIS HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY GOOD LESSON TO ME. I WILL USE MY NDB'S IN THE FUTURE AS A XCHK FOR MY VOR NAV, AND MAKE CERTAIN OF THE LOCATION OF THE ARPT.

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.