Narrative:

On monday evening, I departed wooster/wayne county, ohio airport sometime after XX00 pm in a cessna 172. I stayed in the pattern and completed one landing as is my usual practice, and then departed to the south toward holmes county. I flew over holmesville and millersburg and decided to return to wooster. When I had flown about 15 mins and had not reached route 30 (e-w highway), I realized I was off course and assumed I was too far west and called mansfield approach for help in identing my location. (Actually at that time I was too far east of my intended route.) the mansfield signal was very weak and it was very difficult to understand their communications. They were not able to give me a location. By this time were not able to give me a location. By this time I have lost confidence in the instruments, because I knew radio #1 went out after being airborne for about 1/2 hour, previous flight experience and I was determined to find an airport before I lost all communication. The other factor that compelled me to land soon was that I was apprehensive about darkness approaching. Soon I flew near a large airport with a tower and runways that looked like the mansfield airport. (Although the surrounding area did not look like the mansfield I remembered.) at this time I was still getting a garbled message from mansfield approach. They asked my position, and asked me to inform them of downwind and base which I did for runway 14. The tower could not see me. When I turned base, mansfield cleared me to land on runway 14. I landed on runway 14 and stopped in the grass at the end of runway. After getting out of my plane, and meeting the airport deputy, I realized that I had invaded akron/canton class C airspace. Akron/canton and mansfield, ohio, have 2 runways with the same numbers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS C AND D AIRSPACE OCCURS AFTER FLT ASSIST ATTEMPT FAILS WITH LOST GA PLT.

Narrative: ON MONDAY EVENING, I DEPARTED WOOSTER/WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO ARPT SOMETIME AFTER XX00 PM IN A CESSNA 172. I STAYED IN THE PATTERN AND COMPLETED ONE LNDG AS IS MY USUAL PRACTICE, AND THEN DEPARTED TO THE S TOWARD HOLMES COUNTY. I FLEW OVER HOLMESVILLE AND MILLERSBURG AND DECIDED TO RETURN TO WOOSTER. WHEN I HAD FLOWN ABOUT 15 MINS AND HAD NOT REACHED RTE 30 (E-W HWY), I REALIZED I WAS OFF COURSE AND ASSUMED I WAS TOO FAR W AND CALLED MANSFIELD APCH FOR HELP IN IDENTING MY LOCATION. (ACTUALLY AT THAT TIME I WAS TOO FAR E OF MY INTENDED RTE.) THE MANSFIELD SIGNAL WAS VERY WEAK AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THEIR COMS. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO GIVE ME A LOCATION. BY THIS TIME WERE NOT ABLE TO GIVE ME A LOCATION. BY THIS TIME I HAVE LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE INSTS, BECAUSE I KNEW RADIO #1 WENT OUT AFTER BEING AIRBORNE FOR ABOUT 1/2 HR, PREVIOUS FLT EXPERIENCE AND I WAS DETERMINED TO FIND AN ARPT BEFORE I LOST ALL COM. THE OTHER FACTOR THAT COMPELLED ME TO LAND SOON WAS THAT I WAS APPREHENSIVE ABOUT DARKNESS APCHING. SOON I FLEW NEAR A LARGE ARPT WITH A TWR AND RWYS THAT LOOKED LIKE THE MANSFIELD ARPT. (ALTHOUGH THE SURROUNDING AREA DID NOT LOOK LIKE THE MANSFIELD I REMEMBERED.) AT THIS TIME I WAS STILL GETTING A GARBLED MESSAGE FROM MANSFIELD APCH. THEY ASKED MY POS, AND ASKED ME TO INFORM THEM OF DOWNWIND AND BASE WHICH I DID FOR RWY 14. THE TWR COULD NOT SEE ME. WHEN I TURNED BASE, MANSFIELD CLRED ME TO LAND ON RWY 14. I LANDED ON RWY 14 AND STOPPED IN THE GRASS AT THE END OF RWY. AFTER GETTING OUT OF MY PLANE, AND MEETING THE ARPT DEPUTY, I REALIZED THAT I HAD INVADED AKRON/CANTON CLASS C AIRSPACE. AKRON/CANTON AND MANSFIELD, OHIO, HAVE 2 RWYS WITH THE SAME NUMBERS.

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.