Narrative:

Possible intrusion into the O'hare (ord) TCA. At approximately XA30 CDT I was flying south to palwaukee airport (pwk) from camp lake airport (49C) in a beechcraft sundowner, at 2300 ft MSL. Pwk ATIS information taxiway K was giving 8 mi visibility but I believe that at my altitude the visibility to the ground was not more than 4 mi through the haze. The DME in the aircraft had been reported as 'cutting in and out' so was not to be relied upon for accurate navigation information. I called pwk tower about 6-7 mi north to report my position and request landing instructions. After the initial contact with the tower I flew on southward trying to locate the field visually. I was not able to spot the field and overflew it. About the time I was passing pwk I observed a jet transport aircraft flying northward about 3-4 mi off my right wing -- it was too far away to identify as to type or air carrier. When I realized I might be getting too close to ord I executed an 180 degree turn. Within about a min I spotted NAS glenview and advised the tower of my location. The tower then directed me in to a landing on runway 6. Several factors contributed to me getting into this situation -- they were, an inoperative DME, lower visibility then reported, not being too familiar with the area and my reluctance to bother the tower anymore than necessary (the volume of radio traffic seemed excessive to me and I did not want to break in on a critical conversation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LIGHT ACFT PENETRATED CLASS B AIRSPACE WHEN THE PLT BECAME CONFUSED ABOUT ACFT'S POS DURING OP IN LOW VISIBILITY.

Narrative: POSSIBLE INTRUSION INTO THE O'HARE (ORD) TCA. AT APPROX XA30 CDT I WAS FLYING S TO PALWAUKEE ARPT (PWK) FROM CAMP LAKE ARPT (49C) IN A BEECHCRAFT SUNDOWNER, AT 2300 FT MSL. PWK ATIS INFO TXWY K WAS GIVING 8 MI VISIBILITY BUT I BELIEVE THAT AT MY ALT THE VISIBILITY TO THE GND WAS NOT MORE THAN 4 MI THROUGH THE HAZE. THE DME IN THE ACFT HAD BEEN RPTED AS 'CUTTING IN AND OUT' SO WAS NOT TO BE RELIED UPON FOR ACCURATE NAV INFO. I CALLED PWK TWR ABOUT 6-7 MI N TO RPT MY POS AND REQUEST LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER THE INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE TWR I FLEW ON SOUTHWARD TRYING TO LOCATE THE FIELD VISUALLY. I WAS NOT ABLE TO SPOT THE FIELD AND OVERFLEW IT. ABOUT THE TIME I WAS PASSING PWK I OBSERVED A JET TRANSPORT ACFT FLYING NORTHWARD ABOUT 3-4 MI OFF MY R WING -- IT WAS TOO FAR AWAY TO IDENT AS TO TYPE OR ACR. WHEN I REALIZED I MIGHT BE GETTING TOO CLOSE TO ORD I EXECUTED AN 180 DEG TURN. WITHIN ABOUT A MIN I SPOTTED NAS GLENVIEW AND ADVISED THE TWR OF MY LOCATION. THE TWR THEN DIRECTED ME IN TO A LNDG ON RWY 6. SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO ME GETTING INTO THIS SIT -- THEY WERE, AN INOP DME, LOWER VISIBILITY THEN RPTED, NOT BEING TOO FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND MY RELUCTANCE TO BOTHER THE TWR ANYMORE THAN NECESSARY (THE VOLUME OF RADIO TFC SEEMED EXCESSIVE TO ME AND I DID NOT WANT TO BREAK IN ON A CRITICAL CONVERSATION.

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.