Narrative:

Returning to waukegan regional airport from practice area located between 5-20 mi west of the airport, flying solo as a student pilot, at about 3000 ft MSL VFR. Cloud area about 5 mi west of the airport obscured view ahead so I reduced altitude to proceed VFR and returned to 3000 ft after passing the thin cloud line. The area to the north, containing fix references for airport location, was shrouded in clouds and in fog at ground level. The same was true of the lake michigan shoreline to the east. The ground was also substantially snow covered. Although the airspace over the airport was undoubtedly clear, as was the practice area, orientation to the field was lost to me. I climbed to 4500 ft to increase the overview, without benefit. Returning to 3000 ft, I flew to what I believed to be north of the airfield to landfall the airport. I must have been to the south, however, and proceeding south I flew into ord class B airspace. Coinciding to being lost, I contacted waukegan tower, not then realizing that I had flown as far south as I had. I was directed to contact ord approach on the frequency given, and beginning with ord approach was vectored back to waukegan airport, frequency changed to tower control and blessedly cleared to land. The time lost was between 1 hour 15 mins and 1 1/2 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT LOST ON LCL TRAINING FLT, PENETRATED CLASS B. TRACON VECTORED HIM BACK TO DEST ARPT.

Narrative: RETURNING TO WAUKEGAN REGIONAL ARPT FROM PRACTICE AREA LOCATED BTWN 5-20 MI W OF THE ARPT, FLYING SOLO AS A STUDENT PLT, AT ABOUT 3000 FT MSL VFR. CLOUD AREA ABOUT 5 MI W OF THE ARPT OBSCURED VIEW AHEAD SO I REDUCED ALT TO PROCEED VFR AND RETURNED TO 3000 FT AFTER PASSING THE THIN CLOUD LINE. THE AREA TO THE N, CONTAINING FIX REFS FOR ARPT LOCATION, WAS SHROUDED IN CLOUDS AND IN FOG AT GND LEVEL. THE SAME WAS TRUE OF THE LAKE MICHIGAN SHORELINE TO THE E. THE GND WAS ALSO SUBSTANTIALLY SNOW COVERED. ALTHOUGH THE AIRSPACE OVER THE ARPT WAS UNDOUBTEDLY CLR, AS WAS THE PRACTICE AREA, ORIENTATION TO THE FIELD WAS LOST TO ME. I CLBED TO 4500 FT TO INCREASE THE OVERVIEW, WITHOUT BENEFIT. RETURNING TO 3000 FT, I FLEW TO WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE N OF THE AIRFIELD TO LANDFALL THE ARPT. I MUST HAVE BEEN TO THE S, HOWEVER, AND PROCEEDING S I FLEW INTO ORD CLASS B AIRSPACE. COINCIDING TO BEING LOST, I CONTACTED WAUKEGAN TWR, NOT THEN REALIZING THAT I HAD FLOWN AS FAR S AS I HAD. I WAS DIRECTED TO CONTACT ORD APCH ON THE FREQ GIVEN, AND BEGINNING WITH ORD APCH WAS VECTORED BACK TO WAUKEGAN ARPT, FREQ CHANGED TO TWR CTL AND BLESSEDLY CLRED TO LAND. THE TIME LOST WAS BTWN 1 HR 15 MINS AND 1 1/2 HRS.

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.