Narrative:

Preparing for my private pilot chkride, I took off solo from hef at XX38 pm local time to practice steep turns in the local practice area wsw of the airfield. Following practice, I took a heading of 170 degrees, planning to find the railroad track and follow it northeast back to hef. Along the way, I executed 2 power-on and 2 power-off stalls at altitude, and descended to 2000 ft MSL to post s-turns across a straight road. After turning 4 s-turns tracking basically northeast, I located a railroad track and turned northeast to follow it back to hef. I dialed in the casanova VOR, checked the VOR morse code identify against my chart, and centered the needle with a from indication at 120 degrees. I understood from this indication that I was, as expected, slightly southeast of the VOR. At what I judged to be 15 mi from the airfield, based on sighting a cleared area at about the correct location off the nose, I monitored hef ATIS and retuned my communication radio to hef tower. I immediately noted that there was considerable traffic in the pattern at hef, and that the controller on duty seemed to have his hands full. I decided to wait a few mins until things calmed down in the pattern. At about this time, I flew at an altitude of 2000 ft MSL over a prominent intersection of 2 4-LANE hwys. I decided to circle over this intersection, cleared the area and started to do so. As I circled, I looked at my terminal area chart, trying to identify this intersection, but I was uncertain that I had found it. I circled this intersection for about 5 mins while various aircraft arrived and departed the pattern at hef. When traffic in the hef pattern appeared to thin, I contacted hef tower, announced that I was about 12 mi southwest inbound for landing with the ATIS. I was instructed to report a wide left base for runway 34R, I read back and started in. I followed the railroad track generally to a large cleared area which was evidently an airport. The railroad track appeared to veer off during the last few mi in an unfamiliar direction, but I attributed my discomfort to my own poor memory. I reported 4 mi out on wide left base for runway 34R and was cleared #2 behind an aircraft which I did not have in sight. I reported negative contact, and after a min or so, I was cleared to land on runway 34R. As I turned from base to final, I finally realized that the airport I had lined up on was not hef. A glance at the directional gyroscope showed that the parallel runways appeared to be oriented almost directly n-s, and the airport seemed very large. I immediately contacted hef tower, confessed that I had lost my bearings and lined up on the wrong airport, that I was over a populated area, and that I intended to climb for a better look. Hef canceled my landing clearance and instructed me to contact them as necessary. As I climbed to 4000 ft MSL, another aircraft monitoring the channel and communicating with hef tower invited me to dial in the armel VOR. I did so, and centered the needle with a to tag at zero degrees. This pretty much confirmed that the airport I was looking at about 5 mi away was dulles international. I immediately contacted hef tower, requested frequency change, contacted iad approach on 124.65 and requested vectors to hef. Dialing in the assigned transponder code confirmed that I had entered iad class B airspace without clearance. I was immediately vectored south, east and down to clear the class B and return to hef. I landed without further incident at hef and contacted the tower supervisor at iad as requested. Of the most important: first, I failed to consider, and consequently did not confirm, the effect the forecast winds aloft would have on my position as I practiced steep turns in the practice area. In retrospect, it seems likely that I drifted quite far ene without realizing it. Second, I did not consider the implications of my inability to identify a prominent intersection on my terminal area chart. In retrospect, it seems likely that I turned circles over an intersection of route 66 and 29, either 5 mi due north of hef or 7 mi to the northwest, both within the second ring of the iad class B. The truth is, I never looked carefully at the area of the chart north of hef, because at the time I was pretty sure I was south of hef and, probablymore importantly, I really wanted to be south of hef. Third, I did not attempt to identify any other prominent landmarks. Given my frame of mind then, the attempt might only have resulted in more confusion. As I said, I really wanted to be south of hef. Fourth, even though I was uncomfortable at not being able to identify my prominent intersection and my position on the chart, I did not contact iad approach or any other radar facility to request vectors to hef. Instead, I checked by position relative to the casanova VOR, and determined that I was on the 090 degree radial from the VOR. I cannot explain this result, which in retrospect was clearly wrong.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT DURING SOLO LCL AREA PRACTICE INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHIN 5 MI OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE ARPT.

Narrative: PREPARING FOR MY PVT PLT CHKRIDE, I TOOK OFF SOLO FROM HEF AT XX38 PM LCL TIME TO PRACTICE STEEP TURNS IN THE LCL PRACTICE AREA WSW OF THE AIRFIELD. FOLLOWING PRACTICE, I TOOK A HDG OF 170 DEGS, PLANNING TO FIND THE RAILROAD TRACK AND FOLLOW IT NE BACK TO HEF. ALONG THE WAY, I EXECUTED 2 PWR-ON AND 2 PWR-OFF STALLS AT ALT, AND DSNDED TO 2000 FT MSL TO POST S-TURNS ACROSS A STRAIGHT ROAD. AFTER TURNING 4 S-TURNS TRACKING BASICALLY NE, I LOCATED A RAILROAD TRACK AND TURNED NE TO FOLLOW IT BACK TO HEF. I DIALED IN THE CASANOVA VOR, CHKED THE VOR MORSE CODE IDENT AGAINST MY CHART, AND CTRED THE NEEDLE WITH A FROM INDICATION AT 120 DEGS. I UNDERSTOOD FROM THIS INDICATION THAT I WAS, AS EXPECTED, SLIGHTLY SE OF THE VOR. AT WHAT I JUDGED TO BE 15 MI FROM THE AIRFIELD, BASED ON SIGHTING A CLRED AREA AT ABOUT THE CORRECT LOCATION OFF THE NOSE, I MONITORED HEF ATIS AND RETUNED MY COM RADIO TO HEF TWR. I IMMEDIATELY NOTED THAT THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE TFC IN THE PATTERN AT HEF, AND THAT THE CTLR ON DUTY SEEMED TO HAVE HIS HANDS FULL. I DECIDED TO WAIT A FEW MINS UNTIL THINGS CALMED DOWN IN THE PATTERN. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, I FLEW AT AN ALT OF 2000 FT MSL OVER A PROMINENT INTXN OF 2 4-LANE HWYS. I DECIDED TO CIRCLE OVER THIS INTXN, CLRED THE AREA AND STARTED TO DO SO. AS I CIRCLED, I LOOKED AT MY TERMINAL AREA CHART, TRYING TO IDENT THIS INTXN, BUT I WAS UNCERTAIN THAT I HAD FOUND IT. I CIRCLED THIS INTXN FOR ABOUT 5 MINS WHILE VARIOUS ACFT ARRIVED AND DEPARTED THE PATTERN AT HEF. WHEN TFC IN THE HEF PATTERN APPEARED TO THIN, I CONTACTED HEF TWR, ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS ABOUT 12 MI SW INBOUND FOR LNDG WITH THE ATIS. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO RPT A WIDE L BASE FOR RWY 34R, I READ BACK AND STARTED IN. I FOLLOWED THE RAILROAD TRACK GENERALLY TO A LARGE CLRED AREA WHICH WAS EVIDENTLY AN ARPT. THE RAILROAD TRACK APPEARED TO VEER OFF DURING THE LAST FEW MI IN AN UNFAMILIAR DIRECTION, BUT I ATTRIBUTED MY DISCOMFORT TO MY OWN POOR MEMORY. I RPTED 4 MI OUT ON WIDE L BASE FOR RWY 34R AND WAS CLRED #2 BEHIND AN ACFT WHICH I DID NOT HAVE IN SIGHT. I RPTED NEGATIVE CONTACT, AND AFTER A MIN OR SO, I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 34R. AS I TURNED FROM BASE TO FINAL, I FINALLY REALIZED THAT THE ARPT I HAD LINED UP ON WAS NOT HEF. A GLANCE AT THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE SHOWED THAT THE PARALLEL RWYS APPEARED TO BE ORIENTED ALMOST DIRECTLY N-S, AND THE ARPT SEEMED VERY LARGE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED HEF TWR, CONFESSED THAT I HAD LOST MY BEARINGS AND LINED UP ON THE WRONG ARPT, THAT I WAS OVER A POPULATED AREA, AND THAT I INTENDED TO CLB FOR A BETTER LOOK. HEF CANCELED MY LNDG CLRNC AND INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT THEM AS NECESSARY. AS I CLBED TO 4000 FT MSL, ANOTHER ACFT MONITORING THE CHANNEL AND COMMUNICATING WITH HEF TWR INVITED ME TO DIAL IN THE ARMEL VOR. I DID SO, AND CTRED THE NEEDLE WITH A TO TAG AT ZERO DEGS. THIS PRETTY MUCH CONFIRMED THAT THE ARPT I WAS LOOKING AT ABOUT 5 MI AWAY WAS DULLES INTL. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED HEF TWR, REQUESTED FREQ CHANGE, CONTACTED IAD APCH ON 124.65 AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO HEF. DIALING IN THE ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE CONFIRMED THAT I HAD ENTERED IAD CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. I WAS IMMEDIATELY VECTORED S, E AND DOWN TO CLR THE CLASS B AND RETURN TO HEF. I LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT AT HEF AND CONTACTED THE TWR SUPVR AT IAD AS REQUESTED. OF THE MOST IMPORTANT: FIRST, I FAILED TO CONSIDER, AND CONSEQUENTLY DID NOT CONFIRM, THE EFFECT THE FORECAST WINDS ALOFT WOULD HAVE ON MY POS AS I PRACTICED STEEP TURNS IN THE PRACTICE AREA. IN RETROSPECT, IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT I DRIFTED QUITE FAR ENE WITHOUT REALIZING IT. SECOND, I DID NOT CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF MY INABILITY TO IDENT A PROMINENT INTXN ON MY TERMINAL AREA CHART. IN RETROSPECT, IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT I TURNED CIRCLES OVER AN INTXN OF RTE 66 AND 29, EITHER 5 MI DUE N OF HEF OR 7 MI TO THE NW, BOTH WITHIN THE SECOND RING OF THE IAD CLASS B. THE TRUTH IS, I NEVER LOOKED CAREFULLY AT THE AREA OF THE CHART N OF HEF, BECAUSE AT THE TIME I WAS PRETTY SURE I WAS S OF HEF AND, PROBABLYMORE IMPORTANTLY, I REALLY WANTED TO BE S OF HEF. THIRD, I DID NOT ATTEMPT TO IDENT ANY OTHER PROMINENT LANDMARKS. GIVEN MY FRAME OF MIND THEN, THE ATTEMPT MIGHT ONLY HAVE RESULTED IN MORE CONFUSION. AS I SAID, I REALLY WANTED TO BE S OF HEF. FOURTH, EVEN THOUGH I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE AT NOT BEING ABLE TO IDENT MY PROMINENT INTXN AND MY POS ON THE CHART, I DID NOT CONTACT IAD APCH OR ANY OTHER RADAR FACILITY TO REQUEST VECTORS TO HEF. INSTEAD, I CHKED BY POS RELATIVE TO THE CASANOVA VOR, AND DETERMINED THAT I WAS ON THE 090 DEG RADIAL FROM THE VOR. I CANNOT EXPLAIN THIS RESULT, WHICH IN RETROSPECT WAS CLRLY WRONG.

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.