Narrative:

I departed xw, a helipad 1 mi south of xx at XA05 on feb/tue/96. I was ferrying a BK117 back to indiana, PA. I was unfamiliar with the apollo LORAN, and the arnav was inoperative with no backup VOR. 5 mi west of xx I contacted xz approach and requested advisories. Xz responded by saying that if I was just off of xx I was still far from their radar coverage area. They requested that I contact them 15 mi out. I was unable to program the LORAN with coordinates or to get DME information from the arnav. 5 mins later I contacted xz and was assigned a transponder squawk. A few seconds after I squawked identify, xz approach called saying that I had entered xy class D airspace and told me to contact xy tower. I called xy and requested clearance through their airspace. Xy asked for my position. I responded that I was having problems with my navigation equipment but I was somewhere southeast of the airport. Xy cleared me through their class D airspace. The rest of the flight was uneventful. This incident could have been avoided if I had requested special handling from xz approach. If I had requested a transponder squawk initially and asked them for vectors once I entered their airspace, they could have kept me clear of xy class D airspace or cleared me through. Also, if I had abandoned my attempts to program the LORAN and spent more time on navigation on the sectional I could have avoided xy class D airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR DEPARTED IN HIS HELI WITHOUT KNOWING HOW TO PROGRAM THE NAV EQUIP OR HAVING IN MIND A PLAN FOR NAVING HIS FERRY FLT TO HIS DEST. DURING THE FLT HE BECAME LOST AND WANDERED INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH THE TWR. THE PLT RECEIVED GUIDANCE FROM ATC TO HIS DEST.

Narrative: I DEPARTED XW, A HELIPAD 1 MI S OF XX AT XA05 ON FEB/TUE/96. I WAS FERRYING A BK117 BACK TO INDIANA, PA. I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE APOLLO LORAN, AND THE ARNAV WAS INOP WITH NO BACKUP VOR. 5 MI W OF XX I CONTACTED XZ APCH AND REQUESTED ADVISORIES. XZ RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT IF I WAS JUST OFF OF XX I WAS STILL FAR FROM THEIR RADAR COVERAGE AREA. THEY REQUESTED THAT I CONTACT THEM 15 MI OUT. I WAS UNABLE TO PROGRAM THE LORAN WITH COORDINATES OR TO GET DME INFO FROM THE ARNAV. 5 MINS LATER I CONTACTED XZ AND WAS ASSIGNED A XPONDER SQUAWK. A FEW SECONDS AFTER I SQUAWKED IDENT, XZ APCH CALLED SAYING THAT I HAD ENTERED XY CLASS D AIRSPACE AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT XY TWR. I CALLED XY AND REQUESTED CLRNC THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE. XY ASKED FOR MY POS. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS HAVING PROBS WITH MY NAV EQUIP BUT I WAS SOMEWHERE SE OF THE ARPT. XY CLRED ME THROUGH THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD REQUESTED SPECIAL HANDLING FROM XZ APCH. IF I HAD REQUESTED A XPONDER SQUAWK INITIALLY AND ASKED THEM FOR VECTORS ONCE I ENTERED THEIR AIRSPACE, THEY COULD HAVE KEPT ME CLR OF XY CLASS D AIRSPACE OR CLRED ME THROUGH. ALSO, IF I HAD ABANDONED MY ATTEMPTS TO PROGRAM THE LORAN AND SPENT MORE TIME ON NAV ON THE SECTIONAL I COULD HAVE AVOIDED XY CLASS D AIRSPACE.

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.