Narrative:

I was flying my cessna turbo 310P on a VFR flight plan from 1v5, co, to 61B, nv. On approaching las class B airspace at 14500 ft, I radioed las approach requesting clearance into the class B airspace. I received clearance into the class B airspace and was given clearance to descend. On several occasions I was vectored for traffic. After my last vector I was flying a heading of approximately 270 degrees and believed that 61B would be directly ahead of me. At about 13 NM from the las VOR on about the 90 degree radial, the controller asked, 'do you have the airport in sight?' I answered, 'I think so.' at that point I was asked to squawk 1200, resume own navigation to 61B, and a frequency change was approved. I continued to fly a heading of approximately 270 degrees until I realized that what I thought was the airport was not. At that point I must have been over the town of henderson where the class B airspace goes to the surface. Upon recognizing that I was not approaching 61B, I immediately executed a sharp left turn, and headed back, ultimately in the direction of 61B. If I was in fact over henderson, and within 10 NM of the las VOR, I was then in a location where the class B airspace started at the surface. Admittedly I had a clearance, but because I was asked to squawk 1200, I believe the controller did not expect me to enter that sector of the class B airspace. I don't know if this is a violation of the FARS, but it certainly should not have happened. Even though the WX was clear VMC, I had lost positional awareness due to being vectored several times and my unfamiliarity with the las area. I should have relied more on my GPS and less on the controller for setting up the approach on runway 61B. However, I believe there was also some controller error involved also. I had been flying the same heading for several mins when she asked if I had the airport in sight, but by this time 61B must have been behind me on my left and behind some hills. Given what must have been my position, this query makes no sense. This and a TA of traffic that was much closer than stated in the advisory makes me suspect that the controller was confusing me with another aircraft. Regrettably, I have no general safety recommendations to make, other than to myself: maintain positional awareness at all times, and be quick to query controllers when things don't seem quite right.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR WAS VECTORED BY LAS APCH THROUGH THE CLASS B AIRSPACE TO A POINT THE RPTR THOUGHT HE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. DUE TO DISORIENTATION THE RPTR INADVERTENTLY RE- ENTERED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE APCHING HENDERSON THINKING HE WAS APCHING BOULDER. HE MADE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN LEAVING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING MY CESSNA TURBO 310P ON A VFR FLT PLAN FROM 1V5, CO, TO 61B, NV. ON APCHING LAS CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 14500 FT, I RADIOED LAS APCH REQUESTING CLRNC INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I RECEIVED CLRNC INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AND WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO DSND. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS I WAS VECTORED FOR TFC. AFTER MY LAST VECTOR I WAS FLYING A HDG OF APPROX 270 DEGS AND BELIEVED THAT 61B WOULD BE DIRECTLY AHEAD OF ME. AT ABOUT 13 NM FROM THE LAS VOR ON ABOUT THE 90 DEG RADIAL, THE CTLR ASKED, 'DO YOU HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT?' I ANSWERED, 'I THINK SO.' AT THAT POINT I WAS ASKED TO SQUAWK 1200, RESUME OWN NAV TO 61B, AND A FREQ CHANGE WAS APPROVED. I CONTINUED TO FLY A HDG OF APPROX 270 DEGS UNTIL I REALIZED THAT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE ARPT WAS NOT. AT THAT POINT I MUST HAVE BEEN OVER THE TOWN OF HENDERSON WHERE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE GOES TO THE SURFACE. UPON RECOGNIZING THAT I WAS NOT APCHING 61B, I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A SHARP L TURN, AND HEADED BACK, ULTIMATELY IN THE DIRECTION OF 61B. IF I WAS IN FACT OVER HENDERSON, AND WITHIN 10 NM OF THE LAS VOR, I WAS THEN IN A LOCATION WHERE THE CLASS B AIRSPACE STARTED AT THE SURFACE. ADMITTEDLY I HAD A CLRNC, BUT BECAUSE I WAS ASKED TO SQUAWK 1200, I BELIEVE THE CTLR DID NOT EXPECT ME TO ENTER THAT SECTOR OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A VIOLATION OF THE FARS, BUT IT CERTAINLY SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. EVEN THOUGH THE WX WAS CLR VMC, I HAD LOST POSITIONAL AWARENESS DUE TO BEING VECTORED SEVERAL TIMES AND MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE LAS AREA. I SHOULD HAVE RELIED MORE ON MY GPS AND LESS ON THE CTLR FOR SETTING UP THE APCH ON RWY 61B. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THERE WAS ALSO SOME CTLR ERROR INVOLVED ALSO. I HAD BEEN FLYING THE SAME HDG FOR SEVERAL MINS WHEN SHE ASKED IF I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT, BUT BY THIS TIME 61B MUST HAVE BEEN BEHIND ME ON MY L AND BEHIND SOME HILLS. GIVEN WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN MY POS, THIS QUERY MAKES NO SENSE. THIS AND A TA OF TFC THAT WAS MUCH CLOSER THAN STATED IN THE ADVISORY MAKES ME SUSPECT THAT THE CTLR WAS CONFUSING ME WITH ANOTHER ACFT. REGRETTABLY, I HAVE NO GENERAL SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS TO MAKE, OTHER THAN TO MYSELF: MAINTAIN POSITIONAL AWARENESS AT ALL TIMES, AND BE QUICK TO QUERY CTLRS WHEN THINGS DON'T SEEM QUITE RIGHT.

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.