Narrative:

I took off from el monte airport and headed west to van nuys airport to pick up one of my friends. I did not have much trouble though it was my first time landing at van nuys airport, in my 6 yrs of flying. The ceiling of approximately 3000 ft, scattered, and visibility of 3-4 mi didn't really bother me with the help of the controller along the way. When I headed back to el monte from van nuys airport, I talked to van nuys tower and burbank tower as I flew along. I felt pretty relaxed, because I figured that since I had made it to the van nuys airport, it should be easier flying back to el monte. The deviation began when the tower handed me off and told me to resume my own navigation. I figured I should be about 10 mins west of el monte where my airplane is based and started to look for the landmarks such as the freeways, large shopping ctrs, etc. I was cruising at approximately 1800 ft MSL because I was aware that the class B (TCA) airspace is immediately next to my r-hand side since the ceiling is low anyway. As I flew along, I didn't realize that I was gradually deviating to the south. As I recall, I believed that I concentrated too much on looking for the landmarks and had not crosschecked with the navigation instruments available to me. I ended up disoriented because I could not find any landmarks familiar to me. When I saw a big jet flying low just a few mi away, I decided to get help from el monte tower and squawk 7700. I have never seen a jet so close in my routine flying! My instinct told me that I was too close to lax. I finally flew back to el monte with the help of the controller. It was a horrible feeling to be disoriented that close to a big airport such as lax, and I believe it was caused by too much relaxation and not xchking with other navigation device available at the time. I believed that since I was so close to base, I wouldn't need it. This incident has taught me that under no circumstances must you cheat procedural steps, and respect the WX.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT RETURNING TO HOME ARPT BECOMES DISORIENTED AND STRAYS INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. REQUESTS ASSISTANCE FROM TWR AFTER THE FACT.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM EL MONTE ARPT AND HEADED W TO VAN NUYS ARPT TO PICK UP ONE OF MY FRIENDS. I DID NOT HAVE MUCH TROUBLE THOUGH IT WAS MY FIRST TIME LNDG AT VAN NUYS ARPT, IN MY 6 YRS OF FLYING. THE CEILING OF APPROX 3000 FT, SCATTERED, AND VISIBILITY OF 3-4 MI DIDN'T REALLY BOTHER ME WITH THE HELP OF THE CTLR ALONG THE WAY. WHEN I HEADED BACK TO EL MONTE FROM VAN NUYS ARPT, I TALKED TO VAN NUYS TWR AND BURBANK TWR AS I FLEW ALONG. I FELT PRETTY RELAXED, BECAUSE I FIGURED THAT SINCE I HAD MADE IT TO THE VAN NUYS ARPT, IT SHOULD BE EASIER FLYING BACK TO EL MONTE. THE DEV BEGAN WHEN THE TWR HANDED ME OFF AND TOLD ME TO RESUME MY OWN NAV. I FIGURED I SHOULD BE ABOUT 10 MINS W OF EL MONTE WHERE MY AIRPLANE IS BASED AND STARTED TO LOOK FOR THE LANDMARKS SUCH AS THE FREEWAYS, LARGE SHOPPING CTRS, ETC. I WAS CRUISING AT APPROX 1800 FT MSL BECAUSE I WAS AWARE THAT THE CLASS B (TCA) AIRSPACE IS IMMEDIATELY NEXT TO MY R-HAND SIDE SINCE THE CEILING IS LOW ANYWAY. AS I FLEW ALONG, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT I WAS GRADUALLY DEVIATING TO THE S. AS I RECALL, I BELIEVED THAT I CONCENTRATED TOO MUCH ON LOOKING FOR THE LANDMARKS AND HAD NOT XCHKED WITH THE NAV INSTS AVAILABLE TO ME. I ENDED UP DISORIENTED BECAUSE I COULD NOT FIND ANY LANDMARKS FAMILIAR TO ME. WHEN I SAW A BIG JET FLYING LOW JUST A FEW MI AWAY, I DECIDED TO GET HELP FROM EL MONTE TWR AND SQUAWK 7700. I HAVE NEVER SEEN A JET SO CLOSE IN MY ROUTINE FLYING! MY INSTINCT TOLD ME THAT I WAS TOO CLOSE TO LAX. I FINALLY FLEW BACK TO EL MONTE WITH THE HELP OF THE CTLR. IT WAS A HORRIBLE FEELING TO BE DISORIENTED THAT CLOSE TO A BIG ARPT SUCH AS LAX, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS CAUSED BY TOO MUCH RELAXATION AND NOT XCHKING WITH OTHER NAV DEVICE AVAILABLE AT THE TIME. I BELIEVED THAT SINCE I WAS SO CLOSE TO BASE, I WOULDN'T NEED IT. THIS INCIDENT HAS TAUGHT ME THAT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MUST YOU CHEAT PROCEDURAL STEPS, AND RESPECT THE WX.

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.