Narrative:

Planned night sightseeing flight with passenger from arb to lake erie shore and return. Plan was to follow highway (route 23) south to town of milan, then fly compass heading to power plant cooling towers on coast. Return over same path. From towers to milan was 20 NM. Briefer forecast winds at 3000 ft to be 260 degrees at 27 KTS, and carleton VORTAC OTS. Plotted true course of 116 degrees, used 30 KTS at 260 degrees for a heading of 127 degrees outbound and 285 degrees return. Planned to stay under 3000 ft level of dtw class B. Departed arb and flew over milan, wind appeared stronger than forecast but did not re-evaluate because of short flight and good visibility. Flew heading of 140 degrees (seemed about right) and used custer airport beacon as NAVAID. Arrived over coast 5 mi south of plotted course line, so assumed that excess correction was excessive. Flew north to original course line chkpoint (cooling towers on dtw 17 NM radial). Flew 285 degree heading for a few mins, noted milan on wrong side of nose, turned farther south and descended. Was not looking out right side of plane for dtw because of passenger partially blocking view, and because my usual passenger is an experienced observer and navigator. Had repeatedly checked directional gyro against magnetic compass. Was not sure of ground track, but knew I was north of planned track and possibly in dtw airspace. Continued to turn south and descend to 1700 ft until north of milan, then landed at arb. Surface winds were much stronger than they had been when departing an hour earlier. Lack of recent flying experience contributed to lack of situational awareness. Closest NAVAID was OTS, and forgot to use the dxo VOR because the compass rose doesn't show on the sectional, and I had never used it before. Had always used crl for flts in that direction. I fixated on looking forward instead of out of both sides of the airplane. NAVAID used (svm) gave no information about north/south position -- probably should have used jxn. Should have used more wind correction, but outbound leg had shown added correction to be excessive. I lack cross country experience with strong xwinds. Thought I could do it visually but got disoriented.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A C152 INADVERTENTLY ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE DURING A NIGHT XCOUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: PLANNED NIGHT SIGHTSEEING FLT WITH PAX FROM ARB TO LAKE ERIE SHORE AND RETURN. PLAN WAS TO FOLLOW HWY (RTE 23) S TO TOWN OF MILAN, THEN FLY COMPASS HDG TO PWR PLANT COOLING TWRS ON COAST. RETURN OVER SAME PATH. FROM TWRS TO MILAN WAS 20 NM. BRIEFER FORECAST WINDS AT 3000 FT TO BE 260 DEGS AT 27 KTS, AND CARLETON VORTAC OTS. PLOTTED TRUE COURSE OF 116 DEGS, USED 30 KTS AT 260 DEGS FOR A HDG OF 127 DEGS OUTBOUND AND 285 DEGS RETURN. PLANNED TO STAY UNDER 3000 FT LEVEL OF DTW CLASS B. DEPARTED ARB AND FLEW OVER MILAN, WIND APPEARED STRONGER THAN FORECAST BUT DID NOT RE-EVALUATE BECAUSE OF SHORT FLT AND GOOD VISIBILITY. FLEW HDG OF 140 DEGS (SEEMED ABOUT RIGHT) AND USED CUSTER ARPT BEACON AS NAVAID. ARRIVED OVER COAST 5 MI S OF PLOTTED COURSE LINE, SO ASSUMED THAT EXCESS CORRECTION WAS EXCESSIVE. FLEW N TO ORIGINAL COURSE LINE CHKPOINT (COOLING TWRS ON DTW 17 NM RADIAL). FLEW 285 DEG HDG FOR A FEW MINS, NOTED MILAN ON WRONG SIDE OF NOSE, TURNED FARTHER S AND DSNDED. WAS NOT LOOKING OUT R SIDE OF PLANE FOR DTW BECAUSE OF PAX PARTIALLY BLOCKING VIEW, AND BECAUSE MY USUAL PAX IS AN EXPERIENCED OBSERVER AND NAVIGATOR. HAD REPEATEDLY CHKED DIRECTIONAL GYRO AGAINST MAGNETIC COMPASS. WAS NOT SURE OF GND TRACK, BUT KNEW I WAS N OF PLANNED TRACK AND POSSIBLY IN DTW AIRSPACE. CONTINUED TO TURN S AND DSND TO 1700 FT UNTIL N OF MILAN, THEN LANDED AT ARB. SURFACE WINDS WERE MUCH STRONGER THAN THEY HAD BEEN WHEN DEPARTING AN HR EARLIER. LACK OF RECENT FLYING EXPERIENCE CONTRIBUTED TO LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. CLOSEST NAVAID WAS OTS, AND FORGOT TO USE THE DXO VOR BECAUSE THE COMPASS ROSE DOESN'T SHOW ON THE SECTIONAL, AND I HAD NEVER USED IT BEFORE. HAD ALWAYS USED CRL FOR FLTS IN THAT DIRECTION. I FIXATED ON LOOKING FORWARD INSTEAD OF OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRPLANE. NAVAID USED (SVM) GAVE NO INFO ABOUT N/S POS -- PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE USED JXN. SHOULD HAVE USED MORE WIND CORRECTION, BUT OUTBOUND LEG HAD SHOWN ADDED CORRECTION TO BE EXCESSIVE. I LACK XCOUNTRY EXPERIENCE WITH STRONG XWINDS. THOUGHT I COULD DO IT VISUALLY BUT GOT DISORIENTED.

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.