Private pilot of a piper PA28-180 became disoriented during a low altitude flight underneath an over...

Attributes
ACN	382030
Time
Date	199709
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hpn
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tower : hpn tracon : msp
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 22 flight time total : 540 flight time type : 330
ASRS Report	382030
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On sep/xa/97 I was flying about 1800-2000 ft just north of hvn. Clouds were low, but visibility was greater than 6 mi. I was navigating to the carmel VOR (cmk). Once there, I would begin navigating to sparta VOR (sax). I thought things were proceeding normally to cmk. I began identing what I thought was the hudson river. However, as I got closer, it began to look a little bigger than usual. A quick look at my compass showed a southerly heading. The directional gyro agreed. I became totally confused. I began to ascertain where I was. It appeared I was over greenwich, ct, headed pretty much for lga. The hudson river seemed bigger because it was actually long island sound. I had just flown right past hpn, probably around 5 mi, maybe less, from hpn without realizing it. Once I began to determine my location I began to get back on course. I turned northwest and attempted to navigation southwest of hpn but northeast of the new york class B airspace. I was at about 1500 ft. I idented the yonkers raceway and turned more northerly and continued on course to my destination. I have absolutely no idea how this occurred. I was about 90 degrees off course thinking everything was going according to plan. I do not remember making any significant heading changes just prior which might explain 90 degrees. I never entered lga or bdr vors into the navigation radios, so was not likely navigating to the wrong VOR. I had been using hvn and cmk vors for distance verification monitor through the DME. Complacency of any sort should be eliminated by constant vigilance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A PIPER PA28-180 BECAME DISORIENTED DURING A LOW ALT FLT UNDERNEATH AN OVCST RESULTING IN PENETRATING A CLASS D, AND THEN CLASS B AIRSPACE. HE BECAME REORIENTED AND EXITED THE PENETRATED AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/97 I WAS FLYING ABOUT 1800-2000 FT JUST N OF HVN. CLOUDS WERE LOW, BUT VISIBILITY WAS GREATER THAN 6 MI. I WAS NAVING TO THE CARMEL VOR (CMK). ONCE THERE, I WOULD BEGIN NAVING TO SPARTA VOR (SAX). I THOUGHT THINGS WERE PROCEEDING NORMALLY TO CMK. I BEGAN IDENTING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE HUDSON RIVER. HOWEVER, AS I GOT CLOSER, IT BEGAN TO LOOK A LITTLE BIGGER THAN USUAL. A QUICK LOOK AT MY COMPASS SHOWED A SOUTHERLY HDG. THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AGREED. I BECAME TOTALLY CONFUSED. I BEGAN TO ASCERTAIN WHERE I WAS. IT APPEARED I WAS OVER GREENWICH, CT, HEADED PRETTY MUCH FOR LGA. THE HUDSON RIVER SEEMED BIGGER BECAUSE IT WAS ACTUALLY LONG ISLAND SOUND. I HAD JUST FLOWN RIGHT PAST HPN, PROBABLY AROUND 5 MI, MAYBE LESS, FROM HPN WITHOUT REALIZING IT. ONCE I BEGAN TO DETERMINE MY LOCATION I BEGAN TO GET BACK ON COURSE. I TURNED NW AND ATTEMPTED TO NAV SW OF HPN BUT NE OF THE NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE. I WAS AT ABOUT 1500 FT. I IDENTED THE YONKERS RACEWAY AND TURNED MORE NORTHERLY AND CONTINUED ON COURSE TO MY DEST. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA HOW THIS OCCURRED. I WAS ABOUT 90 DEGS OFF COURSE THINKING EVERYTHING WAS GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN. I DO NOT REMEMBER MAKING ANY SIGNIFICANT HDG CHANGES JUST PRIOR WHICH MIGHT EXPLAIN 90 DEGS. I NEVER ENTERED LGA OR BDR VORS INTO THE NAV RADIOS, SO WAS NOT LIKELY NAVING TO THE WRONG VOR. I HAD BEEN USING HVN AND CMK VORS FOR DISTANCE VERIFICATION MONITOR THROUGH THE DME. COMPLACENCY OF ANY SORT SHOULD BE ELIMINATED BY CONSTANT VIGILANCE.

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.

Private pilot of a piper PA28-180 became disoriented during a low altitude flight underneath an overcast resulting in penetrating a class D, and then class B airspace. He became reoriented and exited the penetrated airspace.