A low time pilot in an small aircraft flying over an unfamiliar area at night became disoriented and...

Attributes
ACN	382813
Time
Date	199710
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : san airport : myf
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : san
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
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 : 81 flight time total : 81 flight time type : 81
ASRS Report	382813
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were returning to myf in san diego, ca, from the southeast. Up until recently, we had flight following service from socal approach, but they had terminated radar service and instructed us to squawk 1200. At this point, we were descending out of about 6000 ft MSL. We flew past gillespie field and continued flying west. What happened next (and why it happened) is not very clear. We were unfamiliar with the area, and it was nighttime. We flew past mt helix, which almost looked like we were next to cowles mountain, putting us en route to montgomery. We did not spot the beacon, so we continued flying west. A contributing factor to the conflict was the fact that because we were descending, we were going faster, covering more mi. We spotted a beacon, and a runway with a bunny (lead in strobe lights) ahead. We came to the conclusion that it was montgomery and set up an approach. We were no longer on the socal frequency. Our problem was that the airport we had set up the approach for was san diego international runway 27. We were down to 2000 ft MSL. It was then that our back seat passenger pointed out that we were next to downtown. Realizing that we were in the way of large aircraft, we cut to the northeast out of the way. 2 planes were approaching, the nearest about 4 mi out. Soon after, we found montgomery and landed safely. Supplemental information from acn 382810: we knew that we had radar service, except that socal hadn't talked to us since the initial contact. So, we maintained our heading and altitude. We were approaching san diego class B airspace, and because of flight following, we entered it. Soon after, we received a vector to 290 degrees. We did not turn. There was a fear factor involved, since this heading would lead us through the final approach of san diego international. A couple mins later, they came back and told us to turn 290 degrees again, and we did it, with wake turbulence anxiety.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME PLT IN AN SMA FLYING OVER AN UNFAMILIAR AREA AT NIGHT BECAME DISORIENTED AND OVERFLEW HIS DEST AND ENTERED NEARBY CLASS B AIRSPACE AND INITIALLY REFUSED TO ACCEPT CORRECTIVE VECTORS FROM A CTLR. RPTR CLAIMS THAT FEAR MADE HIM REFUSE THE VECTOR.

Narrative: WE WERE RETURNING TO MYF IN SAN DIEGO, CA, FROM THE SE. UP UNTIL RECENTLY, WE HAD FLT FOLLOWING SVC FROM SOCAL APCH, BUT THEY HAD TERMINATED RADAR SVC AND INSTRUCTED US TO SQUAWK 1200. AT THIS POINT, WE WERE DSNDING OUT OF ABOUT 6000 FT MSL. WE FLEW PAST GILLESPIE FIELD AND CONTINUED FLYING W. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT (AND WHY IT HAPPENED) IS NOT VERY CLR. WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, AND IT WAS NIGHTTIME. WE FLEW PAST MT HELIX, WHICH ALMOST LOOKED LIKE WE WERE NEXT TO COWLES MOUNTAIN, PUTTING US ENRTE TO MONTGOMERY. WE DID NOT SPOT THE BEACON, SO WE CONTINUED FLYING W. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THE CONFLICT WAS THE FACT THAT BECAUSE WE WERE DSNDING, WE WERE GOING FASTER, COVERING MORE MI. WE SPOTTED A BEACON, AND A RWY WITH A BUNNY (LEAD IN STROBE LIGHTS) AHEAD. WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS MONTGOMERY AND SET UP AN APCH. WE WERE NO LONGER ON THE SOCAL FREQ. OUR PROB WAS THAT THE ARPT WE HAD SET UP THE APCH FOR WAS SAN DIEGO INTL RWY 27. WE WERE DOWN TO 2000 FT MSL. IT WAS THEN THAT OUR BACK SEAT PAX POINTED OUT THAT WE WERE NEXT TO DOWNTOWN. REALIZING THAT WE WERE IN THE WAY OF LARGE ACFT, WE CUT TO THE NE OUT OF THE WAY. 2 PLANES WERE APCHING, THE NEAREST ABOUT 4 MI OUT. SOON AFTER, WE FOUND MONTGOMERY AND LANDED SAFELY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 382810: WE KNEW THAT WE HAD RADAR SVC, EXCEPT THAT SOCAL HADN'T TALKED TO US SINCE THE INITIAL CONTACT. SO, WE MAINTAINED OUR HEADING AND ALT. WE WERE APCHING SAN DIEGO CLASS B AIRSPACE, AND BECAUSE OF FLT FOLLOWING, WE ENTERED IT. SOON AFTER, WE RECEIVED A VECTOR TO 290 DEGS. WE DID NOT TURN. THERE WAS A FEAR FACTOR INVOLVED, SINCE THIS HEADING WOULD LEAD US THROUGH THE FINAL APCH OF SAN DIEGO INTL. A COUPLE MINS LATER, THEY CAME BACK AND TOLD US TO TURN 290 DEGS AGAIN, AND WE DID IT, WITH WAKE TURB ANXIETY.

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.

A low time pilot in an small aircraft flying over an unfamiliar area at night became disoriented and overflew his destination and entered nearby class B airspace and initially refused to accept corrective vectors from a controller. Reporter claims that fear made him refuse the vector.