Narrative:

I was on a night cross country from henderson (L15) to sacramento. During the flight, I encountered some snow and trace icing, though remained VMC. After speaking to rno radio around hiden intersection on V135, I decided to turn back. During return trip, I became disoriented as to my position. DME wasn't functioning properly, and navigation radios were also squirrelly. The plan was to fly south, until clearing mount charleston, then turn east. Instead, I very nearly hit mount charleston, which frazzled my nerves a bit. I could see the lights of las vegas around it, and without thinking, I turned towards vegas. Las approach cleared me through the class B back to henderson. They didn't say anything about my position, which I noticed later was within the A481 restr airspace. After my close call with mount charleston, and my eager desire to return home, I didn't think to doublechk my charts for restr airspace. I just saw the lights and turned in to them, thinking only of the class B. A major contributing factor was that in my haste to leave, I hadn't bothered calling for a WX briefing. Had I obtained one, I never would have gone in the first place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT ON A NIGHT XCOUNTRY IN A C172 TURNED BACK TO RETURN TO HOME BASE AFTER WX ENCOUNTER AND BECAME DISORIENTED WHICH RESULTED IN ALMOST COLLIDING WITH A HIGH MOUNTAIN PEAK AND ENTERED A MIL ALERT AREA WITHOUT COORD WITH ATC.

Narrative: I WAS ON A NIGHT XCOUNTRY FROM HENDERSON (L15) TO SACRAMENTO. DURING THE FLT, I ENCOUNTERED SOME SNOW AND TRACE ICING, THOUGH REMAINED VMC. AFTER SPEAKING TO RNO RADIO AROUND HIDEN INTXN ON V135, I DECIDED TO TURN BACK. DURING RETURN TRIP, I BECAME DISORIENTED AS TO MY POS. DME WASN'T FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, AND NAV RADIOS WERE ALSO SQUIRRELLY. THE PLAN WAS TO FLY S, UNTIL CLRING MOUNT CHARLESTON, THEN TURN E. INSTEAD, I VERY NEARLY HIT MOUNT CHARLESTON, WHICH FRAZZLED MY NERVES A BIT. I COULD SEE THE LIGHTS OF LAS VEGAS AROUND IT, AND WITHOUT THINKING, I TURNED TOWARDS VEGAS. LAS APCH CLRED ME THROUGH THE CLASS B BACK TO HENDERSON. THEY DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT MY POS, WHICH I NOTICED LATER WAS WITHIN THE A481 RESTR AIRSPACE. AFTER MY CLOSE CALL WITH MOUNT CHARLESTON, AND MY EAGER DESIRE TO RETURN HOME, I DIDN'T THINK TO DOUBLECHK MY CHARTS FOR RESTR AIRSPACE. I JUST SAW THE LIGHTS AND TURNED IN TO THEM, THINKING ONLY OF THE CLASS B. A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT IN MY HASTE TO LEAVE, I HADN'T BOTHERED CALLING FOR A WX BRIEFING. HAD I OBTAINED ONE, I NEVER WOULD HAVE GONE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

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.