Private pilot of a piper PA28-140 inadvertently entered a prohibited airspace during a VFR cross country flight due to using the wrong highway and relying on a known faulty VOR indicator.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	451450
Time
Date	199910
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : fdk.vor
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl single value : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other other vortac
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 11 flight time total : 561 flight time type : 540
ASRS Report	451450
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I departed fdk with intention of overflying the city of thermont and stay just west of the P40 area. I was planning to follow 15 north (highway) north out of frederic immediately as I departed runway 30. I mistakenly followed a more westerly highway (70 west) for about 10 mi or so. Realizing my error, I turned about 060 degrees to intercept the frederic 005 degree radial. Well, not having any DME at the fdk VOR, and having a problem with the mechanical condition of my indicator on the navigation radio, I was not comfortable that I had possibly passed over the P40 area during my course change to the northeast. The remedy to the situation would have been to fly the compass north out of fdk and using better pilotage to find thermont, in addition to using a radial out of EMI to verify my position and stay clear of P40, would have helped.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A PIPER PA28-140 INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A PROHIBITED AIRSPACE DURING A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT DUE TO USING THE WRONG HWY AND RELYING ON A KNOWN FAULTY VOR INDICATOR.

Narrative: I DEPARTED FDK WITH INTENTION OF OVERFLYING THE CITY OF THERMONT AND STAY JUST W OF THE P40 AREA. I WAS PLANNING TO FOLLOW 15 N (HWY) N OUT OF FREDERIC IMMEDIATELY AS I DEPARTED RWY 30. I MISTAKENLY FOLLOWED A MORE WESTERLY HWY (70 W) FOR ABOUT 10 MI OR SO. REALIZING MY ERROR, I TURNED ABOUT 060 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE FREDERIC 005 DEG RADIAL. WELL, NOT HAVING ANY DME AT THE FDK VOR, AND HAVING A PROB WITH THE MECHANICAL CONDITION OF MY INDICATOR ON THE NAV RADIO, I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE THAT I HAD POSSIBLY PASSED OVER THE P40 AREA DURING MY COURSE CHANGE TO THE NE. THE REMEDY TO THE SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO FLY THE COMPASS N OUT OF FDK AND USING BETTER PILOTAGE TO FIND THERMONT, IN ADDITION TO USING A RADIAL OUT OF EMI TO VERIFY MY POS AND STAY CLR OF P40, WOULD HAVE HELPED.

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.