Cessna 414 pilots on maintenance flight test after an annual inspection lost VOR and compass heading equipment and became lost resulting in penetration of a prohibited airspace. Approach controller provided assistance to successful landing.

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Attributes
ACN	521587
Time
Date	200108
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	special use airspace : p49.prohibited
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 4300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : act.tracon artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Chancellor 414A & C414
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	maintenance : technician observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	521587
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical airspace violation : entry maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : vor indicator/compass other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Inadvertently penetrated prohibited area P49 on a maintenance flight test after multiple navigation system/aircraft system failures. PF was private multi-sel with no instrument rating and was unfamiliar with area. I was working radios and troubleshooting system failures. We had radar service. ATC advised of airspace penetration. We essentially had no means to navigation other than ground reference (landmarks). We were only able to find pwg (base) after finding and identing highway 84. Wet compass was inoperative due to 'high' windscreen de-ice 'stuck' in 'on' position after operation test, causing wet compass to swing and read in error. Directional gyroscope inoperative due to heading bug turning compass cards when used, making them read in error. We were essentially lost. VOR navigation was impossible due to led digits being burned out, couldn't tune VOR. In retrospect, I should have declared an emergency, and climbed above the airspace. However, we had our hands full to just terminate the flight safely. We were very worried about smoke/fire due to the faulty windscreen heat switch. First flight of aircraft after extensive annual inspection. Called ATC upon landing and tried to explain situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CESSNA 414 PLTS ON MAINT FLT TEST AFTER AN ANNUAL INSPECTION LOST VOR AND COMPASS HEADING EQUIP AND BECAME LOST RESULTING IN PENETRATION OF A PROHIBITED AIRSPACE. APCH CTLR PROVIDED ASSISTANCE TO SUCCESSFUL LNDG.

Narrative: INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED PROHIBITED AREA P49 ON A MAINT FLT TEST AFTER MULTIPLE NAV SYS/ACFT SYS FAILURES. PF WAS PVT MULTI-SEL WITH NO INST RATING AND WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH AREA. I WAS WORKING RADIOS AND TROUBLESHOOTING SYS FAILURES. WE HAD RADAR SVC. ATC ADVISED OF AIRSPACE PENETRATION. WE ESSENTIALLY HAD NO MEANS TO NAV OTHER THAN GND REF (LANDMARKS). WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO FIND PWG (BASE) AFTER FINDING AND IDENTING HWY 84. WET COMPASS WAS INOP DUE TO 'HIGH' WINDSCREEN DE-ICE 'STUCK' IN 'ON' POS AFTER OP TEST, CAUSING WET COMPASS TO SWING AND READ IN ERROR. DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE INOP DUE TO HEADING BUG TURNING COMPASS CARDS WHEN USED, MAKING THEM READ IN ERROR. WE WERE ESSENTIALLY LOST. VOR NAV WAS IMPOSSIBLE DUE TO LED DIGITS BEING BURNED OUT, COULDN'T TUNE VOR. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER, AND CLBED ABOVE THE AIRSPACE. HOWEVER, WE HAD OUR HANDS FULL TO JUST TERMINATE THE FLT SAFELY. WE WERE VERY WORRIED ABOUT SMOKE/FIRE DUE TO THE FAULTY WINDSCREEN HEAT SWITCH. FIRST FLT OF ACFT AFTER EXTENSIVE ANNUAL INSPECTION. CALLED ATC UPON LNDG AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN SIT.

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.