Narrative:

It was our first trip to raeford. Our trip to raeford was uneventful, had maintained contact with fayetteville approach to avoid area R-531. Return flight was in the dark. I conducted the run-up on the ramp as pk airpark has no taxiway and completed the before takeoff checklist there. I remember specifically setting the heading indicator before back-taxiing to runway 4 for departure. Because of the unfamiliar airport, situation, and circumstances (my 2 children were in the back of the plane), I neglected my usual 'lights (beacon, navigation), camera (transponder), action (throttle) checklist. As soon as we were 1000 ft AGL, I turned us due west, a heading which should have taken the plane directly over mackall, a class D airspace with top at 2900 ft, and began climbing to 3000 ft. At this point, I contacted fayetteville approach, who gave us a transponder code and informed us to stay out of class C airspace. At 2500 ft MSL, I realized the transponder was on 'standby' and turned it to 'altitude.' a few moments later, fayetteville informed me I was 1 mi inside R-531 and assigned me a heading out of the airspace. Once out of the airspace, I doublechked all my instruments and discovered my heading indicator was precessed more than 40 degrees. I had unwittingly headed north. I corrected the error. The flight terminated at tta airport without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 SINGLE PLT VIOLATED R-531 WHEN IN FAY'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: IT WAS OUR FIRST TRIP TO RAEFORD. OUR TRIP TO RAEFORD WAS UNEVENTFUL, HAD MAINTAINED CONTACT WITH FAYETTEVILLE APCH TO AVOID AREA R-531. RETURN FLT WAS IN THE DARK. I CONDUCTED THE RUN-UP ON THE RAMP AS PK AIRPARK HAS NO TXWY AND COMPLETED THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST THERE. I REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY SETTING THE HDG INDICATOR BEFORE BACK-TAXIING TO RWY 4 FOR DEP. BECAUSE OF THE UNFAMILIAR ARPT, SIT, AND CIRCUMSTANCES (MY 2 CHILDREN WERE IN THE BACK OF THE PLANE), I NEGLECTED MY USUAL 'LIGHTS (BEACON, NAV), CAMERA (XPONDER), ACTION (THROTTLE) CHKLIST. AS SOON AS WE WERE 1000 FT AGL, I TURNED US DUE W, A HDG WHICH SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE PLANE DIRECTLY OVER MACKALL, A CLASS D AIRSPACE WITH TOP AT 2900 FT, AND BEGAN CLBING TO 3000 FT. AT THIS POINT, I CONTACTED FAYETTEVILLE APCH, WHO GAVE US A XPONDER CODE AND INFORMED US TO STAY OUT OF CLASS C AIRSPACE. AT 2500 FT MSL, I REALIZED THE XPONDER WAS ON 'STANDBY' AND TURNED IT TO 'ALT.' A FEW MOMENTS LATER, FAYETTEVILLE INFORMED ME I WAS 1 MI INSIDE R-531 AND ASSIGNED ME A HDG OUT OF THE AIRSPACE. ONCE OUT OF THE AIRSPACE, I DOUBLECHKED ALL MY INSTS AND DISCOVERED MY HDG INDICATOR WAS PRECESSED MORE THAN 40 DEGS. I HAD UNWITTINGLY HEADED N. I CORRECTED THE ERROR. THE FLT TERMINATED AT TTA ARPT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.