Narrative:

A copilot and I were out flying yesterday to practice some lndgs at fme. Upon completion of this training, we headed to anp. After departing fme's pattern, we called up potomac approach and got an acknowledgement. We proceeded toward anp. After I felt like we should be recognizing more things, I realized something was wrong. I knew we were lost, so we did a 180 degrees back towards fme. We did a few turns to try to recognize things on the ground, but moisture in the air made this pretty difficult. At this point we contacted potomac and requested vectors to anp and admitted that our position was unknown. I had us on the 210 degree radial from balance but was unable to get a fix due to VOR troubles. They asked us to 'identify,' which we did. We were then given a phone number to call upon landing. After this I saw andrews AFB and did an immediate turn away. Soon thereafter, we got turned to 020 degrees to get back to anp. We were again turned to 050 degrees and spotted anp. We landed safely. According to potomac TRACON on the phone, we entered andrew's tfr. Also, they mentioned us being on no flight plan. However, a flight plan was filed with leesburg FSS prior to departing anp. We remained on our squawk the entire time and were communicating with potomac as instructed. Confusion arose as to our identity when we neared adw, but we had already admitted we were lost to potomac and were on our same old squawk. I'm not sure why the controller let us enter this airspace in the first place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 LOW TIME PLT, APPARENTLY FLYING WITH ANOTHER PLT, VIOLATED ADW'S AIRSPACE, AS WELL AS THE DC ADIZ.

Narrative: A COPLT AND I WERE OUT FLYING YESTERDAY TO PRACTICE SOME LNDGS AT FME. UPON COMPLETION OF THIS TRAINING, WE HEADED TO ANP. AFTER DEPARTING FME'S PATTERN, WE CALLED UP POTOMAC APCH AND GOT AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. WE PROCEEDED TOWARD ANP. AFTER I FELT LIKE WE SHOULD BE RECOGNIZING MORE THINGS, I REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I KNEW WE WERE LOST, SO WE DID A 180 DEGS BACK TOWARDS FME. WE DID A FEW TURNS TO TRY TO RECOGNIZE THINGS ON THE GND, BUT MOISTURE IN THE AIR MADE THIS PRETTY DIFFICULT. AT THIS POINT WE CONTACTED POTOMAC AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO ANP AND ADMITTED THAT OUR POS WAS UNKNOWN. I HAD US ON THE 210 DEG RADIAL FROM BAL BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET A FIX DUE TO VOR TROUBLES. THEY ASKED US TO 'IDENT,' WHICH WE DID. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL UPON LNDG. AFTER THIS I SAW ANDREWS AFB AND DID AN IMMEDIATE TURN AWAY. SOON THEREAFTER, WE GOT TURNED TO 020 DEGS TO GET BACK TO ANP. WE WERE AGAIN TURNED TO 050 DEGS AND SPOTTED ANP. WE LANDED SAFELY. ACCORDING TO POTOMAC TRACON ON THE PHONE, WE ENTERED ANDREW'S TFR. ALSO, THEY MENTIONED US BEING ON NO FLT PLAN. HOWEVER, A FLT PLAN WAS FILED WITH LEESBURG FSS PRIOR TO DEPARTING ANP. WE REMAINED ON OUR SQUAWK THE ENTIRE TIME AND WERE COMMUNICATING WITH POTOMAC AS INSTRUCTED. CONFUSION AROSE AS TO OUR IDENTITY WHEN WE NEARED ADW, BUT WE HAD ALREADY ADMITTED WE WERE LOST TO POTOMAC AND WERE ON OUR SAME OLD SQUAWK. I'M NOT SURE WHY THE CTLR LET US ENTER THIS AIRSPACE 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.