Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight from yuba city; ca (052); to san carlos; ca (sql) and under control of ZOA. They released me for VFR flight from sunol intersection to sql on a heading of 255 degrees. I was at 4500 ft and descended to 900 ft to be below the class B airspace of sfo. I crossed san francisco bay and headed for the intersection of the san mateo bridge and the land. Due to being over water with no landmarks and the fact that my GPS suddenly went blank and would not accept sql as a destination at that time; I crossed the shore-land 1/2 way between sql and palo alto (pao). I was talking to sql tower and he told me to change frequencys to pao. The tower told me that sql was 6 mi north and I told him I wanted to land at sql. I talked to sql and he told me to make a straight-in landing to the airport. At no time was I higher than 900 ft above the water. I was told that I had been in pao's airspace; however; there was no traffic in the pattern. I had intended to file an IFR flight plan due to the sensitive position of sql. I assume that the wind from the north pushed me south into pao's airspace. There was no way to follow a visual flight path due to the fact I was over the water and there were no identing terrain features. This incident was caused by a malfunction of the GPS. I am going to purchase a new updated model. As I was crossing the bay; I was talking to the sql tower. I told him I was unfamiliar with the area and he should have given me a squawk and directed me to the airport. That should be a standard procedure for tower operators to assist pilots so that this type of incident could be avoided.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C206 PLT ON A VFR APCH TO SQL STRAYED INTO PAO AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM YUBA CITY; CA (052); TO SAN CARLOS; CA (SQL) AND UNDER CTL OF ZOA. THEY RELEASED ME FOR VFR FLT FROM SUNOL INTXN TO SQL ON A HDG OF 255 DEGS. I WAS AT 4500 FT AND DSNDED TO 900 FT TO BE BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE OF SFO. I CROSSED SAN FRANCISCO BAY AND HEADED FOR THE INTXN OF THE SAN MATEO BRIDGE AND THE LAND. DUE TO BEING OVER WATER WITH NO LANDMARKS AND THE FACT THAT MY GPS SUDDENLY WENT BLANK AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT SQL AS A DEST AT THAT TIME; I CROSSED THE SHORE-LAND 1/2 WAY BTWN SQL AND PALO ALTO (PAO). I WAS TALKING TO SQL TWR AND HE TOLD ME TO CHANGE FREQS TO PAO. THE TWR TOLD ME THAT SQL WAS 6 MI N AND I TOLD HIM I WANTED TO LAND AT SQL. I TALKED TO SQL AND HE TOLD ME TO MAKE A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG TO THE ARPT. AT NO TIME WAS I HIGHER THAN 900 FT ABOVE THE WATER. I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD BEEN IN PAO'S AIRSPACE; HOWEVER; THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE PATTERN. I HAD INTENDED TO FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN DUE TO THE SENSITIVE POS OF SQL. I ASSUME THAT THE WIND FROM THE N PUSHED ME S INTO PAO'S AIRSPACE. THERE WAS NO WAY TO FOLLOW A VISUAL FLT PATH DUE TO THE FACT I WAS OVER THE WATER AND THERE WERE NO IDENTING TERRAIN FEATURES. THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTION OF THE GPS. I AM GOING TO PURCHASE A NEW UPDATED MODEL. AS I WAS XING THE BAY; I WAS TALKING TO THE SQL TWR. I TOLD HIM I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND HE SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME A SQUAWK AND DIRECTED ME TO THE ARPT. THAT SHOULD BE A STANDARD PROC FOR TWR OPERATORS TO ASSIST PLTS SO THAT THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT COULD BE AVOIDED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.