Narrative:

I inadvertently violated the greater cincinnati international airport arsa. I entered the coordinates for lunken field, and after a few seconds, the LORAN indicated that my course should be 138 degrees. With the strong following northwest wind, my heading varied from 150-165 degrees. Ground speed was steady at 140-142 KTS. Southeast of gary the scattered cloud layer was higher, so I climbed to 7500' MSL, staying well clear of clouds. The air was smooth. The cloud layer changed from scattered to broken 75 NM's northwest of lunken, so I descended through and opening to 3000' MSL. I encountered decreasing visibility, mild to moderate turbulence, ene of indianapolis, and I altered my course when necessary to avoid low level clouds. 50 NM's northwest of lunken, I attempted west/O success to contact lunken to confirm VFR conditions. Lunken ATIS reported 3000' ceilings, good visibility (10 mi, I believe). 40 NM's northwest of lunken I again attempted west/O success to contact lunken tower to confirm their ATIS report. I again attempted to make radio contact at 30 NM's, and succeeded at about 28 NM's. VFR was confirmed. I was encountering greater turbulence, more low level clouds requiring altering course frequently. At about 25 NM's out, my LORAN C stopped providing distance, direction, GS information. Since visibility was reported good in the cincinnati area, I chose to continue my course by dg, taking VOR fixes off of shelbyville and cvg. 2 fixes confirmed my position northwest of luk. ADF also confirmed a northwest position. From hamilton, however, as I got closer to cincinnati, I was alarmed to find more low level clouds, increasing turbulence and the city itself was not visible. I altered my course to the west several times to avoid low level clouds. At this time, west/O any of the landmarks I had counted on visible, I became fearful that I might be heading into the cvg arsa. I attempted to find the cvg approach frequency on my WAC chart, but found that flying the airplane and remaining vigilant was all consuming. My wife was unable to help. When I finally saw the ohio river oriented in a ns direction, I knew that we were either west of cvg of south of luk. Still, cincinnati was not visible through low cloud cover. It was at this point that the west end of active runway 9L-27R became visible to me at cvg. When I noticed the orientation of runway 36, I knew I was over cvg. I was able to reset the LORAN C and it was indicating that I was southwest of luk 10 NM's, with a required course of 51 degrees to luk. The city skyline was intermittently visible through low cloud cover. Luk tower then realizing my position, vectored me along the river to luk I now realize that marginal WX, turbulence which prevented me from getting information from the chart, (cvg approach frequency), a belief that visibility as reported by luk would allow reasonable dead reckoning, with visual plting to the airport southeast of of cincinnati, contributed to my not knowing where I was. A VOR radial from richmond would have taken me right to luk, if I had had the wisdom to fly east to pick it up. The loss of the LORAN C at a critical time, I feel, led to the above infraction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIMARY NAVIGATION AID STOPPED WORKING AND ACFT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED THE CVG ARSA.

Narrative: I INADVERTENTLY VIOLATED THE GREATER CINCINNATI INTL ARPT ARSA. I ENTERED THE COORDINATES FOR LUNKEN FIELD, AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE LORAN INDICATED THAT MY COURSE SHOULD BE 138 DEGS. WITH THE STRONG FOLLOWING NW WIND, MY HDG VARIED FROM 150-165 DEGS. GND SPD WAS STEADY AT 140-142 KTS. SE OF GARY THE SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER WAS HIGHER, SO I CLBED TO 7500' MSL, STAYING WELL CLR OF CLOUDS. THE AIR WAS SMOOTH. THE CLOUD LAYER CHANGED FROM SCATTERED TO BROKEN 75 NM'S NW OF LUNKEN, SO I DESCENDED THROUGH AND OPENING TO 3000' MSL. I ENCOUNTERED DECREASING VIS, MILD TO MODERATE TURBULENCE, ENE OF INDIANAPOLIS, AND I ALTERED MY COURSE WHEN NECESSARY TO AVOID LOW LEVEL CLOUDS. 50 NM'S NW OF LUNKEN, I ATTEMPTED W/O SUCCESS TO CONTACT LUNKEN TO CONFIRM VFR CONDITIONS. LUNKEN ATIS RPTED 3000' CEILINGS, GOOD VIS (10 MI, I BELIEVE). 40 NM'S NW OF LUNKEN I AGAIN ATTEMPTED W/O SUCCESS TO CONTACT LUNKEN TWR TO CONFIRM THEIR ATIS RPT. I AGAIN ATTEMPTED TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT AT 30 NM'S, AND SUCCEEDED AT ABOUT 28 NM'S. VFR WAS CONFIRMED. I WAS ENCOUNTERING GREATER TURBULENCE, MORE LOW LEVEL CLOUDS REQUIRING ALTERING COURSE FREQUENTLY. AT ABOUT 25 NM'S OUT, MY LORAN C STOPPED PROVIDING DISTANCE, DIRECTION, GS INFO. SINCE VISIBILITY WAS RPTED GOOD IN THE CINCINNATI AREA, I CHOSE TO CONTINUE MY COURSE BY DG, TAKING VOR FIXES OFF OF SHELBYVILLE AND CVG. 2 FIXES CONFIRMED MY POS NW OF LUK. ADF ALSO CONFIRMED A NW POS. FROM HAMILTON, HOWEVER, AS I GOT CLOSER TO CINCINNATI, I WAS ALARMED TO FIND MORE LOW LEVEL CLOUDS, INCREASING TURBULENCE AND THE CITY ITSELF WAS NOT VISIBLE. I ALTERED MY COURSE TO THE W SEVERAL TIMES TO AVOID LOW LEVEL CLOUDS. AT THIS TIME, W/O ANY OF THE LANDMARKS I HAD COUNTED ON VISIBLE, I BECAME FEARFUL THAT I MIGHT BE HEADING INTO THE CVG ARSA. I ATTEMPTED TO FIND THE CVG APCH FREQ ON MY WAC CHART, BUT FOUND THAT FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND REMAINING VIGILANT WAS ALL CONSUMING. MY WIFE WAS UNABLE TO HELP. WHEN I FINALLY SAW THE OHIO RIVER ORIENTED IN A NS DIRECTION, I KNEW THAT WE WERE EITHER W OF CVG OF S OF LUK. STILL, CINCINNATI WAS NOT VISIBLE THROUGH LOW CLOUD COVER. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THE W END OF ACTIVE RWY 9L-27R BECAME VISIBLE TO ME AT CVG. WHEN I NOTICED THE ORIENTATION OF RWY 36, I KNEW I WAS OVER CVG. I WAS ABLE TO RESET THE LORAN C AND IT WAS INDICATING THAT I WAS SW OF LUK 10 NM'S, WITH A REQUIRED COURSE OF 51 DEGS TO LUK. THE CITY SKYLINE WAS INTERMITTENTLY VISIBLE THROUGH LOW CLOUD COVER. LUK TWR THEN REALIZING MY POS, VECTORED ME ALONG THE RIVER TO LUK I NOW REALIZE THAT MARGINAL WX, TURBULENCE WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM GETTING INFO FROM THE CHART, (CVG APCH FREQ), A BELIEF THAT VIS AS RPTED BY LUK WOULD ALLOW REASONABLE DEAD RECKONING, WITH VISUAL PLTING TO THE ARPT SE OF OF CINCINNATI, CONTRIBUTED TO MY NOT KNOWING WHERE I WAS. A VOR RADIAL FROM RICHMOND WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME RIGHT TO LUK, IF I HAD HAD THE WISDOM TO FLY E TO PICK IT UP. THE LOSS OF THE LORAN C AT A CRITICAL TIME, I FEEL, LED TO THE ABOVE INFRACTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.