Narrative:

In attempting to locate my home base, hhr, I was on a heading of 280 degrees from sli VOR. I set the VOR to 109.1, the hhr localizer, to make sure I remained south of the centerline to runway 25 hhr and out of the lax TCA to the north. I was at 4500' MSL just in case I was west of hhr. I would be flying through the new special rules VFR flight area over lax at the proper altitude for nwbnd flts. Actually I was east of hhr. I became aware that the localizer needle was still pegged right, indicating I was still south of the runway centerline for 25 hhr, although I had been flying for a considerable period of time. Tapping the meter caused the needle to peg to the left, indicating I had flown through the localizer and into the TCA. The haze below me made navigation by visibility ground references impossible. I performed a 180 degree turn and exited the TCA. Penetration into the TCA was north of cpm and I was approximately 1 mi into the TCA. The difficulty of having adequate grand visibility in hazy sunset conditions, coupled with the VOR needle failure, contributed to this intrusion into the lax TCA. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: aircraft was a recently completed home-built, capable of speeds 100 KTS faster than he was used to. FSDO requested a report of the incident and he elected to forward a copy of the repair order confirming the navigation receiver was malfunctioning. Has a LORAN on board the aircraft now. No further information from the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED TCA WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE HHR AT DUSK WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY CAUSED BY SUN POSITION.

Narrative: IN ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE MY HOME BASE, HHR, I WAS ON A HDG OF 280 DEGS FROM SLI VOR. I SET THE VOR TO 109.1, THE HHR LOC, TO MAKE SURE I REMAINED S OF THE CENTERLINE TO RWY 25 HHR AND OUT OF THE LAX TCA TO THE N. I WAS AT 4500' MSL JUST IN CASE I WAS W OF HHR. I WOULD BE FLYING THROUGH THE NEW SPECIAL RULES VFR FLT AREA OVER LAX AT THE PROPER ALT FOR NWBND FLTS. ACTUALLY I WAS E OF HHR. I BECAME AWARE THAT THE LOC NEEDLE WAS STILL PEGGED RIGHT, INDICATING I WAS STILL S OF THE RWY CENTERLINE FOR 25 HHR, ALTHOUGH I HAD BEEN FLYING FOR A CONSIDERABLE PERIOD OF TIME. TAPPING THE METER CAUSED THE NEEDLE TO PEG TO THE LEFT, INDICATING I HAD FLOWN THROUGH THE LOC AND INTO THE TCA. THE HAZE BELOW ME MADE NAV BY VIS GND REFS IMPOSSIBLE. I PERFORMED A 180 DEG TURN AND EXITED THE TCA. PENETRATION INTO THE TCA WAS N OF CPM AND I WAS APPROX 1 MI INTO THE TCA. THE DIFFICULTY OF HAVING ADEQUATE GRAND VISIBILITY IN HAZY SUNSET CONDITIONS, COUPLED WITH THE VOR NEEDLE FAILURE, CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INTRUSION INTO THE LAX TCA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ACFT WAS A RECENTLY COMPLETED HOME-BUILT, CAPABLE OF SPDS 100 KTS FASTER THAN HE WAS USED TO. FSDO REQUESTED A RPT OF THE INCIDENT AND HE ELECTED TO FORWARD A COPY OF THE REPAIR ORDER CONFIRMING THE NAV RECEIVER WAS MALFUNCTIONING. HAS A LORAN ON BOARD THE ACFT NOW. NO FURTHER INFO FROM THE FAA.

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.