Narrative:

On the return trip I picked up C.a.P. Radio traffic indicating the start of an ELT search by co. I radioed my ETA at buckley angb to the mission coordinator and continued en route. Shortly after crossing the co/wy border I picked up a positive ELT signal on 121.5 which was intermittent and of short duration. Again, I radioed the C.a.P. Mission coordinator with the information and for a time, diverted my attention to the on board direction finding equipment. The following 20-30 mins, which only seemed like 10, were extremely busy. I was communicating with another C.a.P. Aircraft on the aircraft VHF, numerous C.a.P. Ground stations on the C.a.P. VHF-FM and answering many questions asked by my 2 non C.a.P. Passenger. During all this I kept an eye on the ELT DF equipment and the thunderstorms developing in front of me. The den area was obscured by these thunderstorms. I realized I was lost when 1 passenger asked which town we were flying over, and I very confidently replied, 'greeley.' she said it didn't look like greeley, so I checked the chart to verify landmarks and suddenly realized that not only was I not flying over greeley, I had no idea where I was. Nothing looked familiar. Navigating around the decaying cumulus and rain, I idented buckley angb and knew then I was in the TCA. I contacted buckley tower and landed. Buckley tower instructed me to call den tower, which I did. I allowed myself to be so distracted by external factors that I lost track of my position. Then, approaching den from a direction with which I was unfamiliar, realized the TCA violation by literally stumbling onto my destination airport. I feel there is no excuse and hope that my experience may keep someone else from this extremely dangerous situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCA PENETRATION WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON THE RETURN TRIP I PICKED UP C.A.P. RADIO TFC INDICATING THE START OF AN ELT SEARCH BY CO. I RADIOED MY ETA AT BUCKLEY ANGB TO THE MISSION COORDINATOR AND CONTINUED ENRTE. SHORTLY AFTER XING THE CO/WY BORDER I PICKED UP A POSITIVE ELT SIGNAL ON 121.5 WHICH WAS INTERMITTENT AND OF SHORT DURATION. AGAIN, I RADIOED THE C.A.P. MISSION COORDINATOR WITH THE INFO AND FOR A TIME, DIVERTED MY ATTN TO THE ON BOARD DIRECTION FINDING EQUIP. THE FOLLOWING 20-30 MINS, WHICH ONLY SEEMED LIKE 10, WERE EXTREMELY BUSY. I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH ANOTHER C.A.P. ACFT ON THE ACFT VHF, NUMEROUS C.A.P. GND STATIONS ON THE C.A.P. VHF-FM AND ANSWERING MANY QUESTIONS ASKED BY MY 2 NON C.A.P. PAX. DURING ALL THIS I KEPT AN EYE ON THE ELT DF EQUIP AND THE TSTMS DEVELOPING IN FRONT OF ME. THE DEN AREA WAS OBSCURED BY THESE TSTMS. I REALIZED I WAS LOST WHEN 1 PAX ASKED WHICH TOWN WE WERE FLYING OVER, AND I VERY CONFIDENTLY REPLIED, 'GREELEY.' SHE SAID IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE GREELEY, SO I CHKED THE CHART TO VERIFY LANDMARKS AND SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT NOT ONLY WAS I NOT FLYING OVER GREELEY, I HAD NO IDEA WHERE I WAS. NOTHING LOOKED FAMILIAR. NAVIGATING AROUND THE DECAYING CUMULUS AND RAIN, I IDENTED BUCKLEY ANGB AND KNEW THEN I WAS IN THE TCA. I CONTACTED BUCKLEY TWR AND LANDED. BUCKLEY TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL DEN TWR, WHICH I DID. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE SO DISTRACTED BY EXTERNAL FACTORS THAT I LOST TRACK OF MY POS. THEN, APCHING DEN FROM A DIRECTION WITH WHICH I WAS UNFAMILIAR, REALIZED THE TCA VIOLATION BY LITERALLY STUMBLING ONTO MY DEST ARPT. I FEEL THERE IS NO EXCUSE AND HOPE THAT MY EXPERIENCE MAY KEEP SOMEONE ELSE FROM THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

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.