Narrative:

I departed from fdk. Flew to csn VORTAC after contacting iad approach. They informed me they were not getting any return from my transponder. Approximately 12-15 mi north of iad they advised they had radar contact. I believed my transponder (non mode C had begun operating. My intended route of flight was to csn and fly 168 degrees to my destination, west 83. I checked the WX via martinsburg FSS they advised winds at 270 degrees, 27-45 KTS increasing with altitude. Some cumulo form clouds with bottoms at 4500' VFR. I passed over csn, I believe. I did not note the FLIP of the to/from indicator and overflew the VORTAC. The aircraft is equipped with a single navcom. I do not know when I noticed the from indication, I did not know where I was either. My altitude was 4500' MSL. I decided to turn left to 120 degrees and set 168 degrees in the obs. The needle swung full left deflection. My intention was to intercept I95 and follow it to hanover (west 83). I must have overflown I95 west/O seeing it. After approximately 10-20 mins I began to understand that I might have missed I95. I began to search the map and turned to 090 degrees. I climbed to 5500'. When I turned to 090 degrees I noticed an increase in ground speed. I did not compute my ground speed. I was too busy trying to maintain the aircraft's attitude and read my sectional. The turbulence was increasing and I was getting alarmed about the entire situation. I knew I had plenty of fuel, my major concern was to find where I was so I could get to my destination and to not fly in airspace west/O prior permission when required. My thoughts were incorrect, I believed I was farther south and tried every VOR/VORTAC. I could receive none. I was set on finding where I was and completing my flight. As I flew over water I convinced myself I was over lake anna. The VOR was still full left deflection. That at the time seemed correct. I had tuned and idented the VORTAC and although weak I was able to identify (csn). I knew I had overflown my chkpoint(south) because of the amount and size of the bodies of water I was flying over. I decided to continue east. I was unable to identify any of them. I continued eward, descending near the coast. I turned north at the coast and descended to an altitude of 1500' from which I could read the water towers. Frankfort and millsboro came into view and it never occurred to me that I was in delaware. I wasn't even on the correct side of the sectional. After observing the traffic flow, keeping an eye on the tower, I landed at sussex county airport. I refueled and flew back to fdk. ATC at bwi confirmed the transponder was inoperative.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST OVER CSN VOR.

Narrative: I DEPARTED FROM FDK. FLEW TO CSN VORTAC AFTER CONTACTING IAD APCH. THEY INFORMED ME THEY WERE NOT GETTING ANY RETURN FROM MY TRANSPONDER. APPROX 12-15 MI N OF IAD THEY ADVISED THEY HAD RADAR CONTACT. I BELIEVED MY TRANSPONDER (NON MODE C HAD BEGUN OPERATING. MY INTENDED ROUTE OF FLT WAS TO CSN AND FLY 168 DEGS TO MY DEST, W 83. I CHKED THE WX VIA MARTINSBURG FSS THEY ADVISED WINDS AT 270 DEGS, 27-45 KTS INCREASING WITH ALT. SOME CUMULO FORM CLOUDS WITH BOTTOMS AT 4500' VFR. I PASSED OVER CSN, I BELIEVE. I DID NOT NOTE THE FLIP OF THE TO/FROM INDICATOR AND OVERFLEW THE VORTAC. THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A SINGLE NAVCOM. I DO NOT KNOW WHEN I NOTICED THE FROM INDICATION, I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS EITHER. MY ALT WAS 4500' MSL. I DECIDED TO TURN LEFT TO 120 DEGS AND SET 168 DEGS IN THE OBS. THE NEEDLE SWUNG FULL LEFT DEFLECTION. MY INTENTION WAS TO INTERCEPT I95 AND FOLLOW IT TO HANOVER (W 83). I MUST HAVE OVERFLOWN I95 W/O SEEING IT. AFTER APPROX 10-20 MINS I BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THAT I MIGHT HAVE MISSED I95. I BEGAN TO SEARCH THE MAP AND TURNED TO 090 DEGS. I CLBED TO 5500'. WHEN I TURNED TO 090 DEGS I NOTICED AN INCREASE IN GND SPD. I DID NOT COMPUTE MY GND SPD. I WAS TOO BUSY TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE ACFT'S ATTITUDE AND READ MY SECTIONAL. THE TURB WAS INCREASING AND I WAS GETTING ALARMED ABOUT THE ENTIRE SITUATION. I KNEW I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL, MY MAJOR CONCERN WAS TO FIND WHERE I WAS SO I COULD GET TO MY DEST AND TO NOT FLY IN AIRSPACE W/O PRIOR PERMISSION WHEN REQUIRED. MY THOUGHTS WERE INCORRECT, I BELIEVED I WAS FARTHER S AND TRIED EVERY VOR/VORTAC. I COULD RECEIVE NONE. I WAS SET ON FINDING WHERE I WAS AND COMPLETING MY FLT. AS I FLEW OVER WATER I CONVINCED MYSELF I WAS OVER LAKE ANNA. THE VOR WAS STILL FULL LEFT DEFLECTION. THAT AT THE TIME SEEMED CORRECT. I HAD TUNED AND IDENTED THE VORTAC AND ALTHOUGH WEAK I WAS ABLE TO IDENT (CSN). I KNEW I HAD OVERFLOWN MY CHKPOINT(S) BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT AND SIZE OF THE BODIES OF WATER I WAS FLYING OVER. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE E. I WAS UNABLE TO IDENT ANY OF THEM. I CONTINUED EWARD, DSNDING NEAR THE COAST. I TURNED N AT THE COAST AND DSNDED TO AN ALT OF 1500' FROM WHICH I COULD READ THE WATER TWRS. FRANKFORT AND MILLSBORO CAME INTO VIEW AND IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT I WAS IN DELAWARE. I WASN'T EVEN ON THE CORRECT SIDE OF THE SECTIONAL. AFTER OBSERVING THE TFC FLOW, KEEPING AN EYE ON THE TWR, I LANDED AT SUSSEX COUNTY ARPT. I REFUELED AND FLEW BACK TO FDK. ATC AT BWI CONFIRMED THE TRANSPONDER WAS INOP.

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.