Small aircraft on VFR flight became disoriented and probably entered a TCA without ATC clearance.

Attributes
ACN	129975
Time
Date	198912
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dpa
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ord
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 31 flight time total : 580
ASRS Report	129975
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At xa am I flew from lansing municipal 3HA to dupage dpa to have my transponder repaired. I had obtained a waiver to go to dupage without the transponder from O'hare tower the night before. XXXX avionics removed the transponder and kept it for repair. Upon departing dupage I believe I set my dg to the wrong heading. About 4 mins after departure I noticed my ADF pointing the wrong direction. I then saw an medium large transport in front of me about 3-4 mi away. I turned away from the medium large transport and noticed the dg was off, then I reset it. I started to go direct to dupage VOR. As I approached dupage I recognized the fermilap which is south of dupage. I then knew where I was and proceeded to lansing as I originally planned. I believe I may have violated the O'hare TCA. Not having the transponder was a major contributing factor. I have flown to dupage several times before and normally I would have gone direct from the dupage VOR to the chicago heights VOR. I would have used those 2 vors as waypoints for my LORAN and would have known right away if I was off course. I also would have called midway approach control north of clow airport for traffic advisories. That course would have taken me close to the midway arsa. I wanted to fly farther south of that arsa because I didn't have the transponder. So I was planning to fly out of dupage on a 160 degree heading to intercept the 90 degree bearing to the chicago heights VOR, and then fly straight east to chicago heights which would have put me way south of midway. The dg was off and I became disoriented and didn't know where I was and was unaware I was so close to O'hare. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that after conversation with ATC he believes that he was in fact in the TCA with clearance. He also states that he believes that an investigation is in progress.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON VFR FLT BECAME DISORIENTED AND PROBABLY ENTERED A TCA WITHOUT ATC CLRNC.

Narrative: AT XA AM I FLEW FROM LANSING MUNICIPAL 3HA TO DUPAGE DPA TO HAVE MY XPONDER REPAIRED. I HAD OBTAINED A WAIVER TO GO TO DUPAGE WITHOUT THE XPONDER FROM O'HARE TWR THE NIGHT BEFORE. XXXX AVIONICS REMOVED THE XPONDER AND KEPT IT FOR REPAIR. UPON DEPARTING DUPAGE I BELIEVE I SET MY DG TO THE WRONG HDG. ABOUT 4 MINS AFTER DEP I NOTICED MY ADF POINTING THE WRONG DIRECTION. I THEN SAW AN MLG IN FRONT OF ME ABOUT 3-4 MI AWAY. I TURNED AWAY FROM THE MLG AND NOTICED THE DG WAS OFF, THEN I RESET IT. I STARTED TO GO DIRECT TO DUPAGE VOR. AS I APCHED DUPAGE I RECOGNIZED THE FERMILAP WHICH IS S OF DUPAGE. I THEN KNEW WHERE I WAS AND PROCEEDED TO LANSING AS I ORIGINALLY PLANNED. I BELIEVE I MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE O'HARE TCA. NOT HAVING THE XPONDER WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. I HAVE FLOWN TO DUPAGE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND NORMALLY I WOULD HAVE GONE DIRECT FROM THE DUPAGE VOR TO THE CHICAGO HEIGHTS VOR. I WOULD HAVE USED THOSE 2 VORS AS WAYPOINTS FOR MY LORAN AND WOULD HAVE KNOWN RIGHT AWAY IF I WAS OFF COURSE. I ALSO WOULD HAVE CALLED MIDWAY APCH CTL N OF CLOW ARPT FOR TFC ADVISORIES. THAT COURSE WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME CLOSE TO THE MIDWAY ARSA. I WANTED TO FLY FARTHER S OF THAT ARSA BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE XPONDER. SO I WAS PLANNING TO FLY OUT OF DUPAGE ON A 160 DEG HDG TO INTERCEPT THE 90 DEG BEARING TO THE CHICAGO HEIGHTS VOR, AND THEN FLY STRAIGHT E TO CHICAGO HEIGHTS WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT ME WAY SOUTH OF MIDWAY. THE DG WAS OFF AND I BECAME DISORIENTED AND DIDN'T KNOW WHERE I WAS AND WAS UNAWARE I WAS SO CLOSE TO O'HARE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES THAT AFTER CONVERSATION WITH ATC HE BELIEVES THAT HE WAS IN FACT IN THE TCA WITH CLRNC. HE ALSO STATES THAT HE BELIEVES THAT AN INVESTIGATION IS IN PROGRESS.

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.