Narrative:

I left albany, GA, bound for seneca county, oh. I stopped in london, ky, to refuel. While at london, the clouds began to come in and at takeoff I climbed to 11000' to get above the clouds and rough flying conditions. Further along my route, the clouds completely blocked my view of the ground but I was still VFR because I was 4000' above the clouds. Due to my inexperience, I needed to use ground reference points to aid in navigation but I didn't want to drop down and experience rough flying conditions. I decided to use the ADF and fly by using the available NDB's. I had been having problems with the ADF in the aircraft. It would work and then quit working but I still believed that I had a correct heading. When the ADF was working I also noticed that there was a 10-15 degree variation of accuracy by the ADF when it was operational. There also was a strong west to east x-wind that I fought the whole day trying to stay on course. I flew at 360 degree from london VOR and then took a heading toward georgetown NDB. At georgetown, I wanted to maintain a heading of 355 degree. The ADF did begin to not function at this time and I lost my location. I contacted cmh approach so that I could navigation safely around the cmh arsa. This was when I was notified that I was in the restr area. I was told to maintain my current heading. This was my longest flight as a private pilot. I believe there were alot of factors in this infraction: strong x-winds, avionics failure, and ground covered by clouds. However, I believe the lack of experience in handling wind and navigating west/O the use of ground reference points were the main factors.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED GA PLT LOSES GND REFERENCE VFR ABOVE CLOUD DECK, ATTEMPTS TO NAVIGATE USING THE ADF.

Narrative: I LEFT ALBANY, GA, BOUND FOR SENECA COUNTY, OH. I STOPPED IN LONDON, KY, TO REFUEL. WHILE AT LONDON, THE CLOUDS BEGAN TO COME IN AND AT TKOF I CLBED TO 11000' TO GET ABOVE THE CLOUDS AND ROUGH FLYING CONDITIONS. FURTHER ALONG MY RTE, THE CLOUDS COMPLETELY BLOCKED MY VIEW OF THE GND BUT I WAS STILL VFR BECAUSE I WAS 4000' ABOVE THE CLOUDS. DUE TO MY INEXPERIENCE, I NEEDED TO USE GND REFERENCE POINTS TO AID IN NAV BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO DROP DOWN AND EXPERIENCE ROUGH FLYING CONDITIONS. I DECIDED TO USE THE ADF AND FLY BY USING THE AVAILABLE NDB'S. I HAD BEEN HAVING PROBS WITH THE ADF IN THE ACFT. IT WOULD WORK AND THEN QUIT WORKING BUT I STILL BELIEVED THAT I HAD A CORRECT HDG. WHEN THE ADF WAS WORKING I ALSO NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A 10-15 DEG VARIATION OF ACCURACY BY THE ADF WHEN IT WAS OPERATIONAL. THERE ALSO WAS A STRONG W TO E X-WIND THAT I FOUGHT THE WHOLE DAY TRYING TO STAY ON COURSE. I FLEW AT 360 DEG FROM LONDON VOR AND THEN TOOK A HDG TOWARD GEORGETOWN NDB. AT GEORGETOWN, I WANTED TO MAINTAIN A HDG OF 355 DEG. THE ADF DID BEGIN TO NOT FUNCTION AT THIS TIME AND I LOST MY LOCATION. I CONTACTED CMH APCH SO THAT I COULD NAV SAFELY AROUND THE CMH ARSA. THIS WAS WHEN I WAS NOTIFIED THAT I WAS IN THE RESTR AREA. I WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN MY CURRENT HDG. THIS WAS MY LONGEST FLT AS A PVT PLT. I BELIEVE THERE WERE ALOT OF FACTORS IN THIS INFRACTION: STRONG X-WINDS, AVIONICS FAILURE, AND GND COVERED BY CLOUDS. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THE LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN HANDLING WIND AND NAVIGATING W/O THE USE OF GND REFERENCE POINTS WERE THE MAIN FACTORS.

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