Narrative:

My LORAN reported an airspace alert for ilm ahead so, I called ATC and reported my position at 25 mi north of ilm. ATC gave me a squawk and I complied. I should mention here that it was uncomfortably warm in the cockpit. In order to maintain VFR I descended to 1700'. I noticed that I had lost the VOR. I called ilm to find out if they had a radar fix on me yet. I didn't hear anything. I followed the LORAN course indicator for my track to ilm. I continued to call ilm with no response. I presssed on. I could hear other planes talking with ilm and then, ilm began to come in very weak and barely readable. It seemed that no matter what course corrections that I made, the LORAN cross track indicator could not be zeroed. I tried to reach ilm on communication 2 with no luck. Then I noticed that my ground speed readout said I was doing 281 KTS. I'm in an small aircraft. I thought I had some massive equipment problem and had lost all my electronics. The temperature seemed to be steadily increasing in the cockpit. I decided to try for a relay to ilm from one of the planes I could hear well. I was able to communication on the first try. A short period of time went by while we all tried to figure out exactly where I was. Then I saw an airport. I thought it was ilm and headed for it. As I approached the airport I realized it wasn't ilm. I steered to the west to go around the airport. Ilm and I came to the conclusion at the same time that I had arrival at cherry point MCAS. I was given the ATC frequency and contacted cherry point ATC. I was given a squawk and vectors to clear R-5306 and released to VFR continue to ilm.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS LORAN FAILURE, BECOMES DISORIENTED ENTERS RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: MY LORAN RPTED AN AIRSPACE ALERT FOR ILM AHEAD SO, I CALLED ATC AND RPTED MY POS AT 25 MI N OF ILM. ATC GAVE ME A SQUAWK AND I COMPLIED. I SHOULD MENTION HERE THAT IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLY WARM IN THE COCKPIT. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VFR I DSNDED TO 1700'. I NOTICED THAT I HAD LOST THE VOR. I CALLED ILM TO FIND OUT IF THEY HAD A RADAR FIX ON ME YET. I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING. I FOLLOWED THE LORAN COURSE INDICATOR FOR MY TRACK TO ILM. I CONTINUED TO CALL ILM WITH NO RESPONSE. I PRESSSED ON. I COULD HEAR OTHER PLANES TALKING WITH ILM AND THEN, ILM BEGAN TO COME IN VERY WEAK AND BARELY READABLE. IT SEEMED THAT NO MATTER WHAT COURSE CORRECTIONS THAT I MADE, THE LORAN CROSS TRACK INDICATOR COULD NOT BE ZEROED. I TRIED TO REACH ILM ON COM 2 WITH NO LUCK. THEN I NOTICED THAT MY GND SPD READOUT SAID I WAS DOING 281 KTS. I'M IN AN SMA. I THOUGHT I HAD SOME MASSIVE EQUIP PROB AND HAD LOST ALL MY ELECTRONICS. THE TEMP SEEMED TO BE STEADILY INCREASING IN THE COCKPIT. I DECIDED TO TRY FOR A RELAY TO ILM FROM ONE OF THE PLANES I COULD HEAR WELL. I WAS ABLE TO COM ON THE FIRST TRY. A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WENT BY WHILE WE ALL TRIED TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHERE I WAS. THEN I SAW AN ARPT. I THOUGHT IT WAS ILM AND HEADED FOR IT. AS I APCHED THE ARPT I REALIZED IT WASN'T ILM. I STEERED TO THE W TO GO AROUND THE ARPT. ILM AND I CAME TO THE CONCLUSION AT THE SAME TIME THAT I HAD ARR AT CHERRY POINT MCAS. I WAS GIVEN THE ATC FREQ AND CONTACTED CHERRY POINT ATC. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK AND VECTORS TO CLR R-5306 AND RELEASED TO VFR CONTINUE TO ILM.

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.