Narrative:

I got lost, entered atas, and entered and exited an arsa west/O announcing my presence. On a day time flight 2 weeks previous, I had discovered that by flying east along the north side of the 21O freeway from the area of the rose bowl to the vicinity of santa anita race track I could sight emt earlier. The last half hour of this flight was at night and when approach terminated I had already decided that following the 210 freeway would make even better sense at night. I reasoned that I could see the landmarks and follow the freeway while I also looked for the rotating beacon. I was wrong. West/O events going on in them, neither the rose bowl nor the race track are easily visible. By expending all my effort, even circling, looking for these landmarks, which were darkened, I failed to look for other landmarks including the airport beacon and the 605 freeway, which is east and parallel to the airport. I was lost. As I continued east, I noticed that the mountains to the north were getting lower, and a freeway (interstate 15) in the distance was over a parking lot with a 'jet' on a field to the south. This was ont., I started climbing to the northwest intent on getting out of or over the arsa and air traffic area. By the time I was reestablished on a westerly course and had again found the 210 freeway, I presumed that I had flown out the side of the arsa. I flew westbound on the north side of the 210 freeway. This time I spotted the 605 freeway and then emt. From the time I had emt in sight the flight was routine. Nearly everything about the flight was handled inappropriately. I had assumed that landmarks visible in daylight would be visible at night. When they were not immediately apparent, I chose to continue searching for them and chose not to admit my situation to emt tower or to myself. I had not wanted to fly at night, but the time my wife (who was staying to care for her parents) needed me to assist her ailing parents pushed back my departure. I should have stayed with my plan to depart at an earlier time or deferred until the following day. I could haveestablished myself on victor 186 and been assured that I would cross the southern end of emt runway 19, and intercepted the san bernardino and 605 freeways. Most importantly I should have been ready to use the ADF. With an NDB on the field, there was an easy way to determine station passage. While I have used this on other occasions, it has somehow ceased to be a habit. It is particularly troubling to me that I did not have a plan to use this instrument as part of my normal procedure, because I experienced a similar situation some 15 months earlier in the same plane. At that time, I realized I hadn't made use of the ADF and vowed, then, to make it a part of my normal routine. I should have been aware of my rising anxiety level and immediately begun mentally to go through a checklist of procedures and alternatives. (The anxiety, of course, would probably not developed if I had adequately prepared for the flight). My actions showed almost no evidence of systematic pilotage or pilot thinking. I should have tuned the radio to ont approach at this point and had my location established. Before I fly again, I will have developed a list of all the pertinent frequencys for the emt vicinity printed on it in large letters. Before every flight, I will do the same for my destination airports. I do not have as part of my planning, a routine to familiarize myself with all the potential landmarks and conditions. I do not habitually review how I might utilize each instrument on each flight. By using the ADF, triangulating with the vors, examining the terminal chart that sat on my lap, confessing to being lost, or just turning around, I could have established the airport's location and could have avoided violating communications and airspace requirements. As a consequence of this experience and the previous one, which I also reported, I am convinced that annual or biennial reviews should include chkouts of night flying capabilities. While I thought my annual review was pretty thorough and addressed my concerns, this experience points out thatthere is much more to be covered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I GOT LOST, ENTERED ATAS, AND ENTERED AND EXITED AN ARSA W/O ANNOUNCING MY PRESENCE. ON A DAY TIME FLT 2 WKS PREVIOUS, I HAD DISCOVERED THAT BY FLYING E ALONG THE N SIDE OF THE 21O FREEWAY FROM THE AREA OF THE ROSE BOWL TO THE VICINITY OF SANTA ANITA RACE TRACK I COULD SIGHT EMT EARLIER. THE LAST HALF HR OF THIS FLT WAS AT NIGHT AND WHEN APCH TERMINATED I HAD ALREADY DECIDED THAT FOLLOWING THE 210 FREEWAY WOULD MAKE EVEN BETTER SENSE AT NIGHT. I REASONED THAT I COULD SEE THE LANDMARKS AND FOLLOW THE FREEWAY WHILE I ALSO LOOKED FOR THE ROTATING BEACON. I WAS WRONG. W/O EVENTS GOING ON IN THEM, NEITHER THE ROSE BOWL NOR THE RACE TRACK ARE EASILY VISIBLE. BY EXPENDING ALL MY EFFORT, EVEN CIRCLING, LOOKING FOR THESE LANDMARKS, WHICH WERE DARKENED, I FAILED TO LOOK FOR OTHER LANDMARKS INCLUDING THE ARPT BEACON AND THE 605 FREEWAY, WHICH IS E AND PARALLEL TO THE ARPT. I WAS LOST. AS I CONTINUED E, I NOTICED THAT THE MOUNTAINS TO THE N WERE GETTING LOWER, AND A FREEWAY (INTERSTATE 15) IN THE DISTANCE WAS OVER A PARKING LOT WITH A 'JET' ON A FIELD TO THE S. THIS WAS ONT., I STARTED CLBING TO THE NW INTENT ON GETTING OUT OF OR OVER THE ARSA AND ATA. BY THE TIME I WAS REESTABLISHED ON A WESTERLY COURSE AND HAD AGAIN FOUND THE 210 FREEWAY, I PRESUMED THAT I HAD FLOWN OUT THE SIDE OF THE ARSA. I FLEW WBND ON THE N SIDE OF THE 210 FREEWAY. THIS TIME I SPOTTED THE 605 FREEWAY AND THEN EMT. FROM THE TIME I HAD EMT IN SIGHT THE FLT WAS ROUTINE. NEARLY EVERYTHING ABOUT THE FLT WAS HANDLED INAPPROPRIATELY. I HAD ASSUMED THAT LANDMARKS VISIBLE IN DAYLIGHT WOULD BE VISIBLE AT NIGHT. WHEN THEY WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY APPARENT, I CHOSE TO CONTINUE SEARCHING FOR THEM AND CHOSE NOT TO ADMIT MY SITUATION TO EMT TWR OR TO MYSELF. I HAD NOT WANTED TO FLY AT NIGHT, BUT THE TIME MY WIFE (WHO WAS STAYING TO CARE FOR HER PARENTS) NEEDED ME TO ASSIST HER AILING PARENTS PUSHED BACK MY DEP. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED WITH MY PLAN TO DEPART AT AN EARLIER TIME OR DEFERRED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY. I COULD HAVEESTABLISHED MYSELF ON VICTOR 186 AND BEEN ASSURED THAT I WOULD CROSS THE SOUTHERN END OF EMT RWY 19, AND INTERCEPTED THE SAN BERNARDINO AND 605 FREEWAYS. MOST IMPORTANTLY I SHOULD HAVE BEEN READY TO USE THE ADF. WITH AN NDB ON THE FIELD, THERE WAS AN EASY WAY TO DETERMINE STATION PASSAGE. WHILE I HAVE USED THIS ON OTHER OCCASIONS, IT HAS SOMEHOW CEASED TO BE A HABIT. IT IS PARTICULARLY TROUBLING TO ME THAT I DID NOT HAVE A PLAN TO USE THIS INSTRUMENT AS PART OF MY NORMAL PROC, BECAUSE I EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR SITUATION SOME 15 MONTHS EARLIER IN THE SAME PLANE. AT THAT TIME, I REALIZED I HADN'T MADE USE OF THE ADF AND VOWED, THEN, TO MAKE IT A PART OF MY NORMAL ROUTINE. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE OF MY RISING ANXIETY LEVEL AND IMMEDIATELY BEGUN MENTALLY TO GO THROUGH A CHKLIST OF PROCS AND ALTERNATIVES. (THE ANXIETY, OF COURSE, WOULD PROBABLY NOT DEVELOPED IF I HAD ADEQUATELY PREPARED FOR THE FLT). MY ACTIONS SHOWED ALMOST NO EVIDENCE OF SYSTEMATIC PILOTAGE OR PLT THINKING. I SHOULD HAVE TUNED THE RADIO TO ONT APCH AT THIS POINT AND HAD MY LOCATION ESTABLISHED. BEFORE I FLY AGAIN, I WILL HAVE DEVELOPED A LIST OF ALL THE PERTINENT FREQS FOR THE EMT VICINITY PRINTED ON IT IN LARGE LETTERS. BEFORE EVERY FLT, I WILL DO THE SAME FOR MY DEST ARPTS. I DO NOT HAVE AS PART OF MY PLANNING, A ROUTINE TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH ALL THE POTENTIAL LANDMARKS AND CONDITIONS. I DO NOT HABITUALLY REVIEW HOW I MIGHT UTILIZE EACH INSTRUMENT ON EACH FLT. BY USING THE ADF, TRIANGULATING WITH THE VORS, EXAMINING THE TERMINAL CHART THAT SAT ON MY LAP, CONFESSING TO BEING LOST, OR JUST TURNING AROUND, I COULD HAVE ESTABLISHED THE ARPT'S LOCATION AND COULD HAVE AVOIDED VIOLATING COMS AND AIRSPACE REQUIREMENTS. AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THIS EXPERIENCE AND THE PREVIOUS ONE, WHICH I ALSO RPTED, I AM CONVINCED THAT ANNUAL OR BIENNIAL REVIEWS SHOULD INCLUDE CHKOUTS OF NIGHT FLYING CAPABILITIES. WHILE I THOUGHT MY ANNUAL REVIEW WAS PRETTY THOROUGH AND ADDRESSED MY CONCERNS, THIS EXPERIENCE POINTS OUT THATTHERE IS MUCH MORE TO BE COVERED.

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.