Narrative:

I had purchased an small aircraft from an insurance company and did some minor replacement of parts. The radios were 1 VHF and 1 VOR omnigator. 2 yrs ago a DME was installed and, at some time, a transponder and encoder were installed. In local flts at our base, it was determined that the VOR's were operational but marginal. There were no 337's on the DME or the encoder. I elected not to turn the encoder on until I could have it checked for calibration. Since I was not aware of any good avionics shop locally, I decided to ferry the aircraft to the greensboro, nc area for all the needed radio work. I got a WX briefing form hickory FSS at hickory, nc on 7/sun/90. I was told the WX was good all the way to greensboro. I do not recall the exact details at this time. I took off at XX15 am, flying east, tracking away from the harris VOR. The mountains were very hazy and made visibility landmarks on the ground indistinct. At this time, my VOR's became erratic with the to-from flags alternating and the identify stopping. I decided to turn south until clear of the mountains, then go east keeping south of clt TCA, which I did. I landed at lancaster, sc, which is about 3 mi inside the clt atacc west/O permission. There I refueled and, skirting the clt TCA, proceeded to me destination at smith-reynolds airport in winston-salem, nc. Upon arriving at my destination, I found that the communication radio would only transmit approximately 10 mi. When I asked the smith-reynolds tower, I was told, on final, that I was garbled, but they could read me. I am now in the process of acquiring new radios and having the transponder and mode C encoder svced by a repair station. In summary, I intruded on the clt TCA west/O permission.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I HAD PURCHASED AN SMA FROM AN INSURANCE COMPANY AND DID SOME MINOR REPLACEMENT OF PARTS. THE RADIOS WERE 1 VHF AND 1 VOR OMNIGATOR. 2 YRS AGO A DME WAS INSTALLED AND, AT SOME TIME, A XPONDER AND ENCODER WERE INSTALLED. IN LCL FLTS AT OUR BASE, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VOR'S WERE OPERATIONAL BUT MARGINAL. THERE WERE NO 337'S ON THE DME OR THE ENCODER. I ELECTED NOT TO TURN THE ENCODER ON UNTIL I COULD HAVE IT CHECKED FOR CALIBRATION. SINCE I WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY GOOD AVIONICS SHOP LOCALLY, I DECIDED TO FERRY THE ACFT TO THE GREENSBORO, NC AREA FOR ALL THE NEEDED RADIO WORK. I GOT A WX BRIEFING FORM HICKORY FSS AT HICKORY, NC ON 7/SUN/90. I WAS TOLD THE WX WAS GOOD ALL THE WAY TO GREENSBORO. I DO NOT RECALL THE EXACT DETAILS AT THIS TIME. I TOOK OFF AT XX15 AM, FLYING E, TRACKING AWAY FROM THE HARRIS VOR. THE MOUNTAINS WERE VERY HAZY AND MADE VIS LANDMARKS ON THE GND INDISTINCT. AT THIS TIME, MY VOR'S BECAME ERRATIC WITH THE TO-FROM FLAGS ALTERNATING AND THE IDENT STOPPING. I DECIDED TO TURN S UNTIL CLR OF THE MOUNTAINS, THEN GO E KEEPING S OF CLT TCA, WHICH I DID. I LANDED AT LANCASTER, SC, WHICH IS ABOUT 3 MI INSIDE THE CLT ATACC W/O PERMISSION. THERE I REFUELED AND, SKIRTING THE CLT TCA, PROCEEDED TO ME DEST AT SMITH-REYNOLDS ARPT IN WINSTON-SALEM, NC. UPON ARRIVING AT MY DEST, I FOUND THAT THE COM RADIO WOULD ONLY XMIT APPROX 10 MI. WHEN I ASKED THE SMITH-REYNOLDS TWR, I WAS TOLD, ON FINAL, THAT I WAS GARBLED, BUT THEY COULD READ ME. I AM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF ACQUIRING NEW RADIOS AND HAVING THE XPONDER AND MODE C ENCODER SVCED BY A REPAIR STATION. IN SUMMARY, I INTRUDED ON THE CLT TCA W/O PERMISSION.

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.