Narrative:

I departed osh for gary, in home base. I got a briefing at FSS building at osh at midday, based on the WX briefing I got I decided to leave the evening of the bh instead of the bith because of the poor WX forecasted on the bi. After I took off I headed for lake lawn C59 I used my ADF and LORAN and VOR for navigation. En route I monitored ikk flight watch on 122.0 upon receiving WX updates I decided to change my course and headed toward obk VOR and then to the lake front to gyy instead of going west of the ord TCA to dpa VOR to avoid the bad WX. I first called ikk flight watch at lake lawn C59 I gave him my new route and he reported that I shouldn't have any WX problems en route I requested. While I was on my new route I noticed many lighting bolts in my path. I in turn did a 180 degree turn and found a town that I circled and then I called ikk FSS and asked for a steer to a VFR airport because I became confused and disoriented. He in turn turned me over to ord approach. Next I tried to contact approach I began to have radio problems and could not get approach. I then went back to kee FSS. After many, many different frequency changes I was able to contact approach on 125.7 having difficulty understanding instructions because of poor reception I was able to understand a transponder code and they idented me on radar. Next they gave me a heading of 300 degrees. After about 4 mins they turned me to a new heading of 180 degrees toward dpa. The WX began to improve. Approach said dpa was 11 O'clock at 5 mi. Then I saw the field and tried to call dpa tower and received no reply I called about 10 times, received no reply. I circled the field at 2000' MSL (1243' AGL) about 5 times and did not see any light signal. I tried to contact ord approach on 125.7 and got no reply. I observed no traffic movement in the pattern or on the ground. I decided to use their longest runway 10. I called downwind for 10 and watched for a light signal from tower. I saw none. I called base then final while watching for a light signal and I saw none. I landed. I turned off the runway onto the taxiway and stopped. I picked up my hand-held from the back seat and called tower (note this hand-held is difficult to use in flight and in night). I asked tower for a progressive to FBO that I would tie down for the night and try in the am and after I had my radios looked at tower told me to call ord approach and I spoke to mr. X. He asked me abut the flight. I told him the above story. I then asked if there were any violations committed. He said no. I then asked why I had to call him. He said I skirted the TCA and he had to make out a report and he asked for the pilots name. I asked him if the conversation was recorded and he said yes. I asked him again if I made any violations or busted any regulations. He said no. I then gave him my name. I asked him if I could find out if there would be any action. He told me to contact mr. Y on 7/mon/90 at XX00.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DISORIENTED TRYING TO AVOID WX AT DUSK NEEDS FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I DEPARTED OSH FOR GARY, IN HOME BASE. I GOT A BRIEFING AT FSS BUILDING AT OSH AT MIDDAY, BASED ON THE WX BRIEFING I GOT I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE EVENING OF THE BH INSTEAD OF THE BITH BECAUSE OF THE POOR WX FORECASTED ON THE BI. AFTER I TOOK OFF I HEADED FOR LAKE LAWN C59 I USED MY ADF AND LORAN AND VOR FOR NAV. ENRTE I MONITORED IKK FLT WATCH ON 122.0 UPON RECEIVING WX UPDATES I DECIDED TO CHANGE MY COURSE AND HEADED TOWARD OBK VOR AND THEN TO THE LAKE FRONT TO GYY INSTEAD OF GOING W OF THE ORD TCA TO DPA VOR TO AVOID THE BAD WX. I FIRST CALLED IKK FLT WATCH AT LAKE LAWN C59 I GAVE HIM MY NEW RTE AND HE RPTED THAT I SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY WX PROBS ENRTE I REQUESTED. WHILE I WAS ON MY NEW RTE I NOTICED MANY LIGHTING BOLTS IN MY PATH. I IN TURN DID A 180 DEG TURN AND FOUND A TOWN THAT I CIRCLED AND THEN I CALLED IKK FSS AND ASKED FOR A STEER TO A VFR ARPT BECAUSE I BECAME CONFUSED AND DISORIENTED. HE IN TURN TURNED ME OVER TO ORD APCH. NEXT I TRIED TO CONTACT APCH I BEGAN TO HAVE RADIO PROBS AND COULD NOT GET APCH. I THEN WENT BACK TO KEE FSS. AFTER MANY, MANY DIFFERENT FREQ CHANGES I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT APCH ON 125.7 HAVING DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE OF POOR RECEPTION I WAS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND A XPONDER CODE AND THEY IDENTED ME ON RADAR. NEXT THEY GAVE ME A HDG OF 300 DEGS. AFTER ABOUT 4 MINS THEY TURNED ME TO A NEW HDG OF 180 DEGS TOWARD DPA. THE WX BEGAN TO IMPROVE. APCH SAID DPA WAS 11 O'CLOCK AT 5 MI. THEN I SAW THE FIELD AND TRIED TO CALL DPA TWR AND RECEIVED NO REPLY I CALLED ABOUT 10 TIMES, RECEIVED NO REPLY. I CIRCLED THE FIELD AT 2000' MSL (1243' AGL) ABOUT 5 TIMES AND DID NOT SEE ANY LIGHT SIGNAL. I TRIED TO CONTACT ORD APCH ON 125.7 AND GOT NO REPLY. I OBSERVED NO TFC MOVEMENT IN THE PATTERN OR ON THE GND. I DECIDED TO USE THEIR LONGEST RWY 10. I CALLED DOWNWIND FOR 10 AND WATCHED FOR A LIGHT SIGNAL FROM TWR. I SAW NONE. I CALLED BASE THEN FINAL WHILE WATCHING FOR A LIGHT SIGNAL AND I SAW NONE. I LANDED. I TURNED OFF THE RWY ONTO THE TXWY AND STOPPED. I PICKED UP MY HAND-HELD FROM THE BACK SEAT AND CALLED TWR (NOTE THIS HAND-HELD IS DIFFICULT TO USE IN FLT AND IN NIGHT). I ASKED TWR FOR A PROGRESSIVE TO FBO THAT I WOULD TIE DOWN FOR THE NIGHT AND TRY IN THE AM AND AFTER I HAD MY RADIOS LOOKED AT TWR TOLD ME TO CALL ORD APCH AND I SPOKE TO MR. X. HE ASKED ME ABUT THE FLT. I TOLD HIM THE ABOVE STORY. I THEN ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY VIOLATIONS COMMITTED. HE SAID NO. I THEN ASKED WHY I HAD TO CALL HIM. HE SAID I SKIRTED THE TCA AND HE HAD TO MAKE OUT A RPT AND HE ASKED FOR THE PLTS NAME. I ASKED HIM IF THE CONVERSATION WAS RECORDED AND HE SAID YES. I ASKED HIM AGAIN IF I MADE ANY VIOLATIONS OR BUSTED ANY REGS. HE SAID NO. I THEN GAVE HIM MY NAME. I ASKED HIM IF I COULD FIND OUT IF THERE WOULD BE ANY ACTION. HE TOLD ME TO CONTACT MR. Y ON 7/MON/90 AT XX00.

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.