Narrative:

After departure gso I went outbnd on the 082 degree right. Flight plan showed 84 mi and 32 mins en route to 4w8. My plan was to fly out the 082 degree right (direct henderson) for 12 mins and then start an en route descent from 9500 to 3000' at 500 FPM descent rate. This would bring me to 3000' approximately 5 mi prior to 4w8. I continued out the 082 degree right until I came to what I thought was the lake just east of henderson. I flew to the south corner of the lake and then went west to find 4w8, but could not. Continued to look but realized I must be lost. I climbed to 4000', dialed in gso and began proceeding direct. As I did I called FSS on 122.0 and asked for center frequency. 122.65 did not work so I went back to 122.0. At this time my right tank was exhausted so I switched to my left tank. I knew there was 20-30 mins of fuel left and that I might not make it to gso. A few mins later while talking to FSS I spotted an airport. I knew it was a major one and that there was a control tower. With estimated fuel known of 15 mins I descended to 1000' to the southwest of the field. I felt this would keep me below and out of the way of all approachs, except maybe a circling. I told FSS of my intentions. I also think I asked them to contact all major airports in the henderson oxford area. My plane now was to find a light aircraft on final and follow him in. I still did not have a controller frequency and didn't think of 121.5. With an estimated 10 mins of fuel on board I saw an small aircraft Z on final. I pulled in behind him about 1 mi and started on final. Before the small aircraft Z was off the runway I was over the threshold and I touched down just after he departed the active. I followed the aircraft to parking. I immediately went to a phone and contacted the head controller at rdu, explained the situation and gave him information requested. The x-county was thoroughly planned. I spent 19 1/2 hours in the planning stage. Looking back, the 1 mistake I made was not transmitting on 121.5. I thought of 243.0 which is what I normally use (UHF). That point (mistake) bothers me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA BECAME LOST BETWEEN GSO AND RDU. ACFT LANDED WITHOUT CONTACTING RDU TWR.

Narrative: AFTER DEP GSO I WENT OUTBND ON THE 082 DEG R. FLT PLAN SHOWED 84 MI AND 32 MINS ENRTE TO 4W8. MY PLAN WAS TO FLY OUT THE 082 DEG R (DIRECT HENDERSON) FOR 12 MINS AND THEN START AN ENRTE DSNT FROM 9500 TO 3000' AT 500 FPM DSNT RATE. THIS WOULD BRING ME TO 3000' APPROX 5 MI PRIOR TO 4W8. I CONTINUED OUT THE 082 DEG R UNTIL I CAME TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE LAKE JUST E OF HENDERSON. I FLEW TO THE S CORNER OF THE LAKE AND THEN WENT W TO FIND 4W8, BUT COULD NOT. CONTINUED TO LOOK BUT REALIZED I MUST BE LOST. I CLBED TO 4000', DIALED IN GSO AND BEGAN PROCEEDING DIRECT. AS I DID I CALLED FSS ON 122.0 AND ASKED FOR CENTER FREQ. 122.65 DID NOT WORK SO I WENT BACK TO 122.0. AT THIS TIME MY RIGHT TANK WAS EXHAUSTED SO I SWITCHED TO MY LEFT TANK. I KNEW THERE WAS 20-30 MINS OF FUEL LEFT AND THAT I MIGHT NOT MAKE IT TO GSO. A FEW MINS LATER WHILE TALKING TO FSS I SPOTTED AN ARPT. I KNEW IT WAS A MAJOR ONE AND THAT THERE WAS A CTL TWR. WITH ESTIMATED FUEL KNOWN OF 15 MINS I DSNDED TO 1000' TO THE SW OF THE FIELD. I FELT THIS WOULD KEEP ME BELOW AND OUT OF THE WAY OF ALL APCHS, EXCEPT MAYBE A CIRCLING. I TOLD FSS OF MY INTENTIONS. I ALSO THINK I ASKED THEM TO CONTACT ALL MAJOR ARPTS IN THE HENDERSON OXFORD AREA. MY PLANE NOW WAS TO FIND A LIGHT ACFT ON FINAL AND FOLLOW HIM IN. I STILL DID NOT HAVE A CTLR FREQ AND DIDN'T THINK OF 121.5. WITH AN ESTIMATED 10 MINS OF FUEL ON BOARD I SAW AN SMA Z ON FINAL. I PULLED IN BEHIND HIM ABOUT 1 MI AND STARTED ON FINAL. BEFORE THE SMA Z WAS OFF THE RWY I WAS OVER THE THRESHOLD AND I TOUCHED DOWN JUST AFTER HE DEPARTED THE ACTIVE. I FOLLOWED THE ACFT TO PARKING. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO A PHONE AND CONTACTED THE HEAD CTLR AT RDU, EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND GAVE HIM INFO REQUESTED. THE X-COUNTY WAS THOROUGHLY PLANNED. I SPENT 19 1/2 HRS IN THE PLANNING STAGE. LOOKING BACK, THE 1 MISTAKE I MADE WAS NOT XMITTING ON 121.5. I THOUGHT OF 243.0 WHICH IS WHAT I NORMALLY USE (UHF). THAT POINT (MISTAKE) BOTHERS ME.

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.