Small aircraft vintage biplane pilot gets lost in lax basin area and penetrates TCA.

Attributes
ACN	159974
Time
Date	199010
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax airport : hhr
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax tower : lax tower : dfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 3300 flight time type : 131
ASRS Report	159974
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist none taken : detected after the fact other other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While driving from hawthorne to thermal airport to do some maintenance work on my small aircraft vintage biplane, I observed the WX to be VFR. After departing thermal airport I checked the WX en route. During the flight it became dark. After flying over the top of the ont arsa I dropped down to stay under the lax TCA. I encountered a few low clouds. In maneuvering to stay clear and maintain VFR I became disoriented and flew over lax. I thought that it was orange county airport and contacted the tower and tried to describe my position to him. He told me to call approach control, but I was unsuccessful. I then found the coastline and thought that I would fly up the coast to la harbor to stay out of the lgb control zone and up to hawthorne airport--but I flew past lax and thought that marina del rey was newport harbor. Flying further up the coast nothing looked right so I did a 180 degree turn back to the airport (lax). At this time the state of my fuel was a very important consideration and I wanted to stay within gliding distance of the airport in case of an emergency landing. It was the safest thing I could do at the time, considering the people and property on the ground and, of course, myself. About this time I was on contact with lax who informed me that I was indeed over lax. They had me squawk 7700 and directed me to a safe landing at hawthorne airport. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter described aircraft as a vintage cabin type (circa 1933) with dual communication radio and VOR navigation. He is amateur pilot with about 50 yrs experience, familiar with lax basin, and is based at hhr. Nevertheless, he became disoriented to the extent that he was over lax but thought he was over sna. Admits the gross navigation error and attributes it to marginal visibility due haze at night. After unsuccessful attempt to contact sna tower he called on emergency frequency and eventually was led to lax tower which was able to identify his aircraft directly over lax and vectored reporter to hhr plus sending sheriff helicopter to guide reporter to hhr. FAA has investigated this case and has decided to take no action with respect to it after giving consideration to further training as a mild disciplinary action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA VINTAGE BIPLANE PLT GETS LOST IN LAX BASIN AREA AND PENETRATES TCA.

Narrative: WHILE DRIVING FROM HAWTHORNE TO THERMAL ARPT TO DO SOME MAINT WORK ON MY SMA VINTAGE BIPLANE, I OBSERVED THE WX TO BE VFR. AFTER DEPARTING THERMAL ARPT I CHKED THE WX ENRTE. DURING THE FLT IT BECAME DARK. AFTER FLYING OVER THE TOP OF THE ONT ARSA I DROPPED DOWN TO STAY UNDER THE LAX TCA. I ENCOUNTERED A FEW LOW CLOUDS. IN MANEUVERING TO STAY CLR AND MAINTAIN VFR I BECAME DISORIENTED AND FLEW OVER LAX. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS ORANGE COUNTY ARPT AND CONTACTED THE TWR AND TRIED TO DESCRIBE MY POS TO HIM. HE TOLD ME TO CALL APCH CTL, BUT I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I THEN FOUND THE COASTLINE AND THOUGHT THAT I WOULD FLY UP THE COAST TO LA HARBOR TO STAY OUT OF THE LGB CTL ZONE AND UP TO HAWTHORNE ARPT--BUT I FLEW PAST LAX AND THOUGHT THAT MARINA DEL REY WAS NEWPORT HARBOR. FLYING FURTHER UP THE COAST NOTHING LOOKED RIGHT SO I DID A 180 DEG TURN BACK TO THE ARPT (LAX). AT THIS TIME THE STATE OF MY FUEL WAS A VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION AND I WANTED TO STAY WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE OF THE ARPT IN CASE OF AN EMER LNDG. IT WAS THE SAFEST THING I COULD DO AT THE TIME, CONSIDERING THE PEOPLE AND PROPERTY ON THE GND AND, OF COURSE, MYSELF. ABOUT THIS TIME I WAS ON CONTACT WITH LAX WHO INFORMED ME THAT I WAS INDEED OVER LAX. THEY HAD ME SQUAWK 7700 AND DIRECTED ME TO A SAFE LNDG AT HAWTHORNE ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR DESCRIBED ACFT AS A VINTAGE CABIN TYPE (CIRCA 1933) WITH DUAL COM RADIO AND VOR NAV. HE IS AMATEUR PLT WITH ABOUT 50 YRS EXPERIENCE, FAMILIAR WITH LAX BASIN, AND IS BASED AT HHR. NEVERTHELESS, HE BECAME DISORIENTED TO THE EXTENT THAT HE WAS OVER LAX BUT THOUGHT HE WAS OVER SNA. ADMITS THE GROSS NAV ERROR AND ATTRIBUTES IT TO MARGINAL VISIBILITY DUE HAZE AT NIGHT. AFTER UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO CONTACT SNA TWR HE CALLED ON EMER FREQ AND EVENTUALLY WAS LED TO LAX TWR WHICH WAS ABLE TO IDENT HIS ACFT DIRECTLY OVER LAX AND VECTORED RPTR TO HHR PLUS SENDING SHERIFF HELI TO GUIDE RPTR TO HHR. FAA HAS INVESTIGATED THIS CASE AND HAS DECIDED TO TAKE NO ACTION WITH RESPECT TO IT AFTER GIVING CONSIDERATION TO FURTHER TRNING AS A MILD DISCIPLINARY ACTION.

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.