GA small aircraft unauthorized penetration of acy arsa.

Attributes
ACN	171113
Time
Date	199102
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : acy
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1300 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : acy tower : swf
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 735 flight time type : 320
ASRS Report	171113
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was on a night flight from nyc to cross keys, nj. I flew the VFR corridor along 95 on the east side of philadelphia, PA. I used and saw trenton/robbinsville and flying 'west' as chkpoints. I was flying 240 degree when I lost sight of camden and cross keys airport. I was at 1500' and looking for camden when I realized I was south of where I was but where exactly I was not sure. I tried using loyle VOR (113.4), cedar lake (115.2) and sea isle VOR (114.8) and woodstown (112.8) VOR but received poor and vague reading (a variable of 30 degree). So I decided to fly east along the coast and locate an airport to land at. I located an airport along my path and flew lower to identify it. When I saw jets I knew not to land there. Due to the blue light I was using I did not see clearly the atlantic city international airport and printing. I tried to locate bader and ocean city airports, but could not see them. I realized that I was seeing atlantic city and that I just over flew acy, the international airport. I called acy tower and they asked me to squawk a code. I did, and they located me 7 mi southeast of the airport. I told them I realized just over flew their airport at a low altitude only because I was lost and was unable to VOR locate myself and that I was in trouble. They informed me that I was over their airport at 1300' and that I was not in trouble due to no aircraft flew activity at their airport at the time. Acy helped me find ocean city airport, whose green/white was off, and I landed safely. I called approach at their request and they said I was not in trouble due to the low activity load at the airport and told me to contact a center I was near so they could locate me and a problem would not develop. Next time I'll call a center, after I have tried using VOR radials at a higher altitude, and use a red light not blue. Acy approach helped me find bader international, nj, as well as radar advisories when I left their area. I hope nothing more comes of this. I learned a lot from this experience and am a better pilot for it. I hope not to learn this way again. I am not in a habit of busing arsas.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF ACY ARSA.

Narrative: I WAS ON A NIGHT FLT FROM NYC TO CROSS KEYS, NJ. I FLEW THE VFR CORRIDOR ALONG 95 ON THE E SIDE OF PHILADELPHIA, PA. I USED AND SAW TRENTON/ROBBINSVILLE AND FLYING 'W' AS CHKPOINTS. I WAS FLYING 240 DEG WHEN I LOST SIGHT OF CAMDEN AND CROSS KEYS ARPT. I WAS AT 1500' AND LOOKING FOR CAMDEN WHEN I REALIZED I WAS S OF WHERE I WAS BUT WHERE EXACTLY I WAS NOT SURE. I TRIED USING LOYLE VOR (113.4), CEDAR LAKE (115.2) AND SEA ISLE VOR (114.8) AND WOODSTOWN (112.8) VOR BUT RECEIVED POOR AND VAGUE READING (A VARIABLE OF 30 DEG). SO I DECIDED TO FLY E ALONG THE COAST AND LOCATE AN ARPT TO LAND AT. I LOCATED AN ARPT ALONG MY PATH AND FLEW LOWER TO IDENT IT. WHEN I SAW JETS I KNEW NOT TO LAND THERE. DUE TO THE BLUE LIGHT I WAS USING I DID NOT SEE CLRLY THE ATLANTIC CITY INTL ARPT AND PRINTING. I TRIED TO LOCATE BADER AND OCEAN CITY ARPTS, BUT COULD NOT SEE THEM. I REALIZED THAT I WAS SEEING ATLANTIC CITY AND THAT I JUST OVER FLEW ACY, THE INTL ARPT. I CALLED ACY TWR AND THEY ASKED ME TO SQUAWK A CODE. I DID, AND THEY LOCATED ME 7 MI SE OF THE ARPT. I TOLD THEM I REALIZED JUST OVER FLEW THEIR ARPT AT A LOW ALT ONLY BECAUSE I WAS LOST AND WAS UNABLE TO VOR LOCATE MYSELF AND THAT I WAS IN TROUBLE. THEY INFORMED ME THAT I WAS OVER THEIR ARPT AT 1300' AND THAT I WAS NOT IN TROUBLE DUE TO NO ACFT FLEW ACTIVITY AT THEIR ARPT AT THE TIME. ACY HELPED ME FIND OCEAN CITY ARPT, WHOSE GREEN/WHITE WAS OFF, AND I LANDED SAFELY. I CALLED APCH AT THEIR REQUEST AND THEY SAID I WAS NOT IN TROUBLE DUE TO THE LOW ACTIVITY LOAD AT THE ARPT AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT A CTR I WAS NEAR SO THEY COULD LOCATE ME AND A PROB WOULD NOT DEVELOP. NEXT TIME I'LL CALL A CTR, AFTER I HAVE TRIED USING VOR RADIALS AT A HIGHER ALT, AND USE A RED LIGHT NOT BLUE. ACY APCH HELPED ME FIND BADER INTL, NJ, AS WELL AS RADAR ADVISORIES WHEN I LEFT THEIR AREA. I HOPE NOTHING MORE COMES OF THIS. I LEARNED A LOT FROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND AM A BETTER PLT FOR IT. I HOPE NOT TO LEARN THIS WAY AGAIN. I AM NOT IN A HABIT OF BUSING ARSAS.

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.