Unauthorized uncoord penetration of airspace.

Attributes
ACN	174792
Time
Date	199104
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rnt airport : bfi
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 50 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bfi tower : rnt tower : bfi
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing : missed approach
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 258 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	174792
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

WX: heavy rain, snow at 4500', bottom of overcast about 2400' MSL. IFR flight bfi-4IO. Fighting heavy headwinds, PIC decided to turn back to bfi from about malay intersection. At time of turnaround, transponder was blocked by snow. No snow or ice evident on airframe though. OAT 0 degrees C. WX at olm was worse than I wanted to try with engine running on carburetor heat. No room for error. I requested vectors vectoring me onto localizer due to extremely high crosswind. Heading 240 degrees to intercept final approach course (308 degrees). Intercepted localizer about 1 mi from lacre intersection. Bfi tower at lacre. Required heading of 265 degrees to maintain localizer track. Broke out of clouds just inside lacre about 2400-2200', observed runway at about 1-2 O'clock position. Landmark below were recognizable, but not at correct rotation. I attributed this to extreme crab angle. Visibility about 3.5 mi. (I could see runway.) bfi tower contacted by radio to advise. They showed me to the right of the localizer course. I advised that my INS showed that too, but I was visibility with runway in sight proceeding inbound. Bfi acknowledged. About 1 mi from T/D, I realized airport was not bfi! Not knowing where I was, I continued toward airport to identify it. When mistake was idented (over threshold) I immediately notified boeing tower and cleared air traffic area to east. Proceeded to bfi via SVFR and landed. Incident could have been prevented by pilot continuing to fly INS after breaking out from clouds. Additionally, I am surprised bfi controllers didn't monitor my progress when they knew I was seriously deviant from course. With almost 2 hours in serious IFR conditions with ground speeds of about 40 KTS, I was ready to get on the ground and was not as perceptive as I should have been to position. When bfi suggested I was right of centerline, I really was right of centerline for renton. Also, I confirmed this visually and it agreed with the CDI needle.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH UNCOORD PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WX: HEAVY RAIN, SNOW AT 4500', BOTTOM OF OVCST ABOUT 2400' MSL. IFR FLT BFI-4IO. FIGHTING HEAVY HEADWINDS, PIC DECIDED TO TURN BACK TO BFI FROM ABOUT MALAY INTXN. AT TIME OF TURNAROUND, XPONDER WAS BLOCKED BY SNOW. NO SNOW OR ICE EVIDENT ON AIRFRAME THOUGH. OAT 0 DEGS C. WX AT OLM WAS WORSE THAN I WANTED TO TRY WITH ENG RUNNING ON CARB HEAT. NO ROOM FOR ERROR. I REQUESTED VECTORS VECTORING ME ONTO LOC DUE TO EXTREMELY HIGH XWIND. HDG 240 DEGS TO INTERCEPT FINAL APCH COURSE (308 DEGS). INTERCEPTED LOC ABOUT 1 MI FROM LACRE INTXN. BFI TWR AT LACRE. REQUIRED HDG OF 265 DEGS TO MAINTAIN LOC TRACK. BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS JUST INSIDE LACRE ABOUT 2400-2200', OBSERVED RWY AT ABOUT 1-2 O'CLOCK POS. LANDMARK BELOW WERE RECOGNIZABLE, BUT NOT AT CORRECT ROTATION. I ATTRIBUTED THIS TO EXTREME CRAB ANGLE. VISIBILITY ABOUT 3.5 MI. (I COULD SEE RWY.) BFI TWR CONTACTED BY RADIO TO ADVISE. THEY SHOWED ME TO THE RIGHT OF THE LOC COURSE. I ADVISED THAT MY INS SHOWED THAT TOO, BUT I WAS VIS WITH RWY IN SIGHT PROCEEDING INBND. BFI ACKNOWLEDGED. ABOUT 1 MI FROM T/D, I REALIZED ARPT WAS NOT BFI! NOT KNOWING WHERE I WAS, I CONTINUED TOWARD ARPT TO IDENT IT. WHEN MISTAKE WAS IDENTED (OVER THRESHOLD) I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED BOEING TWR AND CLRED ATA TO E. PROCEEDED TO BFI VIA SVFR AND LANDED. INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY PLT CONTINUING TO FLY INS AFTER BREAKING OUT FROM CLOUDS. ADDITIONALLY, I AM SURPRISED BFI CTLRS DIDN'T MONITOR MY PROGRESS WHEN THEY KNEW I WAS SERIOUSLY DEVIANT FROM COURSE. WITH ALMOST 2 HRS IN SERIOUS IFR CONDITIONS WITH GND SPDS OF ABOUT 40 KTS, I WAS READY TO GET ON THE GND AND WAS NOT AS PERCEPTIVE AS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO POS. WHEN BFI SUGGESTED I WAS RIGHT OF CENTERLINE, I REALLY WAS RIGHT OF CENTERLINE FOR RENTON. ALSO, I CONFIRMED THIS VISUALLY AND IT AGREED WITH THE CDI NEEDLE.

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.