Narrative:

On 6/tue/91, I was practicing a divert prc to el monte airport. This was a solo flight which took me from lgb to V8-21-394, transiting the santa ana arsa and diverting northwest toward el monte airport. My intention was to make a visibility sighting of el monte, then turn to a heading of south toward the shoreline and back to lgb. Conditions were smoggy, but while abeam shepherd airport I chose to find my way south using pilotage. Shortly thereafter, perhaps a minute or so, nothing looked recognizable through the smog and I became disoriented. At this point I was at 3100' in order to stay above the fullerton air traffic area and had expected to pass directly over. Suddenly I noticed the oil tanks to my right, located the tanks on my TCA chart and realized I was either within or right on the 125/25 la TCA boundary. Quickly, I turned the obs on the VOR and centered the needle 175 degrees to the sea beach VORTAC. The entered needle at this position would indeed put me on the boundary but the oil tanks off to my right seemed very close although I was not directly above them. Therefore, I am uncertain as to whether or not the TCA was penetrated. Once my position was determined, I made an immediate left turn, losing 300' of altitude and found myself staring at fullerton airport and 300' beneath their ceiling at 2800', after which I began an immediate climb back to 3100' and proceeded south. In retrospect, I should have negotiated my way southbound using both pilotage and tracking a radial off the seal beach VORTAC as I have been taught. Once I felt disoriented, it was too late to put 2 and 2 together and I was skirting the TCA and ultimately in fullerton's airspace. It seems that once nothing became recognizable on the ground, things became confusing. Once I spotted the oil tanks, I became very oriented to my situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNCOORD UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACES.

Narrative: ON 6/TUE/91, I WAS PRACTICING A DIVERT PRC TO EL MONTE ARPT. THIS WAS A SOLO FLT WHICH TOOK ME FROM LGB TO V8-21-394, TRANSITING THE SANTA ANA ARSA AND DIVERTING NW TOWARD EL MONTE ARPT. MY INTENTION WAS TO MAKE A VIS SIGHTING OF EL MONTE, THEN TURN TO A HDG OF S TOWARD THE SHORELINE AND BACK TO LGB. CONDITIONS WERE SMOGGY, BUT WHILE ABEAM SHEPHERD ARPT I CHOSE TO FIND MY WAY S USING PILOTAGE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, PERHAPS A MINUTE OR SO, NOTHING LOOKED RECOGNIZABLE THROUGH THE SMOG AND I BECAME DISORIENTED. AT THIS POINT I WAS AT 3100' IN ORDER TO STAY ABOVE THE FULLERTON ATA AND HAD EXPECTED TO PASS DIRECTLY OVER. SUDDENLY I NOTICED THE OIL TANKS TO MY RIGHT, LOCATED THE TANKS ON MY TCA CHART AND REALIZED I WAS EITHER WITHIN OR RIGHT ON THE 125/25 LA TCA BOUNDARY. QUICKLY, I TURNED THE OBS ON THE VOR AND CENTERED THE NEEDLE 175 DEGS TO THE SEA BEACH VORTAC. THE ENTERED NEEDLE AT THIS POS WOULD INDEED PUT ME ON THE BOUNDARY BUT THE OIL TANKS OFF TO MY RIGHT SEEMED VERY CLOSE ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT DIRECTLY ABOVE THEM. THEREFORE, I AM UNCERTAIN AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE TCA WAS PENETRATED. ONCE MY POS WAS DETERMINED, I MADE AN IMMEDIATE LEFT TURN, LOSING 300' OF ALT AND FOUND MYSELF STARING AT FULLERTON ARPT AND 300' BENEATH THEIR CEILING AT 2800', AFTER WHICH I BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE CLB BACK TO 3100' AND PROCEEDED S. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE NEGOTIATED MY WAY SBND USING BOTH PILOTAGE AND TRACKING A RADIAL OFF THE SEAL BEACH VORTAC AS I HAVE BEEN TAUGHT. ONCE I FELT DISORIENTED, IT WAS TOO LATE TO PUT 2 AND 2 TOGETHER AND I WAS SKIRTING THE TCA AND ULTIMATELY IN FULLERTON'S AIRSPACE. IT SEEMS THAT ONCE NOTHING BECAME RECOGNIZABLE ON THE GND, THINGS BECAME CONFUSING. ONCE I SPOTTED THE OIL TANKS, I BECAME VERY ORIENTED TO MY SITUATION.

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.