Spi becomes disoriented in hazy conditions. Penetrates TCA, needs flight assist.

Attributes
ACN	194497
Time
Date	199111
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : crq
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : san
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 41
ASRS Report	194497
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was on the second leg of my second solo cross country flight from banning, ca to palomar, ca. I had replotted my course in banning after experiencing visibility problems in the east basin near the homeland VOR and many radials inoperative at this location. Instead of tracking radials as I originally planned, I flew a heading to intercept the freeway which I could follow to palomar. Whether a result of getting off course or from poor visibility, I missed my first landmark, a 'Y' intersection of 2 major freeways. I became disoriented with time as this intersection was a point of changing course and restarting my time. In reference to the time I filed in my flight plan, I figured I should be close to palomar. I realized that I had a problem when I saw a very large 3 runway airport. Immediately I contacted san diego approach and announced that I was a student pilot heading for palomar airport. I explained that I did not know where I was and asked for assistance to palomar. They gave me a northerly heading and helped me to palomar. I believe I may have violated TCA airspace during my flight, although I may have been in the VFR corridor when I contacted approach. I have since thoroughly reviewed my flight plans with my instructor and feel that several factors contributed to my trouble: 5 mi visibility was legal but my comfort zone and slant range visibility are more important factors when deciding whether to fly. Plotting my course on a sectional chart kept me from having to switch charts mid flight but this convenience did not make up for the loss of detail. Replanning my course during travel needs to be as thorough as preflight planning. If I had plotted radials to intercept from oceanside I would not have passed palomar. Getting lost was not a pleasant experience, but I am sure I won't repeat these same mistakes. 2 positive aspects of this flight are the confidence I developed with my physical flying skills even though navigation difficulties and the new perception I have about approach control. They were very helpful, not automatic and unapchable as I have experienced during routine flts in the orange county area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI BECOMES DISORIENTED IN HAZY CONDITIONS. PENETRATES TCA, NEEDS FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE SECOND LEG OF MY SECOND SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT FROM BANNING, CA TO PALOMAR, CA. I HAD REPLOTTED MY COURSE IN BANNING AFTER EXPERIENCING VISIBILITY PROBLEMS IN THE E BASIN NEAR THE HOMELAND VOR AND MANY RADIALS INOP AT THIS LOCATION. INSTEAD OF TRACKING RADIALS AS I ORIGINALLY PLANNED, I FLEW A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE FREEWAY WHICH I COULD FOLLOW TO PALOMAR. WHETHER A RESULT OF GETTING OFF COURSE OR FROM POOR VISIBILITY, I MISSED MY FIRST LANDMARK, A 'Y' INTXN OF 2 MAJOR FREEWAYS. I BECAME DISORIENTED WITH TIME AS THIS INTXN WAS A POINT OF CHANGING COURSE AND RESTARTING MY TIME. IN REF TO THE TIME I FILED IN MY FLT PLAN, I FIGURED I SHOULD BE CLOSE TO PALOMAR. I REALIZED THAT I HAD A PROBLEM WHEN I SAW A VERY LARGE 3 RWY ARPT. IMMEDIATELY I CONTACTED SAN DIEGO APCH AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS A STUDENT PLT HDG FOR PALOMAR ARPT. I EXPLAINED THAT I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS AND ASKED FOR ASSISTANCE TO PALOMAR. THEY GAVE ME A NORTHERLY HDG AND HELPED ME TO PALOMAR. I BELIEVE I MAY HAVE VIOLATED TCA AIRSPACE DURING MY FLT, ALTHOUGH I MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE VFR CORRIDOR WHEN I CONTACTED APCH. I HAVE SINCE THOROUGHLY REVIEWED MY FLT PLANS WITH MY INSTRUCTOR AND FEEL THAT SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO MY TROUBLE: 5 MI VISIBILITY WAS LEGAL BUT MY COMFORT ZONE AND SLANT RANGE VISIBILITY ARE MORE IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN DECIDING WHETHER TO FLY. PLOTTING MY COURSE ON A SECTIONAL CHART KEPT ME FROM HAVING TO SWITCH CHARTS MID FLT BUT THIS CONVENIENCE DID NOT MAKE UP FOR THE LOSS OF DETAIL. REPLANNING MY COURSE DURING TRAVEL NEEDS TO BE AS THOROUGH AS PREFLT PLANNING. IF I HAD PLOTTED RADIALS TO INTERCEPT FROM OCEANSIDE I WOULD NOT HAVE PASSED PALOMAR. GETTING LOST WAS NOT A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE, BUT I AM SURE I WON'T REPEAT THESE SAME MISTAKES. 2 POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THIS FLT ARE THE CONFIDENCE I DEVELOPED WITH MY PHYSICAL FLYING SKILLS EVEN THOUGH NAV DIFFICULTIES AND THE NEW PERCEPTION I HAVE ABOUT APCH CTL. THEY WERE VERY HELPFUL, NOT AUTOMATIC AND UNAPCHABLE AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED DURING ROUTINE FLTS IN THE ORANGE COUNTY AREA.

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.