Narrative:

We departed gillespie field, san diego, ca, on a multi- engine rating examination. The WX was clear, visibility 20 mi. The area was under a santa ana condition, which meant the winds were strong and gusty from the east. The air was turbulent and we flew about 40 mi east over a mountainous area looking for calmer conditions. We climbed to 5500 ft but turbulent conditions prevailed. We did our maneuvers, and kept turning and changing altitude to find smoother air. Upon completion of our basic air work, we turned back to the west in order to get in a position to request a VOR approach to brown field, which is near the mexican border. The applicant was under the hood at this time, simulating IFR and following my directions. As we proceeded wbound at 4500 ft, I thought I recognized san miguel mt, a prominent landmark, and following that, I thought I recognized gillespie field. As we got closer, I realized it wasn't gillespie. Then I thought it might be NAS miramar, as both fields have east/west runways. I then turned south to stay out of its control zone. Upon calling san diego approach control and requesting the VOR approach, I gave our position as north of brown field. Upon establishing radar contact I learned my position was 5 mi south of general rodriguiz (tijuana international) and I was handed over to tijuana approach control for radar vectors back to brown field and us airspace. When I became unsure of my position, I assumed we had been blown to the north by strong southeasterly winds. What I should have done was to use the navigation radios to reestablish my position, rather than rely upon visual landmarks. A closer check of winds aloft prior to flight would have made me realize we were south and not north of course, due to strong northeasterly winds. Also contributing to this incident was the following factors: due to turbulence, I flew further east than usual, where I was not familiar with the area. In addition, to find smoother air, we made several heading and altitude changes which made me lose track of my position. Also, the airplane did not have DME equipment. In my opinion, my biggest error was in not using the navigation radios as soon as we started wbound. This would have prevented this incident from occurring.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERED MEXICAN AIRSPACE WHILE CONDUCTING A MULTI-ENG RATING EXAMINATION.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED GILLESPIE FIELD, SAN DIEGO, CA, ON A MULTI- ENG RATING EXAMINATION. THE WX WAS CLR, VISIBILITY 20 MI. THE AREA WAS UNDER A SANTA ANA CONDITION, WHICH MEANT THE WINDS WERE STRONG AND GUSTY FROM THE E. THE AIR WAS TURBULENT AND WE FLEW ABOUT 40 MI E OVER A MOUNTAINOUS AREA LOOKING FOR CALMER CONDITIONS. WE CLBED TO 5500 FT BUT TURBULENT CONDITIONS PREVAILED. WE DID OUR MANEUVERS, AND KEPT TURNING AND CHANGING ALT TO FIND SMOOTHER AIR. UPON COMPLETION OF OUR BASIC AIR WORK, WE TURNED BACK TO THE W IN ORDER TO GET IN A POS TO REQUEST A VOR APCH TO BROWN FIELD, WHICH IS NEAR THE MEXICAN BORDER. THE APPLICANT WAS UNDER THE HOOD AT THIS TIME, SIMULATING IFR AND FOLLOWING MY DIRECTIONS. AS WE PROCEEDED WBOUND AT 4500 FT, I THOUGHT I RECOGNIZED SAN MIGUEL MT, A PROMINENT LANDMARK, AND FOLLOWING THAT, I THOUGHT I RECOGNIZED GILLESPIE FIELD. AS WE GOT CLOSER, I REALIZED IT WASN'T GILLESPIE. THEN I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE NAS MIRAMAR, AS BOTH FIELDS HAVE E/W RWYS. I THEN TURNED S TO STAY OUT OF ITS CTL ZONE. UPON CALLING SAN DIEGO APCH CTL AND REQUESTING THE VOR APCH, I GAVE OUR POS AS N OF BROWN FIELD. UPON ESTABLISHING RADAR CONTACT I LEARNED MY POS WAS 5 MI S OF GENERAL RODRIGUIZ (TIJUANA INTL) AND I WAS HANDED OVER TO TIJUANA APCH CTL FOR RADAR VECTORS BACK TO BROWN FIELD AND U.S. AIRSPACE. WHEN I BECAME UNSURE OF MY POS, I ASSUMED WE HAD BEEN BLOWN TO THE N BY STRONG SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS TO USE THE NAV RADIOS TO REESTABLISH MY POS, RATHER THAN RELY UPON VISUAL LANDMARKS. A CLOSER CHK OF WINDS ALOFT PRIOR TO FLT WOULD HAVE MADE ME REALIZE WE WERE S AND NOT N OF COURSE, DUE TO STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WINDS. ALSO CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT WAS THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: DUE TO TURB, I FLEW FURTHER E THAN USUAL, WHERE I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. IN ADDITION, TO FIND SMOOTHER AIR, WE MADE SEVERAL HDG AND ALT CHANGES WHICH MADE ME LOSE TRACK OF MY POS. ALSO, THE AIRPLANE DID NOT HAVE DME EQUIP. IN MY OPINION, MY BIGGEST ERROR WAS IN NOT USING THE NAV RADIOS AS SOON AS WE STARTED WBOUND. THIS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT FROM OCCURRING.

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.