Narrative:

I was eastbound VFR navigating by dead reckoning from the VFR sectional with my anticipated destination being fld, which is fond du lac, wi. Fond du lac airport is located approximately 15 mi south of oshkosh, wi (airport). I was also using the on board LORAN to aid navigating to the fond du lac airport, because they do not have a VOR on the field. The identifier for fond du lac is fld. Fdl was incorrectly placed in the LORAN as the desired airport, as opposed to fld. This was discovered when we saw a large body of water beneath us to be lake winnebago, which is a large lake that boarders the east side of appleton, oshkosh, and fond du lac. At this time, I realized that I was not where I believed I was, so I turned the airplane from eastbound, right, back to wbound. I thought that this would give me time to evaluate my position. Since I could not see the oshkosh airport out my window, I thought that I must be south of oshkosh, so I elected to turn south and head for fond du lac. Upon arriving at fond du lac, the FBO asked that I contact oshkosh tower as soon as possible. I immediately contacted the tower via the phone, and controller stated that I was within 2 mi of his airport, in his airspace, and at an altitude of 2000 ft. He stated that his measured ceilings were at about 2200 ft MSL, thus violating two far's. Since it was very difficult to interpolate the ceilings due to the raggedness of the ceilings and the darkness, I was relying on my best judgement from what I could see, coupled with flight service's briefing to stay at legal limits from the ceilings. Obviously, a miscalculation on my part in comparison with the facts presented to me by oshkosh tower. The situation would not of occurred if I would of worked directly off of cross referencing of 2 VOR's double and triple checked the instruments, as well as asked for flight following and try to get current conditions for oshkosh. More importantly, I should of waited a day or two for then conditions could have improved to good VFR conditions.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV DURING A GROSS NAV ERROR CREATES AN ERRONEOUS PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX TO CLOUDS ATA.

Narrative: I WAS EBOUND VFR NAVIGATING BY DEAD RECKONING FROM THE VFR SECTIONAL WITH MY ANTICIPATED DEST BEING FLD, WHICH IS FOND DU LAC, WI. FOND DU LAC ARPT IS LOCATED APPROX 15 MI S OF OSHKOSH, WI (ARPT). I WAS ALSO USING THE ON BOARD LORAN TO AID NAVIGATING TO THE FOND DU LAC ARPT, BECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE A VOR ON THE FIELD. THE IDENTIFIER FOR FOND DU LAC IS FLD. FDL WAS INCORRECTLY PLACED IN THE LORAN AS THE DESIRED ARPT, AS OPPOSED TO FLD. THIS WAS DISCOVERED WHEN WE SAW A LARGE BODY OF WATER BENEATH US TO BE LAKE WINNEBAGO, WHICH IS A LARGE LAKE THAT BOARDERS THE E SIDE OF APPLETON, OSHKOSH, AND FOND DU LAC. AT THIS TIME, I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT WHERE I BELIEVED I WAS, SO I TURNED THE AIRPLANE FROM EBOUND, R, BACK TO WBOUND. I THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD GIVE ME TIME TO EVALUATE MY POS. SINCE I COULD NOT SEE THE OSHKOSH ARPT OUT MY WINDOW, I THOUGHT THAT I MUST BE S OF OSHKOSH, SO I ELECTED TO TURN S AND HEAD FOR FOND DU LAC. UPON ARRIVING AT FOND DU LAC, THE FBO ASKED THAT I CONTACT OSHKOSH TWR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE TWR VIA THE PHONE, AND CTLR STATED THAT I WAS WITHIN 2 MI OF HIS ARPT, IN HIS AIRSPACE, AND AT AN ALT OF 2000 FT. HE STATED THAT HIS MEASURED CEILINGS WERE AT ABOUT 2200 FT MSL, THUS VIOLATING TWO FAR'S. SINCE IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO INTERPOLATE THE CEILINGS DUE TO THE RAGGEDNESS OF THE CEILINGS AND THE DARKNESS, I WAS RELYING ON MY BEST JUDGEMENT FROM WHAT I COULD SEE, COUPLED WITH FLT SVC'S BRIEFING TO STAY AT LEGAL LIMITS FROM THE CEILINGS. OBVIOUSLY, A MISCALCULATION ON MY PART IN COMPARISON WITH THE FACTS PRESENTED TO ME BY OSHKOSH TWR. THE SITUATION WOULD NOT OF OCCURRED IF I WOULD OF WORKED DIRECTLY OFF OF CROSS REFERENCING OF 2 VOR'S DOUBLE AND TRIPLE CHKED THE INSTS, AS WELL AS ASKED FOR FLT FOLLOWING AND TRY TO GET CURRENT CONDITIONS FOR OSHKOSH. MORE IMPORTANTLY, I SHOULD OF WAITED A DAY OR TWO FOR THEN CONDITIONS COULD HAVE IMPROVED TO GOOD VFR CONDITIONS.

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.