Narrative:

I departed laconia municipal airport for a short cross country flight to lewiston-auburn airport in me, located about 50 NM northeast of laconia. The WX was clear with no ceiling and good visibility, as a result I failed to obtain a WX briefing, which I feel is the cause of the incident I had. I usually never go anywhere without checking the WX first, but I was familiar with where I was going, and the WX could not be any better, so I thought. En route on a heading of 60 degrees the WX was still good with some fair WX clouds at 4000 ft MSL. As I got closer, however, the WX was a little different. Because there were snow showers off in the distance I became disoriented and I thought what was sebago lake, 2 mi south of lewiston, was really the atlantic ocean, at portland. I continued in this direction, and even recognized the field environment at portland to be the same as lewiston. I was then about 3 mi from what I thought was runway 4, and tuned in to the CTAF frequency. Talking to other aircraft in that area, they reported they had me in sight. I entered a downwind for the runway I thought was in lewiston. Because I was caught in a heavy snow shower, I did not realize I was in the portland arsa until I was on final for the airport's runway 11. So I accidentally penetrated and landed at an arsa without talking to ATC. Earlier in my flight, I tried to contact portland approach, but I had no answer. At that time I knew I was far from the arsa, and that my request for flight following was not really worth the effort (so I thought), since I would only be in the arsa's outer area for a short period of the time, and radar coverage was not extensive as with other arsa's. If I had only kept trying to call approach control as I got closer to what I thought was lewiston-auburn, I would have been given assistance to stay away from the portland area, as the WX was not good. Although I have deviated from a rule, I have learned a valuable lesson on this flight. No matter how good the WX is, or how short my trip is, I will always get a WX briefing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF SMA GA ACFT PENETRATED AN ARSA AND LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT WITHOUT AN ATC CLRNC DURING A SHORT XCOUNTRY FLT DUE TO BECOMING DISORIENTED BECAUSE OF WX.

Narrative: I DEPARTED LACONIA MUNICIPAL ARPT FOR A SHORT XCOUNTRY FLT TO LEWISTON-AUBURN ARPT IN ME, LOCATED ABOUT 50 NM NE OF LACONIA. THE WX WAS CLR WITH NO CEILING AND GOOD VISIBILITY, AS A RESULT I FAILED TO OBTAIN A WX BRIEFING, WHICH I FEEL IS THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT I HAD. I USUALLY NEVER GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT CHKING THE WX FIRST, BUT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH WHERE I WAS GOING, AND THE WX COULD NOT BE ANY BETTER, SO I THOUGHT. ENRTE ON A HDG OF 60 DEGS THE WX WAS STILL GOOD WITH SOME FAIR WX CLOUDS AT 4000 FT MSL. AS I GOT CLOSER, HOWEVER, THE WX WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. BECAUSE THERE WERE SNOW SHOWERS OFF IN THE DISTANCE I BECAME DISORIENTED AND I THOUGHT WHAT WAS SEBAGO LAKE, 2 MI S OF LEWISTON, WAS REALLY THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, AT PORTLAND. I CONTINUED IN THIS DIRECTION, AND EVEN RECOGNIZED THE FIELD ENVIRONMENT AT PORTLAND TO BE THE SAME AS LEWISTON. I WAS THEN ABOUT 3 MI FROM WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RWY 4, AND TUNED IN TO THE CTAF FREQ. TALKING TO OTHER ACFT IN THAT AREA, THEY RPTED THEY HAD ME IN SIGHT. I ENTERED A DOWNWIND FOR THE RWY I THOUGHT WAS IN LEWISTON. BECAUSE I WAS CAUGHT IN A HVY SNOW SHOWER, I DID NOT REALIZE I WAS IN THE PORTLAND ARSA UNTIL I WAS ON FINAL FOR THE ARPT'S RWY 11. SO I ACCIDENTALLY PENETRATED AND LANDED AT AN ARSA WITHOUT TALKING TO ATC. EARLIER IN MY FLT, I TRIED TO CONTACT PORTLAND APCH, BUT I HAD NO ANSWER. AT THAT TIME I KNEW I WAS FAR FROM THE ARSA, AND THAT MY REQUEST FOR FLT FOLLOWING WAS NOT REALLY WORTH THE EFFORT (SO I THOUGHT), SINCE I WOULD ONLY BE IN THE ARSA'S OUTER AREA FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF THE TIME, AND RADAR COVERAGE WAS NOT EXTENSIVE AS WITH OTHER ARSA'S. IF I HAD ONLY KEPT TRYING TO CALL APCH CTL AS I GOT CLOSER TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS LEWISTON-AUBURN, I WOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN ASSISTANCE TO STAY AWAY FROM THE PORTLAND AREA, AS THE WX WAS NOT GOOD. ALTHOUGH I HAVE DEVIATED FROM A RULE, I HAVE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON ON THIS FLT. NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE WX IS, OR HOW SHORT MY TRIP IS, I WILL ALWAYS GET A WX BRIEFING.

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.