Narrative:

I had a VFR flight plan from blythe, ca, to oceanside, ca. We had to pass through palm springs and the mountains up north of thermal VOR because the small aircraft has a service ceiling of 1300 ft. We came through the mountains and our radio communication between each other became inoperative. We could talk to other facilities but not to each other. We were literally screaming at each other. We were visiting ca for the first time and it was more populated than we thought. We could not tell one town apart from the other. My copilot and I became disoriented. When we saw the ocean, we called palomar tower which is 8 mi south of oceanside, our destination. We were so far north that palomar tower could not pick us up on their radar. Our fuel gauges were reading 1/4 tank. Flying over the shore and part of the ocean scared us a little and we told palomar tower about our fuel situation. Palomar tower then had us squawk 7700 so someone could find us. San diego approach then had us on radar and vectored us to the south, down the shore. It put us right between camp pendleton and oceanside. We passed oceanside about 2 mi to the east but did not know this because of the unfamiliar area. San diego approach then brought us 8 more miles south to palomar where we landed and refueled. They thought we had landed without 30 mins of fuel left, but the small aircraft holds 38 usable gallons and they only put 26 gallons in. This left us with 12 gallons left and it only burns approximately 7.3 per hour. We had plenty. The next day we left ca. San diego approach vectored us out and we had a much better return trip home.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND ACFT BECAME LOST AND REQUESTED ATC ASSISTANCE.

Narrative: I HAD A VFR FLT PLAN FROM BLYTHE, CA, TO OCEANSIDE, CA. WE HAD TO PASS THROUGH PALM SPRINGS AND THE MOUNTAINS UP N OF THERMAL VOR BECAUSE THE SMA HAS A SVC CEILING OF 1300 FT. WE CAME THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS AND OUR RADIO COM BTWN EACH OTHER BECAME INOP. WE COULD TALK TO OTHER FACILITIES BUT NOT TO EACH OTHER. WE WERE LITERALLY SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER. WE WERE VISITING CA FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IT WAS MORE POPULATED THAN WE THOUGHT. WE COULD NOT TELL ONE TOWN APART FROM THE OTHER. MY COPLT AND I BECAME DISORIENTED. WHEN WE SAW THE OCEAN, WE CALLED PALOMAR TWR WHICH IS 8 MI S OF OCEANSIDE, OUR DEST. WE WERE SO FAR N THAT PALOMAR TWR COULD NOT PICK US UP ON THEIR RADAR. OUR FUEL GAUGES WERE READING 1/4 TANK. FLYING OVER THE SHORE AND PART OF THE OCEAN SCARED US A LITTLE AND WE TOLD PALOMAR TWR ABOUT OUR FUEL SIT. PALOMAR TWR THEN HAD US SQUAWK 7700 SO SOMEONE COULD FIND US. SAN DIEGO APCH THEN HAD US ON RADAR AND VECTORED US TO THE S, DOWN THE SHORE. IT PUT US RIGHT BTWN CAMP PENDLETON AND OCEANSIDE. WE PASSED OCEANSIDE ABOUT 2 MI TO THE E BUT DID NOT KNOW THIS BECAUSE OF THE UNFAMILIAR AREA. SAN DIEGO APCH THEN BROUGHT US 8 MORE MILES S TO PALOMAR WHERE WE LANDED AND REFUELED. THEY THOUGHT WE HAD LANDED WITHOUT 30 MINS OF FUEL LEFT, BUT THE SMA HOLDS 38 USABLE GALLONS AND THEY ONLY PUT 26 GALLONS IN. THIS LEFT US WITH 12 GALLONS LEFT AND IT ONLY BURNS APPROX 7.3 PER HR. WE HAD PLENTY. THE NEXT DAY WE LEFT CA. SAN DIEGO APCH VECTORED US OUT AND WE HAD A MUCH BETTER RETURN TRIP HOME.

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.