Student pilot on a solo cross country inadvertently flew into mexican airspace and was given flight ...

Attributes
ACN	241992
Time
Date	199305
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ipl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tracon : hnl
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 50 flight time type : 30
ASRS Report	241992
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 630
ASRS Report	242242
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight originated at myf to yum. V66 inbound to ipl. ZLA issued flight following. Descending from 5500 ft to 2000 ft I thought I passed ipl VORTAC and visually saw a VORTAC. I immediately thought it was the bard VOR. ZLA told me to contact yuma approach. I contacted yuma approach. Told them I was over bard. Yuma cleared me straight in to runway 17 and asked me if I had the water tower in sight. I told them no. Yuma approach told me to turn 180 degrees. I complied and saw a single airstrip running east/west. Yuma approach informed me that they didn't have me on radar and to squawk another code. Still negative contact. Yuma approach turned me back to ZLA. By this time I had realized I had not overflown bard but ipl and that I crossed into mexico. No numbers were seen on the runway in mexico. No light signals observed. I headed 360 degrees and contacted ZLA. Squawked the given code and was informed I had crossed into mexico and given a north heading. I turned towards bard VOR and immediately understood what had happened. I skipped a leg on my flight/navigation log.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO MEXICAN AIRSPACE AND WAS GIVEN FLT ASSIST BY ATC.

Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED AT MYF TO YUM. V66 INBOUND TO IPL. ZLA ISSUED FLT FOLLOWING. DSNDING FROM 5500 FT TO 2000 FT I THOUGHT I PASSED IPL VORTAC AND VISUALLY SAW A VORTAC. I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT IT WAS THE BARD VOR. ZLA TOLD ME TO CONTACT YUMA APCH. I CONTACTED YUMA APCH. TOLD THEM I WAS OVER BARD. YUMA CLRED ME STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 17 AND ASKED ME IF I HAD THE WATER TWR IN SIGHT. I TOLD THEM NO. YUMA APCH TOLD ME TO TURN 180 DEGS. I COMPLIED AND SAW A SINGLE AIRSTRIP RUNNING E/W. YUMA APCH INFORMED ME THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE ME ON RADAR AND TO SQUAWK ANOTHER CODE. STILL NEGATIVE CONTACT. YUMA APCH TURNED ME BACK TO ZLA. BY THIS TIME I HAD REALIZED I HAD NOT OVERFLOWN BARD BUT IPL AND THAT I CROSSED INTO MEXICO. NO NUMBERS WERE SEEN ON THE RWY IN MEXICO. NO LIGHT SIGNALS OBSERVED. I HEADED 360 DEGS AND CONTACTED ZLA. SQUAWKED THE GIVEN CODE AND WAS INFORMED I HAD CROSSED INTO MEXICO AND GIVEN A N HDG. I TURNED TOWARDS BARD VOR AND IMMEDIATELY UNDERSTOOD WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I SKIPPED A LEG ON MY FLT/NAV LOG.

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.

Student pilot on a solo cross country inadvertently flew into mexican airspace and was given flight assist by ATC.