An small aircraft commercial pilot became disoriented and landed en route.

Attributes
ACN	246607
Time
Date	199307
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vgn
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mke tower : vgn
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	246607
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was nwbound (heading 310 degrees) to kenosha, wi, receiving advisories from chicago approach. Requested and received vectors around chicago TCA. Determined my VOR inoperative and reported it to ATC. Note: frequencys XXX.20 could not be received. Tuning frequencys XXX.40 would receive XXX.60. Radar services were terminated 5 mi southeast of waukegan, il. I mistook ugn for batten, wi. Turned ssw to fly to enw. The sectional did not match the landscape below. Proceeded ssw approximately 10 mi, then east to the shoreline. I cannot remember my exact course for approximately 5 mins. Flew north along the shore to ugn. Climbed to 5000 ft MSL and called milwaukee approach. Told them 'I am unsure of my position, I think I'm over rac.' milwaukee approach told me I was over ugn and ended radar service. I called ugn tower and received sequencing to land. To prevent a recurrence: 1) ask ATC the airport in front of me when radar service was terminated. 2) immediately call ATC when I first realized that I was unsure of my position. 3) request a handoff from ATC or radar services to enw, instead of until I was clear of the TCA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA COMMERCIAL PLT BECAME DISORIENTED AND LANDED ENRTE.

Narrative: I WAS NWBOUND (HDG 310 DEGS) TO KENOSHA, WI, RECEIVING ADVISORIES FROM CHICAGO APCH. REQUESTED AND RECEIVED VECTORS AROUND CHICAGO TCA. DETERMINED MY VOR INOP AND RPTED IT TO ATC. NOTE: FREQS XXX.20 COULD NOT BE RECEIVED. TUNING FREQS XXX.40 WOULD RECEIVE XXX.60. RADAR SVCS WERE TERMINATED 5 MI SE OF WAUKEGAN, IL. I MISTOOK UGN FOR BATTEN, WI. TURNED SSW TO FLY TO ENW. THE SECTIONAL DID NOT MATCH THE LANDSCAPE BELOW. PROCEEDED SSW APPROX 10 MI, THEN E TO THE SHORELINE. I CANNOT REMEMBER MY EXACT COURSE FOR APPROX 5 MINS. FLEW N ALONG THE SHORE TO UGN. CLBED TO 5000 FT MSL AND CALLED MILWAUKEE APCH. TOLD THEM 'I AM UNSURE OF MY POS, I THINK I'M OVER RAC.' MILWAUKEE APCH TOLD ME I WAS OVER UGN AND ENDED RADAR SVC. I CALLED UGN TWR AND RECEIVED SEQUENCING TO LAND. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE: 1) ASK ATC THE ARPT IN FRONT OF ME WHEN RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED. 2) IMMEDIATELY CALL ATC WHEN I FIRST REALIZED THAT I WAS UNSURE OF MY POS. 3) REQUEST A HDOF FROM ATC OR RADAR SVCS TO ENW, INSTEAD OF UNTIL I WAS CLR OF THE TCA.

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.