Narrative:

I departed 4i8 airport and headed for C49, the lndgs. I was flying VFR into the setting sun, aware that the ceilings were lower ahead, since I had just flown down 1/2 hour earlier. I still met VFR requirements. I took up my heading and intentionally diverted off course to the right (lafayette was to the left) to avoid class D airspace at lafayette. As darkness came I found myself inadvertently over lafayette airport at 1500 ft MSL, close to pattern altitude. My course had been 2-3 mi to the right of this airport, plus I was supposed to have diverted 3 mi to the right to avoid this airspace. I proceeded toward my course correcting slightly for this deviation. I continued on even though the ceiling seemed a little lower and things were a little foggy. The ceilings and visibility were slightly worse around this area on the flight down. I diverted to the west, shortly, to avoid a lower ceiling. Suddenly I became disoriented and did not know where I was. I knew from my instrument training that I had to #1, fly the airplane. I put all my attention toward that, but I couldn't make sense of what I saw on my VOR, so I concentrated on my altimeter and electrical. I tried to call for assistance, but in order to communicate with my radio, I have to switch off my navigation mode. I couldn't 'get out' on my radio, for some reason. I tried 122.0, flight watch, because I knew I was near kankakee FSS, but couldn't 'get out.' I tried again using the VOR to confirm my position, but nothing made sense. Since I was having difficulty keeping the right side up, I opted to try again to call for help. After jiggling the connecting wires from the headset, my call got out. I thought I was east of kankakee, and called, but got no response until another pilot heard my call and apparently heard FSS respond and relayed the message to me. I couldn't receive FSS's call. They gave me 7700 squawk code and a chicago departure frequency. They (chicago departure) were able to assist me. I said I was disoriented, lost, and needed vectors. I accepted vectors to kankakee airport of 010 degrees, 11 mi. Struggling, I had to believe my compass. I got turned to that heading and proceeded to kankakee. As soon as I saw the airport environment, I was oriented. I executed a normal landing and spent the night. I completed the flight home in the morning when daylight and clear skies prevailed. The airspace incursion and deteriorating WX conditions, complicated by the communication problem contributed to my becoming disoriented, but my prior instrument training had taught me how to believe the instruments and use the system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT BECOMES TOTALLY DISORIENTED. ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE, CALLS FOR FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I DEPARTED 4I8 ARPT AND HEADED FOR C49, THE LNDGS. I WAS FLYING VFR INTO THE SETTING SUN, AWARE THAT THE CEILINGS WERE LOWER AHEAD, SINCE I HAD JUST FLOWN DOWN 1/2 HR EARLIER. I STILL MET VFR REQUIREMENTS. I TOOK UP MY HDG AND INTENTIONALLY DIVERTED OFF COURSE TO THE R (LAFAYETTE WAS TO THE L) TO AVOID CLASS D AIRSPACE AT LAFAYETTE. AS DARKNESS CAME I FOUND MYSELF INADVERTENTLY OVER LAFAYETTE ARPT AT 1500 FT MSL, CLOSE TO PATTERN ALT. MY COURSE HAD BEEN 2-3 MI TO THE R OF THIS ARPT, PLUS I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE DIVERTED 3 MI TO THE R TO AVOID THIS AIRSPACE. I PROCEEDED TOWARD MY COURSE CORRECTING SLIGHTLY FOR THIS DEV. I CONTINUED ON EVEN THOUGH THE CEILING SEEMED A LITTLE LOWER AND THINGS WERE A LITTLE FOGGY. THE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY WERE SLIGHTLY WORSE AROUND THIS AREA ON THE FLT DOWN. I DIVERTED TO THE W, SHORTLY, TO AVOID A LOWER CEILING. SUDDENLY I BECAME DISORIENTED AND DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS. I KNEW FROM MY INST TRAINING THAT I HAD TO #1, FLY THE AIRPLANE. I PUT ALL MY ATTN TOWARD THAT, BUT I COULDN'T MAKE SENSE OF WHAT I SAW ON MY VOR, SO I CONCENTRATED ON MY ALTIMETER AND ELECTRICAL. I TRIED TO CALL FOR ASSISTANCE, BUT IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE WITH MY RADIO, I HAVE TO SWITCH OFF MY NAV MODE. I COULDN'T 'GET OUT' ON MY RADIO, FOR SOME REASON. I TRIED 122.0, FLT WATCH, BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS NEAR KANKAKEE FSS, BUT COULDN'T 'GET OUT.' I TRIED AGAIN USING THE VOR TO CONFIRM MY POS, BUT NOTHING MADE SENSE. SINCE I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY KEEPING THE R SIDE UP, I OPTED TO TRY AGAIN TO CALL FOR HELP. AFTER JIGGLING THE CONNECTING WIRES FROM THE HEADSET, MY CALL GOT OUT. I THOUGHT I WAS E OF KANKAKEE, AND CALLED, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE UNTIL ANOTHER PLT HEARD MY CALL AND APPARENTLY HEARD FSS RESPOND AND RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO ME. I COULDN'T RECEIVE FSS'S CALL. THEY GAVE ME 7700 SQUAWK CODE AND A CHICAGO DEP FREQ. THEY (CHICAGO DEP) WERE ABLE TO ASSIST ME. I SAID I WAS DISORIENTED, LOST, AND NEEDED VECTORS. I ACCEPTED VECTORS TO KANKAKEE ARPT OF 010 DEGS, 11 MI. STRUGGLING, I HAD TO BELIEVE MY COMPASS. I GOT TURNED TO THAT HDG AND PROCEEDED TO KANKAKEE. AS SOON AS I SAW THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT, I WAS ORIENTED. I EXECUTED A NORMAL LNDG AND SPENT THE NIGHT. I COMPLETED THE FLT HOME IN THE MORNING WHEN DAYLIGHT AND CLR SKIES PREVAILED. THE AIRSPACE INCURSION AND DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS, COMPLICATED BY THE COM PROB CONTRIBUTED TO MY BECOMING DISORIENTED, BUT MY PRIOR INST TRAINING HAD TAUGHT ME HOW TO BELIEVE THE INSTS AND USE THE SYS.

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.