Private pilot of an small aircraft sel became disoriented on a VFR cross country and declared a low ...

Narrative:

2 events on the same return flight: flying from hwo VFR took a lot of evasive moves to go towards refueling point (cross city). Orlando approach gave great moves to stay VFR, but it drained fuel on an aircraft I had not taken x-country before. With cessnas being notorious for running out of fuel, I felt a need to do what I did. When I was less than 10 NM from cross city and had raised them on unicom, I found that a thunderstorm was sitting stagnant over the field. I immediately turned towards williston, my alternate for that moment. A large storm was dead ahead so I turned from east to south for that moment. A large storm was dead ahead so I turned from east to south to avoid it and go around. Williston unicom was extremely, and immediately helpful in frequencys on the VOR to let me know just where I was, but I was unsure of the distance and could not see the field. I raised ZJX and they were very busy with IFR traffic. When the controller told me he couldn't handle VFR due to the workload, I advised I had somewhat of an emergency (low fuel). He then gave me vectors and (8 NM only away) I was at williston. The entire trip to that point was in VFR conditions. I spoke with ZJX and gainesville approach about the matter right away. I took 37.8 gallons of fuel in the 40 usable tanks. I had used some of my reserve due to the surrounding storm activities of the day leaving me this way at this point. They told me no action was going to be taken. After refueling and a 2 hour layover, I went over to gainesville FSS to figure out a VFR route to continue on. The controller pointed out the need for me to contact both tyndall (he said near appalachicola) and the eglin (past panama city). When on the 180 degree radial from tallahassee, I raised tyndall. They told me I was not in their airspace and to call later. I called again when I thought I was closer and again the same reply. Once again, I called and they had me call eglin. At about this time, the VOR to panama city indicated I was still a distance away. I saw an airfield at 10 O'clock that I thought, at first, must be appalachicola. I figured my headwinds had really held my gndspd down. Just as I was crossing over the airfield dead center (for safety of arriving/departing aircraft), and just as eglin asked my position, the VOR swing to indicate panama city on the 160 degree radial, and I saw, to my horror, military aircraft on the field. I was over tyndall. Eglin was told, they passed me off to tyndall, then over to panama city, where I landed. I spoke with the officer at tyndall who was already on the phone when I arrived. He agreed that, due to my low altitude and repeated attempts to raise tyndall, he would not press charges. I was shaken enough to spend the night and continue on the next day back to raymond, ms. There is a lot more equipment I will have to learn more about in the avionics of this aircraft. I have already discussed it with my instructor. The LORAN is different than the one I used to use, and I am not yet trained on the DME. I couldn't get distance estimates closely enough.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL BECAME DISORIENTED ON A VFR XCOUNTRY AND DECLARED A LOW FUEL EMER FOR VECTORS TO ARPT. SUBSEQUENTLY, AFTER TAKING OFF FOR A RETURN FLT, BECAME LOST AGAIN RESULTING IN PENETRATION OF A RESTR AREA.

Narrative: 2 EVENTS ON THE SAME RETURN FLT: FLYING FROM HWO VFR TOOK A LOT OF EVASIVE MOVES TO GO TOWARDS REFUELING POINT (CROSS CITY). ORLANDO APCH GAVE GREAT MOVES TO STAY VFR, BUT IT DRAINED FUEL ON AN ACFT I HAD NOT TAKEN X-COUNTRY BEFORE. WITH CESSNAS BEING NOTORIOUS FOR RUNNING OUT OF FUEL, I FELT A NEED TO DO WHAT I DID. WHEN I WAS LESS THAN 10 NM FROM CROSS CITY AND HAD RAISED THEM ON UNICOM, I FOUND THAT A TSTM WAS SITTING STAGNANT OVER THE FIELD. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TOWARDS WILLISTON, MY ALTERNATE FOR THAT MOMENT. A LARGE STORM WAS DEAD AHEAD SO I TURNED FROM E TO S FOR THAT MOMENT. A LARGE STORM WAS DEAD AHEAD SO I TURNED FROM E TO S TO AVOID IT AND GO AROUND. WILLISTON UNICOM WAS EXTREMELY, AND IMMEDIATELY HELPFUL IN FREQS ON THE VOR TO LET ME KNOW JUST WHERE I WAS, BUT I WAS UNSURE OF THE DISTANCE AND COULD NOT SEE THE FIELD. I RAISED ZJX AND THEY WERE VERY BUSY WITH IFR TFC. WHEN THE CTLR TOLD ME HE COULDN'T HANDLE VFR DUE TO THE WORKLOAD, I ADVISED I HAD SOMEWHAT OF AN EMER (LOW FUEL). HE THEN GAVE ME VECTORS AND (8 NM ONLY AWAY) I WAS AT WILLISTON. THE ENTIRE TRIP TO THAT POINT WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS. I SPOKE WITH ZJX AND GAINESVILLE APCH ABOUT THE MATTER RIGHT AWAY. I TOOK 37.8 GALLONS OF FUEL IN THE 40 USABLE TANKS. I HAD USED SOME OF MY RESERVE DUE TO THE SURROUNDING STORM ACTIVITIES OF THE DAY LEAVING ME THIS WAY AT THIS POINT. THEY TOLD ME NO ACTION WAS GOING TO BE TAKEN. AFTER REFUELING AND A 2 HR LAYOVER, I WENT OVER TO GAINESVILLE FSS TO FIGURE OUT A VFR RTE TO CONTINUE ON. THE CTLR POINTED OUT THE NEED FOR ME TO CONTACT BOTH TYNDALL (HE SAID NEAR APPALACHICOLA) AND THE EGLIN (PAST PANAMA CITY). WHEN ON THE 180 DEG RADIAL FROM TALLAHASSEE, I RAISED TYNDALL. THEY TOLD ME I WAS NOT IN THEIR AIRSPACE AND TO CALL LATER. I CALLED AGAIN WHEN I THOUGHT I WAS CLOSER AND AGAIN THE SAME REPLY. ONCE AGAIN, I CALLED AND THEY HAD ME CALL EGLIN. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, THE VOR TO PANAMA CITY INDICATED I WAS STILL A DISTANCE AWAY. I SAW AN AIRFIELD AT 10 O'CLOCK THAT I THOUGHT, AT FIRST, MUST BE APPALACHICOLA. I FIGURED MY HEADWINDS HAD REALLY HELD MY GNDSPD DOWN. JUST AS I WAS XING OVER THE AIRFIELD DEAD CTR (FOR SAFETY OF ARRIVING/DEPARTING ACFT), AND JUST AS EGLIN ASKED MY POS, THE VOR SWING TO INDICATE PANAMA CITY ON THE 160 DEG RADIAL, AND I SAW, TO MY HORROR, MIL ACFT ON THE FIELD. I WAS OVER TYNDALL. EGLIN WAS TOLD, THEY PASSED ME OFF TO TYNDALL, THEN OVER TO PANAMA CITY, WHERE I LANDED. I SPOKE WITH THE OFFICER AT TYNDALL WHO WAS ALREADY ON THE PHONE WHEN I ARRIVED. HE AGREED THAT, DUE TO MY LOW ALT AND REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO RAISE TYNDALL, HE WOULD NOT PRESS CHARGES. I WAS SHAKEN ENOUGH TO SPEND THE NIGHT AND CONTINUE ON THE NEXT DAY BACK TO RAYMOND, MS. THERE IS A LOT MORE EQUIP I WILL HAVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IN THE AVIONICS OF THIS ACFT. I HAVE ALREADY DISCUSSED IT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR. THE LORAN IS DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE I USED TO USE, AND I AM NOT YET TRAINED ON THE DME. I COULDN'T GET DISTANCE ESTIMATES CLOSELY ENOUGH.

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.

Attributes
ACN	278211
Time
Date	199407
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pam airport : pfn
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 124 flight time type : 16
ASRS Report	278211
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Private pilot of an small aircraft sel became disoriented on a VFR cross country and declared a low fuel emergency for vectors to airport. Subsequently, after taking off for a return flight, became lost again resulting in penetration of a restr area.