Narrative:

I was asked by a friend (pilot) if I would go with him to johnstown, PA, immediately to drop off a friend. My friend had had only 3 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours and said he was unsafe to fly without a backup pilot. I agreed to be PIC and soon left in my PA 28-180. Leaving vpz on a LORAN course set for cak, we climbed to 7500 ft with my backup pilot as navigator. About 10 mi west of cak my LORAN blanked out. I asked my backup pilot to take over the controls due to haze conditions of 3-5, which would allow me to reprogram the LORAN . I tuned in the bsv VOR, set the 360 degree radial in and asked the pilot to fly 120 degrees and inform me when we were on the radial. Upon passing it I requested a course of 125 degrees and 10 east of cak I took control and descended to 3500 ft to remain clear of the upper limits of pit class B airspace. I again gave the controls to the pilot and completed programming and activating the LORAN. It showed a course of 110 degrees needed to destination. We continued that course until arriving jst. Upon arrival I was asked to report to tower and was informed of my infraction of entering pit airspace without approval. Upon further analysis of their input and evaluation of my sectional, I recognized they were correct. My error was relying upon a tired navigator. If he was too tired to pilot then he surely was too tired to navigation. I'm sure he saw we were off course but it just did not register in his mind. If I had had the sectional in my lap, I would have interpreted it correctly and navigated as needed. When we were looking to the left, where we thought the airport was, it was actually to the right: we were 25 mi off course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT HANDED OVER HIS NAV CHORES TO A FATIGUED PLT.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED BY A FRIEND (PLT) IF I WOULD GO WITH HIM TO JOHNSTOWN, PA, IMMEDIATELY TO DROP OFF A FRIEND. MY FRIEND HAD HAD ONLY 3 HRS OF SLEEP IN THE PAST 48 HRS AND SAID HE WAS UNSAFE TO FLY WITHOUT A BACKUP PLT. I AGREED TO BE PIC AND SOON LEFT IN MY PA 28-180. LEAVING VPZ ON A LORAN COURSE SET FOR CAK, WE CLBED TO 7500 FT WITH MY BACKUP PLT AS NAVIGATOR. ABOUT 10 MI W OF CAK MY LORAN BLANKED OUT. I ASKED MY BACKUP PLT TO TAKE OVER THE CTLS DUE TO HAZE CONDITIONS OF 3-5, WHICH WOULD ALLOW ME TO REPROGRAM THE LORAN . I TUNED IN THE BSV VOR, SET THE 360 DEG RADIAL IN AND ASKED THE PLT TO FLY 120 DEGS AND INFORM ME WHEN WE WERE ON THE RADIAL. UPON PASSING IT I REQUESTED A COURSE OF 125 DEGS AND 10 E OF CAK I TOOK CTL AND DSNDED TO 3500 FT TO REMAIN CLR OF THE UPPER LIMITS OF PIT CLASS B AIRSPACE. I AGAIN GAVE THE CTLS TO THE PLT AND COMPLETED PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVATING THE LORAN. IT SHOWED A COURSE OF 110 DEGS NEEDED TO DEST. WE CONTINUED THAT COURSE UNTIL ARRIVING JST. UPON ARR I WAS ASKED TO RPT TO TWR AND WAS INFORMED OF MY INFRACTION OF ENTERING PIT AIRSPACE WITHOUT APPROVAL. UPON FURTHER ANALYSIS OF THEIR INPUT AND EVALUATION OF MY SECTIONAL, I RECOGNIZED THEY WERE CORRECT. MY ERROR WAS RELYING UPON A TIRED NAVIGATOR. IF HE WAS TOO TIRED TO PLT THEN HE SURELY WAS TOO TIRED TO NAV. I'M SURE HE SAW WE WERE OFF COURSE BUT IT JUST DID NOT REGISTER IN HIS MIND. IF I HAD HAD THE SECTIONAL IN MY LAP, I WOULD HAVE INTERPRETED IT CORRECTLY AND NAVIGATED AS NEEDED. WHEN WE WERE LOOKING TO THE L, WHERE WE THOUGHT THE ARPT WAS, IT WAS ACTUALLY TO THE R: WE WERE 25 MI OFF COURSE.

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.