Unauthorized penetration of airspace milfac.

Attributes
ACN	295154
Time
Date	199502
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : spg
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	military facility : mcf tower : spg tracon : pdx
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 386 flight time type : 364
ASRS Report	295154
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Although I have done a lot of cross country flying, in and out of class D airspace, this was the first time in this particular area. To fly over tampa bay into st petersburg whitted field, was the intended destination. My plane was 1 of a group of 6, all headed for this airport. Because of difficulty in raising the tower, due to a frequency change, one of the group turned back. I did a lot of careful planning to avoid tampa and macdill. I marked the chart and set my portable GPS (old) for manatee, as a waypoint to albert whitted. I was careful to plan a proper altitude according to the chart. Manatee airport is a grass strip 10 mi sse across tampa bay from albert whitted. I was told by pilots, who had made the trip, that I would be able to see albert whitted from the shore. At 1000 ft nothing in a distance looks the same as on the chart and because my GPS kept turning itself off, I simply looked across the bay, to spot the airport. I called albert whitted tower on 124.4, the frequency on my chart (expires mar/95) and did not get a response. I tried 120.4 which was the frequency on the plate in my airport book. Also wrong. I remembered that someone else had an airport plate with 127.4, tried that and got results. I gave my distance 10 mi out, altitude 1000 ft, and position sse of the airport. I was told to proceed to runway 18 for landing. Evidently with all my fooling around with radios, I got off course and what looked good over the water as albert whitted turned out to be macdill. According to the tower they figured I was still over manatee. I tried giving them ground reference points, tried holding my low altitude, and tried to answer all their questions. This kept me more than busy, but I concentrated mainly on flying the plane. There did not appear to be any activity at macdill and when 1 of our group called albert whitted he was asked if he had contact with macdill. He said no, he was vectored through by tampa and only told to contact albert whitted on 127.4. This makes me believe the area was cold at the time of this incident. The controllers at albert whitted did a good job of getting me out of area and back on track once they got me on their radar. In the future I will plan my headings on paper rather than depend on my GPS. I never got lost as a student pilot and feel like an idiot for making such a dumb mistake at this stage of flying.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE MILFAC.

Narrative: ALTHOUGH I HAVE DONE A LOT OF XCOUNTRY FLYING, IN AND OUT OF CLASS D AIRSPACE, THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA. TO FLY OVER TAMPA BAY INTO ST PETERSBURG WHITTED FIELD, WAS THE INTENDED DEST. MY PLANE WAS 1 OF A GROUP OF 6, ALL HEADED FOR THIS ARPT. BECAUSE OF DIFFICULTY IN RAISING THE TWR, DUE TO A FREQ CHANGE, ONE OF THE GROUP TURNED BACK. I DID A LOT OF CAREFUL PLANNING TO AVOID TAMPA AND MACDILL. I MARKED THE CHART AND SET MY PORTABLE GPS (OLD) FOR MANATEE, AS A WAYPOINT TO ALBERT WHITTED. I WAS CAREFUL TO PLAN A PROPER ALT ACCORDING TO THE CHART. MANATEE ARPT IS A GRASS STRIP 10 MI SSE ACROSS TAMPA BAY FROM ALBERT WHITTED. I WAS TOLD BY PLTS, WHO HAD MADE THE TRIP, THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE ALBERT WHITTED FROM THE SHORE. AT 1000 FT NOTHING IN A DISTANCE LOOKS THE SAME AS ON THE CHART AND BECAUSE MY GPS KEPT TURNING ITSELF OFF, I SIMPLY LOOKED ACROSS THE BAY, TO SPOT THE ARPT. I CALLED ALBERT WHITTED TWR ON 124.4, THE FREQ ON MY CHART (EXPIRES MAR/95) AND DID NOT GET A RESPONSE. I TRIED 120.4 WHICH WAS THE FREQ ON THE PLATE IN MY ARPT BOOK. ALSO WRONG. I REMEMBERED THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAD AN ARPT PLATE WITH 127.4, TRIED THAT AND GOT RESULTS. I GAVE MY DISTANCE 10 MI OUT, ALT 1000 FT, AND POS SSE OF THE ARPT. I WAS TOLD TO PROCEED TO RWY 18 FOR LNDG. EVIDENTLY WITH ALL MY FOOLING AROUND WITH RADIOS, I GOT OFF COURSE AND WHAT LOOKED GOOD OVER THE WATER AS ALBERT WHITTED TURNED OUT TO BE MACDILL. ACCORDING TO THE TWR THEY FIGURED I WAS STILL OVER MANATEE. I TRIED GIVING THEM GND REF POINTS, TRIED HOLDING MY LOW ALT, AND TRIED TO ANSWER ALL THEIR QUESTIONS. THIS KEPT ME MORE THAN BUSY, BUT I CONCENTRATED MAINLY ON FLYING THE PLANE. THERE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE ANY ACTIVITY AT MACDILL AND WHEN 1 OF OUR GROUP CALLED ALBERT WHITTED HE WAS ASKED IF HE HAD CONTACT WITH MACDILL. HE SAID NO, HE WAS VECTORED THROUGH BY TAMPA AND ONLY TOLD TO CONTACT ALBERT WHITTED ON 127.4. THIS MAKES ME BELIEVE THE AREA WAS COLD AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. THE CTLRS AT ALBERT WHITTED DID A GOOD JOB OF GETTING ME OUT OF AREA AND BACK ON TRACK ONCE THEY GOT ME ON THEIR RADAR. IN THE FUTURE I WILL PLAN MY HDGS ON PAPER RATHER THAN DEPEND ON MY GPS. I NEVER GOT LOST AS A STUDENT PLT AND FEEL LIKE AN IDIOT FOR MAKING SUCH A DUMB MISTAKE AT THIS STAGE OF FLYING.

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.