Narrative:

Pilot was following ground references using sectional map to navigation from quakertown to kutztown, without reference to instrument navigation aides in order to practice pilotage techniques. Altitude encoded transponder used. The ground reference being used by the pilot was a series of high-tension electrical transmission lines traveling through mountains, and depicted on the sectional map to converge with railway lines in the kutztown vicinity near a tower, 6 NM northwest, at the kutztown airport. The pilot unknowingly was following a second series of high tension electrical transmission lines, 5 NM south of the intended ground reference, also converging on railroad lines and a tower just north of reading airport. The pilot was unfamiliar with the route of flight and occasional light snow flurries were unrpted. The pilot was tuned to williamstown FSS and kutztown unicom frequency 122.8 when he spotted railway lines and a water tower from westward mountain terrain at 3300 ft altitude. Descending to 2500 ft towards the plateau in the vicinity of the water tower, the pilot observed a tower -- controled airport facility at position 10 O'clock. It was immediately apparent to the pilot that he had entered the controled airspace of the reading airport and was within 3 NM of the airfield at 2750 ft altitude without radio contact. The pilot quickly scanned the area and executed a 45 degree right bank, leaving the area northward at full power and 125 KTS. 6 NM out, the pilot attempted to contact reading tower prior to landing at kutztown. No other aircraft were observed in the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: PLT WAS FOLLOWING GND REFS USING SECTIONAL MAP TO NAV FROM QUAKERTOWN TO KUTZTOWN, WITHOUT REF TO INST NAV AIDES IN ORDER TO PRACTICE PILOTAGE TECHNIQUES. ALT ENCODED XPONDER USED. THE GND REF BEING USED BY THE PLT WAS A SERIES OF HIGH-TENSION ELECTRICAL XMISSION LINES TRAVELING THROUGH MOUNTAINS, AND DEPICTED ON THE SECTIONAL MAP TO CONVERGE WITH RAILWAY LINES IN THE KUTZTOWN VICINITY NEAR A TWR, 6 NM NW, AT THE KUTZTOWN ARPT. THE PLT UNKNOWINGLY WAS FOLLOWING A SECOND SERIES OF HIGH TENSION ELECTRICAL XMISSION LINES, 5 NM S OF THE INTENDED GND REF, ALSO CONVERGING ON RAILROAD LINES AND A TWR JUST N OF READING ARPT. THE PLT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE RTE OF FLT AND OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW FLURRIES WERE UNRPTED. THE PLT WAS TUNED TO WILLIAMSTOWN FSS AND KUTZTOWN UNICOM FREQ 122.8 WHEN HE SPOTTED RAILWAY LINES AND A WATER TWR FROM WESTWARD MOUNTAIN TERRAIN AT 3300 FT ALT. DSNDING TO 2500 FT TOWARDS THE PLATEAU IN THE VICINITY OF THE WATER TWR, THE PLT OBSERVED A TWR -- CTLED ARPT FACILITY AT POS 10 O'CLOCK. IT WAS IMMEDIATELY APPARENT TO THE PLT THAT HE HAD ENTERED THE CTLED AIRSPACE OF THE READING ARPT AND WAS WITHIN 3 NM OF THE AIRFIELD AT 2750 FT ALT WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT. THE PLT QUICKLY SCANNED THE AREA AND EXECUTED A 45 DEG R BANK, LEAVING THE AREA NORTHWARD AT FULL PWR AND 125 KTS. 6 NM OUT, THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT READING TWR PRIOR TO LNDG AT KUTZTOWN. NO OTHER ACFT WERE OBSERVED IN THE AREA.

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.