Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight from east stroudsburg, PA (N53) to worchester, ma (orh). The route of flight was to be direct kingston VOR (ign), direct barns VOR (baf), direct. The route was to be flown at 3000 ft MSL. This route was selected to avoid the windsor locks class C airspace. Midway between ign and baf the engine quit while operating on the auxiliary fuel tank, which is to be used first with the exception of takeoff and landing. I initially thought that the tank had run empty, although it should have been an additional 15 mins of fuel. I switched the fuel selector to the left main tank, and activated the auxiliary boost pump. After an unusually long delay, the fuel pressure was restored and the engine started and appeared to be running normal. After everything appeared normal I turned off the auxiliary boost pump and monitored the fuel pressure. The pressure began to slip lower and lower and the engine began to sound rough and the egt began to rise, as if it was too lean. I reactivated the boost pump and the engine returned to normal operation. In an effort to isolate the problem, which appeared to be failed, or failing vacuum fuel pump. I switched to the right main tank, and after a few mins of having normal operation, I again shut off the auxiliary boost pump. Again fuel pressure began to deteriorate, and the egt began to rise. I turned the boost pump back to restore normal operation. At about this point I spotted what I believed to be westover airport which had a minimum crossing altitude above 2700 ft MSL. I selected a 'direct to' heading from the LORAN for the worchester airport, and proceeded to land there without further incident. Upon arrival at worchester airport I was advised to contact bradley. It seems that while attempting to concentrate on my engine problem, I got off tract to the south, and entered the windsor locks class C airspace. Apparently, what I thought was westover was in fact bradley field. In reviewing the topics on this form, I must state that my responsibility to maintain flight 'aviate' was my prime concern. Having accomplished that, my next duty was to 'navigation.' in this area, a coincidental situation of having been fully concentrating on my engine/fuel problem, and drifting, unknowingly, to the south placed me over the wrong (bradley int) airport at about the same time I should have been over the westover airport. The obvious error in navigation is the actual cause of the problem, to which I can only offer the above explanation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR PLT FLEW THROUGH CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH CTLR.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM E STROUDSBURG, PA (N53) TO WORCHESTER, MA (ORH). THE RTE OF FLT WAS TO BE DIRECT KINGSTON VOR (IGN), DIRECT BARNS VOR (BAF), DIRECT. THE RTE WAS TO BE FLOWN AT 3000 FT MSL. THIS RTE WAS SELECTED TO AVOID THE WINDSOR LOCKS CLASS C AIRSPACE. MIDWAY BTWN IGN AND BAF THE ENG QUIT WHILE OPERATING ON THE AUX FUEL TANK, WHICH IS TO BE USED FIRST WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TKOF AND LNDG. I INITIALLY THOUGHT THAT THE TANK HAD RUN EMPTY, ALTHOUGH IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ADDITIONAL 15 MINS OF FUEL. I SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE L MAIN TANK, AND ACTIVATED THE AUX BOOST PUMP. AFTER AN UNUSUALLY LONG DELAY, THE FUEL PRESSURE WAS RESTORED AND THE ENG STARTED AND APPEARED TO BE RUNNING NORMAL. AFTER EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL I TURNED OFF THE AUX BOOST PUMP AND MONITORED THE FUEL PRESSURE. THE PRESSURE BEGAN TO SLIP LOWER AND LOWER AND THE ENG BEGAN TO SOUND ROUGH AND THE EGT BEGAN TO RISE, AS IF IT WAS TOO LEAN. I REACTIVATED THE BOOST PUMP AND THE ENG RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATION. IN AN EFFORT TO ISOLATE THE PROB, WHICH APPEARED TO BE FAILED, OR FAILING VACUUM FUEL PUMP. I SWITCHED TO THE R MAIN TANK, AND AFTER A FEW MINS OF HAVING NORMAL OPERATION, I AGAIN SHUT OFF THE AUX BOOST PUMP. AGAIN FUEL PRESSURE BEGAN TO DETERIORATE, AND THE EGT BEGAN TO RISE. I TURNED THE BOOST PUMP BACK TO RESTORE NORMAL OPERATION. AT ABOUT THIS POINT I SPOTTED WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE WESTOVER ARPT WHICH HAD A MINIMUM XING ALT ABOVE 2700 FT MSL. I SELECTED A 'DIRECT TO' HDG FROM THE LORAN FOR THE WORCHESTER ARPT, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND THERE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. UPON ARR AT WORCHESTER ARPT I WAS ADVISED TO CONTACT BRADLEY. IT SEEMS THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONCENTRATE ON MY ENG PROB, I GOT OFF TRACT TO THE S, AND ENTERED THE WINDSOR LOCKS CLASS C AIRSPACE. APPARENTLY, WHAT I THOUGHT WAS WESTOVER WAS IN FACT BRADLEY FIELD. IN REVIEWING THE TOPICS ON THIS FORM, I MUST STATE THAT MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN FLT 'AVIATE' WAS MY PRIME CONCERN. HAVING ACCOMPLISHED THAT, MY NEXT DUTY WAS TO 'NAV.' IN THIS AREA, A COINCIDENTAL SIT OF HAVING BEEN FULLY CONCENTRATING ON MY ENG/FUEL PROB, AND DRIFTING, UNKNOWINGLY, TO THE SOUTH PLACED ME OVER THE WRONG (BRADLEY INT) ARPT AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME I SHOULD HAVE BEEN OVER THE WESTOVER ARPT. THE OBVIOUS ERROR IN NAV IS THE ACTUAL CAUSE OF THE PROB, TO WHICH I CAN ONLY OFFER THE ABOVE EXPLANATION.

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.