Heading track deviation places pilot in proximity of old 'TRSA' class east airspace.

Attributes
ACN	311870
Time
Date	199507
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : rfd
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	311870
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Departed osh VFR heading south -- NOTAM required heading 240 degrees or west for approximately 10 mi to avoid incoming VFR from fisk. Once southeast of fisk, resumed navigation to janesville, rockford, peoria and south. Visibility was poor into the sun, top of haze and fog layer near 6000 ft MSL. I was navigating back to course using LORAN for VFR navigation, watching intently for traffic in less than great visibility. Crossed janesville somewhat west of desired course. LORAN did not sequence the janesville waypoint as expected to provide guidance to rockford. Listening to rockford on communication, I expected to report prior to entering their airspace, but could not immediately determine my location relative to rockford. I was intent on watching for traffic and resolving the problem with the waypoint sequencing. The navigation problem got solved, I determined that I was already south of rockford TRSA. I never saw the airport. I do not know if I entered their airspace inadvertently or not. I did not hear rockford call unidented traffic to anyone, and observed no traffic conflict. While I knew in general where I was, my navigation was not as precise as it should have been given the airspace in the vicinity of rockford.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV PLACES PLT IN PROX OF OLD 'TRSA' CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: DEPARTED OSH VFR HDG S -- NOTAM REQUIRED HDG 240 DEGS OR W FOR APPROX 10 MI TO AVOID INCOMING VFR FROM FISK. ONCE SE OF FISK, RESUMED NAV TO JANESVILLE, ROCKFORD, PEORIA AND S. VISIBILITY WAS POOR INTO THE SUN, TOP OF HAZE AND FOG LAYER NEAR 6000 FT MSL. I WAS NAVING BACK TO COURSE USING LORAN FOR VFR NAV, WATCHING INTENTLY FOR TFC IN LESS THAN GREAT VISIBILITY. CROSSED JANESVILLE SOMEWHAT W OF DESIRED COURSE. LORAN DID NOT SEQUENCE THE JANESVILLE WAYPOINT AS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO ROCKFORD. LISTENING TO ROCKFORD ON COM, I EXPECTED TO RPT PRIOR TO ENTERING THEIR AIRSPACE, BUT COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY DETERMINE MY LOCATION RELATIVE TO ROCKFORD. I WAS INTENT ON WATCHING FOR TFC AND RESOLVING THE PROB WITH THE WAYPOINT SEQUENCING. THE NAV PROB GOT SOLVED, I DETERMINED THAT I WAS ALREADY S OF ROCKFORD TRSA. I NEVER SAW THE ARPT. I DO NOT KNOW IF I ENTERED THEIR AIRSPACE INADVERTENTLY OR NOT. I DID NOT HEAR ROCKFORD CALL UNIDENTED TFC TO ANYONE, AND OBSERVED NO TFC CONFLICT. WHILE I KNEW IN GENERAL WHERE I WAS, MY NAV WAS NOT AS PRECISE AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE AIRSPACE IN THE VICINITY OF ROCKFORD.

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.