Narrative:

I planned to fly from kissimmee, fl, to tallahassee, fl. Earlier that morning, I gave my flight plan details to a briefer (I was at merritt island at the time) and would open it when airborne. The plane (C172) had a hand microphone to talk, but I was using headphones with a press to talk switch and a 4-WAY intercom. When I did my radio check I did not hear a response. An instructor checked the radio and intercom and found it to be working ok. I twice had to return to the ramp because of the radio. Eventually, I was happy that the radio was working which was confirmed by my passenger (an ATP) and we set off and stayed below 1500 ft to avoid orlando's class B airspace. I then tried to open my flight plan with st petersburg but there was no response. I thought that I was just too low at the time. I then tried contacting orlando who I could barely hear. I thought I received a squawk, but waited for a while as they sounded busy. Within about 20 mins I was unsure of my position. The only ground references appeared to be just lakes and swamps and also, I now found that both VOR's were not working. I climbed to 2000 ft and tried calling orlando but no response and I could not hear them transmit. I then squawked 7600 on the transponder and called 121.5. Again no response. I then turned west toward the coast hoping to see one of the many airfields. On reaching the coast there was just swamp. I still had 2 hours of fuel and flew east to the east coast (45 mins) zigzagging my way between rain clouds. I dialed through the radio channels and picked up lakeland. They said I was unreadable but another aircraft passed my transmission to them, that I was lost. I soon reached orlando and circled on the outskirts as I was worried about entering the class bravo airspace. The controller could hear me but I could only hear about the first 4 seconds of each of their replies, so it took about 7 or 8 xmissions to them that I was 15 mi west of orlando international and that merritt island was on a heading of 120 degrees. However, I saw kissimmee and landed. I have written this report as I may have unintentionally entered class bravo airspace without permission. I spoke with the orlando approach control supervisor later who was very helpful and understanding and was pleased that I had landed at kissimmee (and that a controller had asked me to land there anyway, which I did not hear). The supervisor said that he would not be reporting the incident and said that his controllers would be happy to talk me through class bravo airspace when I was next in the area. I am not planning to use temporary intercom or press-to-talk equipment in the near future.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT THOUGHT THAT HE MAY HAVE ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE WHILE LOST. FLT DIVERTED.

Narrative: I PLANNED TO FLY FROM KISSIMMEE, FL, TO TALLAHASSEE, FL. EARLIER THAT MORNING, I GAVE MY FLT PLAN DETAILS TO A BRIEFER (I WAS AT MERRITT ISLAND AT THE TIME) AND WOULD OPEN IT WHEN AIRBORNE. THE PLANE (C172) HAD A HAND MIKE TO TALK, BUT I WAS USING HEADPHONES WITH A PRESS TO TALK SWITCH AND A 4-WAY INTERCOM. WHEN I DID MY RADIO CHK I DID NOT HEAR A RESPONSE. AN INSTRUCTOR CHKED THE RADIO AND INTERCOM AND FOUND IT TO BE WORKING OK. I TWICE HAD TO RETURN TO THE RAMP BECAUSE OF THE RADIO. EVENTUALLY, I WAS HAPPY THAT THE RADIO WAS WORKING WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY MY PAX (AN ATP) AND WE SET OFF AND STAYED BELOW 1500 FT TO AVOID ORLANDO'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. I THEN TRIED TO OPEN MY FLT PLAN WITH ST PETERSBURG BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I THOUGHT THAT I WAS JUST TOO LOW AT THE TIME. I THEN TRIED CONTACTING ORLANDO WHO I COULD BARELY HEAR. I THOUGHT I RECEIVED A SQUAWK, BUT WAITED FOR A WHILE AS THEY SOUNDED BUSY. WITHIN ABOUT 20 MINS I WAS UNSURE OF MY POS. THE ONLY GND REFS APPEARED TO BE JUST LAKES AND SWAMPS AND ALSO, I NOW FOUND THAT BOTH VOR'S WERE NOT WORKING. I CLBED TO 2000 FT AND TRIED CALLING ORLANDO BUT NO RESPONSE AND I COULD NOT HEAR THEM XMIT. I THEN SQUAWKED 7600 ON THE XPONDER AND CALLED 121.5. AGAIN NO RESPONSE. I THEN TURNED W TOWARD THE COAST HOPING TO SEE ONE OF THE MANY AIRFIELDS. ON REACHING THE COAST THERE WAS JUST SWAMP. I STILL HAD 2 HRS OF FUEL AND FLEW E TO THE E COAST (45 MINS) ZIGZAGGING MY WAY BTWN RAIN CLOUDS. I DIALED THROUGH THE RADIO CHANNELS AND PICKED UP LAKELAND. THEY SAID I WAS UNREADABLE BUT ANOTHER ACFT PASSED MY XMISSION TO THEM, THAT I WAS LOST. I SOON REACHED ORLANDO AND CIRCLED ON THE OUTSKIRTS AS I WAS WORRIED ABOUT ENTERING THE CLASS BRAVO AIRSPACE. THE CTLR COULD HEAR ME BUT I COULD ONLY HEAR ABOUT THE FIRST 4 SECONDS OF EACH OF THEIR REPLIES, SO IT TOOK ABOUT 7 OR 8 XMISSIONS TO THEM THAT I WAS 15 MI W OF ORLANDO INTL AND THAT MERRITT ISLAND WAS ON A HDG OF 120 DEGS. HOWEVER, I SAW KISSIMMEE AND LANDED. I HAVE WRITTEN THIS RPT AS I MAY HAVE UNINTENTIONALLY ENTERED CLASS BRAVO AIRSPACE WITHOUT PERMISSION. I SPOKE WITH THE ORLANDO APCH CTL SUPVR LATER WHO WAS VERY HELPFUL AND UNDERSTANDING AND WAS PLEASED THAT I HAD LANDED AT KISSIMMEE (AND THAT A CTLR HAD ASKED ME TO LAND THERE ANYWAY, WHICH I DID NOT HEAR). THE SUPVR SAID THAT HE WOULD NOT BE RPTING THE INCIDENT AND SAID THAT HIS CTLRS WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK ME THROUGH CLASS BRAVO AIRSPACE WHEN I WAS NEXT IN THE AREA. I AM NOT PLANNING TO USE TEMPORARY INTERCOM OR PRESS-TO-TALK EQUIP IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

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.