Private pilot of a small aircraft sel experimental aircraft made an unplanned forced landing in a co...

Attributes
ACN	334254
Time
Date	199604
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : nc33
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2800 msl bound upper : 2800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : cid
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 61 flight time total : 244 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	334254
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : assigned or threatened penalties faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying an airplane using GPS from 7a1, donaldson, GA, to ritter airpark (private) approximately 5 mi southwest of asheville, nc. I flew to a waypoint keyed into the GPS. The waypoint coordinates keyed in were 35 degrees 18.6 mins north by 82 degrees 37.7 mins west. Then I turned and followed the GPS track going from the waypoint directly to asheville airport, a line between these 2 points crosses directly over top of ritter airport (my intended destination) 4.6 statute mi out from asheville, right on the edge of the class C airspace. When I got to what should have been 'ritter' per distance from asheville and line between the 2 points, I could not find ritter airpark. Circling around and searching accomplished nothing for me. I was at the supposed location exactly on time per flight plan. I circled for 15 mins. Not finding the airpark and running close to flight service 'begin search' time and with only 45 mins of fuel left, I made a precautionary landing in a cornfield to call flight service and get directions to 'ritter.' ritter turned out to be approximately 1 1/2 mi northeast from where I had been circling. Why? I used a current atlanta sectional. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he learned that he could not rely on using coordinates for GPS navigation from measuring the sectional chart since the chart was not designed for that type of accuracy. However, if the reporter had used the published coordinates of the nearby airport and taken a distant from that it may have been more accurate. The reporter also stated that the private airport was usually hard to see since it was a grass strip. He said that he was reexamined by the FAA, given a letter of record of this incident for his airman certificate file since he did do damage to the aircraft during takeoff from the cornfield. The experimental aircraft flown was a breeze that resembles the wright brothers' aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A SMA SEL EXPERIMENTAL ACFT MADE AN UNPLANNED FORCED LNDG IN A CORNFIELD AFTER HE COULD NOT LOCATE THE PVT ARPT TO WHICH HE WAS FLYING.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN AIRPLANE USING GPS FROM 7A1, DONALDSON, GA, TO RITTER AIRPARK (PVT) APPROX 5 MI SW OF ASHEVILLE, NC. I FLEW TO A WAYPOINT KEYED INTO THE GPS. THE WAYPOINT COORDINATES KEYED IN WERE 35 DEGS 18.6 MINS N BY 82 DEGS 37.7 MINS W. THEN I TURNED AND FOLLOWED THE GPS TRACK GOING FROM THE WAYPOINT DIRECTLY TO ASHEVILLE ARPT, A LINE BTWN THESE 2 POINTS CROSSES DIRECTLY OVER TOP OF RITTER ARPT (MY INTENDED DEST) 4.6 STATUTE MI OUT FROM ASHEVILLE, RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. WHEN I GOT TO WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 'RITTER' PER DISTANCE FROM ASHEVILLE AND LINE BTWN THE 2 POINTS, I COULD NOT FIND RITTER AIRPARK. CIRCLING AROUND AND SEARCHING ACCOMPLISHED NOTHING FOR ME. I WAS AT THE SUPPOSED LOCATION EXACTLY ON TIME PER FLT PLAN. I CIRCLED FOR 15 MINS. NOT FINDING THE AIRPARK AND RUNNING CLOSE TO FLT SVC 'BEGIN SEARCH' TIME AND WITH ONLY 45 MINS OF FUEL LEFT, I MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN A CORNFIELD TO CALL FLT SVC AND GET DIRECTIONS TO 'RITTER.' RITTER TURNED OUT TO BE APPROX 1 1/2 MI NE FROM WHERE I HAD BEEN CIRCLING. WHY? I USED A CURRENT ATLANTA SECTIONAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE LEARNED THAT HE COULD NOT RELY ON USING COORDINATES FOR GPS NAV FROM MEASURING THE SECTIONAL CHART SINCE THE CHART WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR THAT TYPE OF ACCURACY. HOWEVER, IF THE RPTR HAD USED THE PUBLISHED COORDINATES OF THE NEARBY ARPT AND TAKEN A DISTANT FROM THAT IT MAY HAVE BEEN MORE ACCURATE. THE RPTR ALSO STATED THAT THE PVT ARPT WAS USUALLY HARD TO SEE SINCE IT WAS A GRASS STRIP. HE SAID THAT HE WAS REEXAMINED BY THE FAA, GIVEN A LETTER OF RECORD OF THIS INCIDENT FOR HIS AIRMAN CERTIFICATE FILE SINCE HE DID DO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT DURING TKOF FROM THE CORNFIELD. THE EXPERIMENTAL ACFT FLOWN WAS A BREEZE THAT RESEMBLES THE WRIGHT BROTHERS' ACFT.

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.

Private pilot of a small aircraft sel experimental aircraft made an unplanned forced landing in a cornfield after he could not locate the private airport to which he was flying.