Narrative:

Acting as pilot and physician I elected to fly a cardiac patient and his nurse companion to cgs airport to return home to his family. I filed IFR and departed hfd. The trip was uneventful until I was issued radar vectors by ZDC about 10 mi from cgs after passing swann intersection. I descended to 1400 ft as requested. After visualizing the airport about 3 mi ahead I notified control and canceled IFR. At this altitude moderate turbulence was encountered and both the patient and his nurse companion became ill. Prior to entering the pattern both passenger became more violently ill and I became more concerned for the safety of the cardiac patient who I feared might aspirate. Entering the right downwind and beginning a right base turn to runway 33, I lost visual contact with the runway. At this point I broke off from the pattern and attempted to go around and re-establish visual contact. This was unsuccessful, and after about 2- 3 mins of maneuvering I contacted ZDC and requested radar vectors to the airport. After vectoring me back to cgs I was told to call center after landing. This time, in spite of the continued illness of my passenger, I landed without incident. After attending to the needs of the passenger and arranging for further medical care for the cardiac patient I called ZDC as requested. At this time I was informed that I intruded into controled airspace and was requested to supply my name, address, pilot certificate number, and plane registration. I was not granted the courtesy of an explanation as to the preceding events. At no time do I believe that I entered either the lateral or vertical airspace limits. I am sure that my concern for my ill passenger, especially the cardiac, affected my performance. In the future I will not fly an impaired passenger without a copilot to help with pilot and navigation duties. I will not agree to terminate IFR control until I am sure that I can successfully fly the pattern without the possibility of losing visual contact, especially in unfamiliar environment. In the event of losing visual contact, I will not delay requesting assistance from center.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32-300 PLT CANCELS IFR BUT THEN LOSES SIGHT OF THE ARPT. MAKES GAR, REQUESTS VECTORS FROM CTR FOR SECOND APCH.

Narrative: ACTING AS PLT AND PHYSICIAN I ELECTED TO FLY A CARDIAC PATIENT AND HIS NURSE COMPANION TO CGS ARPT TO RETURN HOME TO HIS FAMILY. I FILED IFR AND DEPARTED HFD. THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL I WAS ISSUED RADAR VECTORS BY ZDC ABOUT 10 MI FROM CGS AFTER PASSING SWANN INTXN. I DSNDED TO 1400 FT AS REQUESTED. AFTER VISUALIZING THE ARPT ABOUT 3 MI AHEAD I NOTIFIED CTL AND CANCELED IFR. AT THIS ALT MODERATE TURB WAS ENCOUNTERED AND BOTH THE PATIENT AND HIS NURSE COMPANION BECAME ILL. PRIOR TO ENTERING THE PATTERN BOTH PAX BECAME MORE VIOLENTLY ILL AND I BECAME MORE CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CARDIAC PATIENT WHO I FEARED MIGHT ASPIRATE. ENTERING THE R DOWNWIND AND BEGINNING A R BASE TURN TO RWY 33, I LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY. AT THIS POINT I BROKE OFF FROM THE PATTERN AND ATTEMPTED TO GAR AND RE-ESTABLISH VISUAL CONTACT. THIS WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AND AFTER ABOUT 2- 3 MINS OF MANEUVERING I CONTACTED ZDC AND REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS TO THE ARPT. AFTER VECTORING ME BACK TO CGS I WAS TOLD TO CALL CTR AFTER LNDG. THIS TIME, IN SPITE OF THE CONTINUED ILLNESS OF MY PAX, I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER ATTENDING TO THE NEEDS OF THE PAX AND ARRANGING FOR FURTHER MEDICAL CARE FOR THE CARDIAC PATIENT I CALLED ZDC AS REQUESTED. AT THIS TIME I WAS INFORMED THAT I INTRUDED INTO CTLED AIRSPACE AND WAS REQUESTED TO SUPPLY MY NAME, ADDRESS, PLT CERTIFICATE NUMBER, AND PLANE REGISTRATION. I WAS NOT GRANTED THE COURTESY OF AN EXPLANATION AS TO THE PRECEDING EVENTS. AT NO TIME DO I BELIEVE THAT I ENTERED EITHER THE LATERAL OR VERT AIRSPACE LIMITS. I AM SURE THAT MY CONCERN FOR MY ILL PAX, ESPECIALLY THE CARDIAC, AFFECTED MY PERFORMANCE. IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT FLY AN IMPAIRED PAX WITHOUT A COPLT TO HELP WITH PLT AND NAV DUTIES. I WILL NOT AGREE TO TERMINATE IFR CTL UNTIL I AM SURE THAT I CAN SUCCESSFULLY FLY THE PATTERN WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING VISUAL CONTACT, ESPECIALLY IN UNFAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT. IN THE EVENT OF LOSING VISUAL CONTACT, I WILL NOT DELAY REQUESTING ASSISTANCE FROM CTR.

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.