Narrative:

Winds reported at kenora, ontario, canada on morning prior to flight were at 330 degrees at 20 KTS. Stopped at bde for united states customs. Left bde using ADF for navigation and good visibility to navigation over familiar lakes, and widely spaced towns, and recognizable points. (Please note: ADF points are far between in this area. You fly out of range of one before receiving range of the next is sometimes reached.) for much of the first part of this flight I was crabbed at 210 degrees on the compass for a ground track (visible roads, etc) of 180 degrees and desired course gradually moved towards the east very little. When I could not receive or track the ADF stations that I usually use on this trip (which I have made many times) I was not concerned and thought I had overcorrected for the wind and therefore corrected my lien of flight slightly to the east. I expected to see something I recognized to reorient myself. Shortly after the time had passed when I should have been at or near my destination and many recognizable small towns and airports, I saw what I thought was an interstate highway sbound off to my left side. It was I35 as I expected but had some areas of separation and jogs that I did not recall. As I proceeded thinking it was the area south of minneapolis, mn, I spotted a 4 lane e-w highway ahead, and then a lake just off the nose. I immediately mistakenly concluded that the 4 lane e-w highway was interstate 90, that the lake was lake albert lee, and that I must have been flying into a very strong wind into my nose from the south. I again immediately realized it was not albert lee lake and I had absolutely no idea where I was. I started to continue to follow the interstate highway south thinking it would soon lead to an airport or city. Although the sun restricted my visibility I soon saw large airplanes off to the wsw and turned towards that direction. I quickly concluded I was heading directly towards the tower of a very large major airport. First thoughts were omaha or sioux city, but again, I soon knew it was not omaha and that I would have to land as I would be getting low on fuel. I tried to contact the major airport using 122.8 and 123.00 and flying w-e and e-w over the tower while trying to stay out of the traffic pattern of the large aircraft. After the second pass back e-w over the tower, while in a steep 180 degree right turn bank, the engine began to stop from fuel shortage. I immediately switched back to the other tank that I had flown +/-2 hours on at the start of the flight from bde. At that point I tried to reach any aircraft or the tower on 121.5 and did not hear any communication in return and had (seen or heard) no lights or effort of the tower to recognize my situation. I was determined that I had to land, and proceeded again past the tower and then back toward the tower on base leg to land on the paved strip to the north that I referred to previously. As there was not any aircraft on or near that strip, I proceeded to land and exit at the first opportunity which just happened to be the GA entrance to an FBO. I stopped and went directly to their passenger and office area. I was soon met there by airport security personnel and questioned by several individuals, and contacted by the tower representatives. Only after I was told at the FBO that I was in kansas city international airport did I realize the many errors I would be charged with and the probable consequences. After some time passed, I was released to return home and after returning to my plane and checking all breakers, connections, and audio panel switches, I was able to contact ground control on the frequencys the FBO had given me and I proceeded to return home. I now have found that my ADF was not working, I had done something wrong on my communication radio controls, and that I was not switched to mode C on my transponder.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT BECAME DISORIENTED WHILE ENRTE FROM BDE TO BNW AND LANDED AT MCI, WHEN FUEL EXHAUSTION BECAME IMMINENT. UNK TO HIM, THIS RPTR FLEW INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC OR MODE C OP OF THE XPONDER, AND LANDED AT THE PRIMARY ARPT WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: WINDS RPTED AT KENORA, ONTARIO, CANADA ON MORNING PRIOR TO FLT WERE AT 330 DEGS AT 20 KTS. STOPPED AT BDE FOR UNITED STATES CUSTOMS. LEFT BDE USING ADF FOR NAV AND GOOD VISIBILITY TO NAV OVER FAMILIAR LAKES, AND WIDELY SPACED TOWNS, AND RECOGNIZABLE POINTS. (PLEASE NOTE: ADF POINTS ARE FAR BTWN IN THIS AREA. YOU FLY OUT OF RANGE OF ONE BEFORE RECEIVING RANGE OF THE NEXT IS SOMETIMES REACHED.) FOR MUCH OF THE FIRST PART OF THIS FLT I WAS CRABBED AT 210 DEGS ON THE COMPASS FOR A GND TRACK (VISIBLE ROADS, ETC) OF 180 DEGS AND DESIRED COURSE GRADUALLY MOVED TOWARDS THE E VERY LITTLE. WHEN I COULD NOT RECEIVE OR TRACK THE ADF STATIONS THAT I USUALLY USE ON THIS TRIP (WHICH I HAVE MADE MANY TIMES) I WAS NOT CONCERNED AND THOUGHT I HAD OVERCORRECTED FOR THE WIND AND THEREFORE CORRECTED MY LIEN OF FLT SLIGHTLY TO THE E. I EXPECTED TO SEE SOMETHING I RECOGNIZED TO REORIENT MYSELF. SHORTLY AFTER THE TIME HAD PASSED WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT OR NEAR MY DEST AND MANY RECOGNIZABLE SMALL TOWNS AND ARPTS, I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS AN INTERSTATE HWY SBOUND OFF TO MY L SIDE. IT WAS I35 AS I EXPECTED BUT HAD SOME AREAS OF SEPARATION AND JOGS THAT I DID NOT RECALL. AS I PROCEEDED THINKING IT WAS THE AREA S OF MINNEAPOLIS, MN, I SPOTTED A 4 LANE E-W HWY AHEAD, AND THEN A LAKE JUST OFF THE NOSE. I IMMEDIATELY MISTAKENLY CONCLUDED THAT THE 4 LANE E-W HWY WAS INTERSTATE 90, THAT THE LAKE WAS LAKE ALBERT LEE, AND THAT I MUST HAVE BEEN FLYING INTO A VERY STRONG WIND INTO MY NOSE FROM THE S. I AGAIN IMMEDIATELY REALIZED IT WAS NOT ALBERT LEE LAKE AND I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHERE I WAS. I STARTED TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE INTERSTATE HWY S THINKING IT WOULD SOON LEAD TO AN ARPT OR CITY. ALTHOUGH THE SUN RESTRICTED MY VISIBILITY I SOON SAW LARGE AIRPLANES OFF TO THE WSW AND TURNED TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION. I QUICKLY CONCLUDED I WAS HDG DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE TWR OF A VERY LARGE MAJOR ARPT. FIRST THOUGHTS WERE OMAHA OR SIOUX CITY, BUT AGAIN, I SOON KNEW IT WAS NOT OMAHA AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO LAND AS I WOULD BE GETTING LOW ON FUEL. I TRIED TO CONTACT THE MAJOR ARPT USING 122.8 AND 123.00 AND FLYING W-E AND E-W OVER THE TWR WHILE TRYING TO STAY OUT OF THE TFC PATTERN OF THE LARGE ACFT. AFTER THE SECOND PASS BACK E-W OVER THE TWR, WHILE IN A STEEP 180 DEG R TURN BANK, THE ENG BEGAN TO STOP FROM FUEL SHORTAGE. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED BACK TO THE OTHER TANK THAT I HAD FLOWN +/-2 HRS ON AT THE START OF THE FLT FROM BDE. AT THAT POINT I TRIED TO REACH ANY ACFT OR THE TWR ON 121.5 AND DID NOT HEAR ANY COM IN RETURN AND HAD (SEEN OR HEARD) NO LIGHTS OR EFFORT OF THE TWR TO RECOGNIZE MY SIT. I WAS DETERMINED THAT I HAD TO LAND, AND PROCEEDED AGAIN PAST THE TWR AND THEN BACK TOWARD THE TWR ON BASE LEG TO LAND ON THE PAVED STRIP TO THE N THAT I REFERRED TO PREVIOUSLY. AS THERE WAS NOT ANY ACFT ON OR NEAR THAT STRIP, I PROCEEDED TO LAND AND EXIT AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY WHICH JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE GA ENTRANCE TO AN FBO. I STOPPED AND WENT DIRECTLY TO THEIR PAX AND OFFICE AREA. I WAS SOON MET THERE BY ARPT SECURITY PERSONNEL AND QUESTIONED BY SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS, AND CONTACTED BY THE TWR REPRESENTATIVES. ONLY AFTER I WAS TOLD AT THE FBO THAT I WAS IN KANSAS CITY INTL ARPT DID I REALIZE THE MANY ERRORS I WOULD BE CHARGED WITH AND THE PROBABLE CONSEQUENCES. AFTER SOME TIME PASSED, I WAS RELEASED TO RETURN HOME AND AFTER RETURNING TO MY PLANE AND CHKING ALL BREAKERS, CONNECTIONS, AND AUDIO PANEL SWITCHES, I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT GND CTL ON THE FREQS THE FBO HAD GIVEN ME AND I PROCEEDED TO RETURN HOME. I NOW HAVE FOUND THAT MY ADF WAS NOT WORKING, I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG ON MY COM RADIO CTLS, AND THAT I WAS NOT SWITCHED TO MODE C ON MY XPONDER.

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.