Narrative:

The flight began from gary, in, following several preflight briefings from FSS. I also reviewed the local color radar available to pilots at the FBO. I further discussed the flight and reviewed my sectionals with an instructor at the FBO. I left VFR from gary, in, for georgetown, oh. WX conditions were expected to be improving, I flew southeast away from gary. As the flight proceeded, WX conditions deteriorated. While maintaining VFR, I lost track of where I was and became disoriented. I made several attempts to contact ZID for help, but was unsuccessful. I could hear center talking over my headphones, but they did not respond back. My instructor believes that this may have been caused by a weak battery in my intercom box. I always carry a spare battery, but did not think to change it at the time. My instructor says I should have picked up the hand-held microphone, when center did not answer. At this point I became worried and felt that to continue the flight would not be wise. I started to look for any suitable landing facility. Off to my left I spotted what appeared to be a small runway and flew towards it. The runway appeared to be at an unmanned airport and there were some small houses nearby. My thinking was that I could land, and find out where I was! I made 1 low pass over the strip to make sure it was safe, then made a normal pattern and landed. A man in a military jeep came out to meet us. We told him that we had to make a precautionary emergency landing because we were lost. He showed us where I was on my sectional. He told us that center had feared we had crashed! Now knowing that columbus, in, was less than 10 NM away, we departed camp atterbury runway in R-3401A and proceeded VFR to bak. I made a normal pattern entry and landed. At this time I was not wearing my headset and was using the speaker and microphone to communicate. Upon landing we were instructed to call mr X at the FAA facility in indianapolis. We explained to him what had happened. He told me that in addition to flying into restr airspace at R-3401A, we had also flown too close to indianapolis airspace inadvertently. At this time I was quite emotionally upset and we chose to tie the plane down at bak and rent a car to drive back to cincinnati. On oct/xx/96, I drove back to bak with one of my airplane partners and we flew the airplane back to geo. I have reviewed this event with my instructor and intend to spend extensive time with him in the near future. I am also more determined than ever, to complete my instrument training! My plane partners and I also purchased a GPS system with moving map for the plane on oct/thu/96. I intend to become fully aware of its capability so that I will never be in a situation like on oct/tue/96 again!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT MAKES UNAUTH LNDG AT A MIL FACILITY AIR BASE AFTER LOSING RADIO CONTACT WITH ZID AND HAVING JUST PERFORMED AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: THE FLT BEGAN FROM GARY, IN, FOLLOWING SEVERAL PREFLT BRIEFINGS FROM FSS. I ALSO REVIEWED THE LCL COLOR RADAR AVAILABLE TO PLTS AT THE FBO. I FURTHER DISCUSSED THE FLT AND REVIEWED MY SECTIONALS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR AT THE FBO. I LEFT VFR FROM GARY, IN, FOR GEORGETOWN, OH. WX CONDITIONS WERE EXPECTED TO BE IMPROVING, I FLEW SE AWAY FROM GARY. AS THE FLT PROCEEDED, WX CONDITIONS DETERIORATED. WHILE MAINTAINING VFR, I LOST TRACK OF WHERE I WAS AND BECAME DISORIENTED. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ZID FOR HELP, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I COULD HEAR CTR TALKING OVER MY HEADPHONES, BUT THEY DID NOT RESPOND BACK. MY INSTRUCTOR BELIEVES THAT THIS MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A WEAK BATTERY IN MY INTERCOM BOX. I ALWAYS CARRY A SPARE BATTERY, BUT DID NOT THINK TO CHANGE IT AT THE TIME. MY INSTRUCTOR SAYS I SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP THE HAND-HELD MIKE, WHEN CTR DID NOT ANSWER. AT THIS POINT I BECAME WORRIED AND FELT THAT TO CONTINUE THE FLT WOULD NOT BE WISE. I STARTED TO LOOK FOR ANY SUITABLE LNDG FACILITY. OFF TO MY L I SPOTTED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SMALL RWY AND FLEW TOWARDS IT. THE RWY APPEARED TO BE AT AN UNMANNED ARPT AND THERE WERE SOME SMALL HOUSES NEARBY. MY THINKING WAS THAT I COULD LAND, AND FIND OUT WHERE I WAS! I MADE 1 LOW PASS OVER THE STRIP TO MAKE SURE IT WAS SAFE, THEN MADE A NORMAL PATTERN AND LANDED. A MAN IN A MIL JEEP CAME OUT TO MEET US. WE TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY EMER LNDG BECAUSE WE WERE LOST. HE SHOWED US WHERE I WAS ON MY SECTIONAL. HE TOLD US THAT CTR HAD FEARED WE HAD CRASHED! NOW KNOWING THAT COLUMBUS, IN, WAS LESS THAN 10 NM AWAY, WE DEPARTED CAMP ATTERBURY RWY IN R-3401A AND PROCEEDED VFR TO BAK. I MADE A NORMAL PATTERN ENTRY AND LANDED. AT THIS TIME I WAS NOT WEARING MY HEADSET AND WAS USING THE SPEAKER AND MIKE TO COMMUNICATE. UPON LNDG WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CALL MR X AT THE FAA FACILITY IN INDIANAPOLIS. WE EXPLAINED TO HIM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. HE TOLD ME THAT IN ADDITION TO FLYING INTO RESTR AIRSPACE AT R-3401A, WE HAD ALSO FLOWN TOO CLOSE TO INDIANAPOLIS AIRSPACE INADVERTENTLY. AT THIS TIME I WAS QUITE EMOTIONALLY UPSET AND WE CHOSE TO TIE THE PLANE DOWN AT BAK AND RENT A CAR TO DRIVE BACK TO CINCINNATI. ON OCT/XX/96, I DROVE BACK TO BAK WITH ONE OF MY AIRPLANE PARTNERS AND WE FLEW THE AIRPLANE BACK TO GEO. I HAVE REVIEWED THIS EVENT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR AND INTEND TO SPEND EXTENSIVE TIME WITH HIM IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I AM ALSO MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER, TO COMPLETE MY INST TRAINING! MY PLANE PARTNERS AND I ALSO PURCHASED A GPS SYS WITH MOVING MAP FOR THE PLANE ON OCT/THU/96. I INTEND TO BECOME FULLY AWARE OF ITS CAPABILITY SO THAT I WILL NEVER BE IN A SIT LIKE ON OCT/TUE/96 AGAIN!

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.