Narrative:

While on long cross country flight I was unable to reach flight following via radio. I continued on second leg of flight. I was apparently blown off course by greater than expected winds. I observed an airport that I took as orh. Radio contact was made with orh and I entered pattern. I was informed by tower that they did not have me in sight. Apparently I was at the wrong airport. I aborted to attempt to orient myself. Attempts to contact bdl control and bos control failed. I was unable to contact any station although I was able to hear them. The VOR indication as I read it indicated that I was where I thought I was. I plotted a course to orh and attempted to find it. Unable to do so and unable to make radio contact with anyone, I decided to land at the first available uncontrolled airport. After flying for an additional 10 mins without observing an uncontrolled airport and further realizing I was becoming fuel critical, I observed a controled airport. I overflew the tower with my landing lights on and entered a right downwind blending with traffic. After landing, I contacted the control tower and explained my situation. In reviewing the chain of events I realize that I might have violated class D airspace of the airport that I attempted to land at and further did violate class D of the airport I landed at. The incident was caused by defective radio equipment compounded by my inexperience with VOR navigation. I also should have alerted the airport I landed at by using code 7600 on the transponder.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT LOST ON SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. PERFORMS 2 UNAUTH PENETRATIONS OF CLASS D AIRSPACE AND 1 UNAUTH LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE ON LONG XCOUNTRY FLT I WAS UNABLE TO REACH FLT FOLLOWING VIA RADIO. I CONTINUED ON SECOND LEG OF FLT. I WAS APPARENTLY BLOWN OFF COURSE BY GREATER THAN EXPECTED WINDS. I OBSERVED AN ARPT THAT I TOOK AS ORH. RADIO CONTACT WAS MADE WITH ORH AND I ENTERED PATTERN. I WAS INFORMED BY TWR THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ME IN SIGHT. APPARENTLY I WAS AT THE WRONG ARPT. I ABORTED TO ATTEMPT TO ORIENT MYSELF. ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT BDL CTL AND BOS CTL FAILED. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT ANY STATION ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO HEAR THEM. THE VOR INDICATION AS I READ IT INDICATED THAT I WAS WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS. I PLOTTED A COURSE TO ORH AND ATTEMPTED TO FIND IT. UNABLE TO DO SO AND UNABLE TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH ANYONE, I DECIDED TO LAND AT THE FIRST AVAILABLE UNCTLED ARPT. AFTER FLYING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 10 MINS WITHOUT OBSERVING AN UNCTLED ARPT AND FURTHER REALIZING I WAS BECOMING FUEL CRITICAL, I OBSERVED A CTLED ARPT. I OVERFLEW THE TWR WITH MY LNDG LIGHTS ON AND ENTERED A R DOWNWIND BLENDING WITH TFC. AFTER LNDG, I CONTACTED THE CTL TWR AND EXPLAINED MY SIT. IN REVIEWING THE CHAIN OF EVENTS I REALIZE THAT I MIGHT HAVE VIOLATED CLASS D AIRSPACE OF THE ARPT THAT I ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT AND FURTHER DID VIOLATE CLASS D OF THE ARPT I LANDED AT. THE INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY DEFECTIVE RADIO EQUIP COMPOUNDED BY MY INEXPERIENCE WITH VOR NAV. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE ALERTED THE ARPT I LANDED AT BY USING CODE 7600 ON THE 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.