Narrative:

After 6 yrs flying single place jets in the military, I spent 28 yrs with a major airline, accumulating 17000 hours, and chose early retirement 2 yrs ago. During that 34 yrs, I flew less than 100 hours in the GA environment, and that only with local flts. A few months ago I decided to get active in GA. Studied the aim/far manual, got some dual time, did some local flying, passed my bi-annual, and joined a local flying club. 2 days ago flew my first cross country. Got VFR charts, IFR charts, planned everything. Vors, radials, intersecting radials (aircraft has no DME, radios are 1960's technology), headings, landmarks, altitudes, class B sectors I would traverse, SVFR corridors. Filed a VFR flight plan. I'm off. Time to go home. Same planning. Contact los angeles for flight following. Northwest of vtu (which is OTS -- I knew that, had checked NOTAMS) they cannot take me in next sector. Dial in cma to establish when abeam (no DME remember) as a point to start descent from 9500 ft to get under the 'inverted cake' below 4000 ft prior to smo 261 degree radial, 18 mi. It's night, look for mugu runway as geo reference, either miss it or its not lighted. Not getting much help from cma VOR, realize I am past it. Missed that little to and from thing. Suddenly there is point dume off to my right. Oh s---!!! Crash dive. Think I made it. Maybe not. Squawking 1200 with automatic altitude reporting, others would know. Crossed smo, did the VFR thing over lax at 3500 ft. Called FSS to close flight plan and give PIREP on trip. Much turbulence forecast and reported, my flight was smooth -- until southeast of lax. Experienced the worst turbulence ever in 36 yrs. Shoulder and lap belts were tight, I still got my head banged off the top of the canopy. Lasted about 5 seconds, aircraft was tossed around like a bird in a jet blast, lost 900 ft. Turbulence then decreased to moderate for about 15 seconds. Was unable to change frequency to toa tower. By the time I contacted them I was in their class D airspace at 2000 ft in the departure corridor for the active runway. They mentioned that to me and cleared me for a left downwind to runway 29L. I was somewhat rattled, had asked for a right downwind entry for runway 29R, that is what I heard, and that is where I headed. The tower corrected my error with no small amount of frustration in the voice. I landed, the taxi was uneventful. Although considering the lack of a DME, something which I have taken for granted, I could have had more options, especially since one of the navaids on my route was out. More from lack of confidence in what for me was a new environment. The second mistake was due to not contacting the tower earlier. The aircraft's navigation technology I thought I was familiar enough with, but was not. The little to and from thing will forever be prominent. The second mistake was helped along due to turbulence, the sudden loss of altitude and the inability to change the frequency. How it was discovered. The first by visual reference to a landmark. The second I knew while it was happening, but couldn't do much about it. Corrective actions: have a DME installed in aircraft, or have more options with other intersecting radials. File an IFR flight plan, so the controller is there to 'hold your hand.' get more dual time in unfamiliar environments. The aircraft has 3 places to set up future frequencys -- use them. Call controling agencies earlier rather than just when necessary. While there was light chop in the landing pattern, the severe turbulence southeast of lax could have been caused by a 'blow off' at the refinery in el segundo. Something to be aware of in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARY LOSS OF ACFT CTL CREATES A FREQ CHANGE LATE AND AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AFTER 6 YRS FLYING SINGLE PLACE JETS IN THE MIL, I SPENT 28 YRS WITH A MAJOR AIRLINE, ACCUMULATING 17000 HRS, AND CHOSE EARLY RETIREMENT 2 YRS AGO. DURING THAT 34 YRS, I FLEW LESS THAN 100 HRS IN THE GA ENVIRONMENT, AND THAT ONLY WITH LCL FLTS. A FEW MONTHS AGO I DECIDED TO GET ACTIVE IN GA. STUDIED THE AIM/FAR MANUAL, GOT SOME DUAL TIME, DID SOME LCL FLYING, PASSED MY BI-ANNUAL, AND JOINED A LCL FLYING CLUB. 2 DAYS AGO FLEW MY FIRST XCOUNTRY. GOT VFR CHARTS, IFR CHARTS, PLANNED EVERYTHING. VORS, RADIALS, INTERSECTING RADIALS (ACFT HAS NO DME, RADIOS ARE 1960'S TECHNOLOGY), HDGS, LANDMARKS, ALTS, CLASS B SECTORS I WOULD TRAVERSE, SVFR CORRIDORS. FILED A VFR FLT PLAN. I'M OFF. TIME TO GO HOME. SAME PLANNING. CONTACT LOS ANGELES FOR FLT FOLLOWING. NW OF VTU (WHICH IS OTS -- I KNEW THAT, HAD CHKED NOTAMS) THEY CANNOT TAKE ME IN NEXT SECTOR. DIAL IN CMA TO ESTABLISH WHEN ABEAM (NO DME REMEMBER) AS A POINT TO START DSCNT FROM 9500 FT TO GET UNDER THE 'INVERTED CAKE' BELOW 4000 FT PRIOR TO SMO 261 DEG RADIAL, 18 MI. IT'S NIGHT, LOOK FOR MUGU RWY AS GEO REF, EITHER MISS IT OR ITS NOT LIGHTED. NOT GETTING MUCH HELP FROM CMA VOR, REALIZE I AM PAST IT. MISSED THAT LITTLE TO AND FROM THING. SUDDENLY THERE IS POINT DUME OFF TO MY R. OH S---!!! CRASH DIVE. THINK I MADE IT. MAYBE NOT. SQUAWKING 1200 WITH AUTO ALT RPTING, OTHERS WOULD KNOW. CROSSED SMO, DID THE VFR THING OVER LAX AT 3500 FT. CALLED FSS TO CLOSE FLT PLAN AND GIVE PIREP ON TRIP. MUCH TURB FORECAST AND RPTED, MY FLT WAS SMOOTH -- UNTIL SE OF LAX. EXPERIENCED THE WORST TURB EVER IN 36 YRS. SHOULDER AND LAP BELTS WERE TIGHT, I STILL GOT MY HEAD BANGED OFF THE TOP OF THE CANOPY. LASTED ABOUT 5 SECONDS, ACFT WAS TOSSED AROUND LIKE A BIRD IN A JET BLAST, LOST 900 FT. TURB THEN DECREASED TO MODERATE FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS. WAS UNABLE TO CHANGE FREQ TO TOA TWR. BY THE TIME I CONTACTED THEM I WAS IN THEIR CLASS D AIRSPACE AT 2000 FT IN THE DEP CORRIDOR FOR THE ACTIVE RWY. THEY MENTIONED THAT TO ME AND CLRED ME FOR A L DOWNWIND TO RWY 29L. I WAS SOMEWHAT RATTLED, HAD ASKED FOR A R DOWNWIND ENTRY FOR RWY 29R, THAT IS WHAT I HEARD, AND THAT IS WHERE I HEADED. THE TWR CORRECTED MY ERROR WITH NO SMALL AMOUNT OF FRUSTRATION IN THE VOICE. I LANDED, THE TAXI WAS UNEVENTFUL. ALTHOUGH CONSIDERING THE LACK OF A DME, SOMETHING WHICH I HAVE TAKEN FOR GRANTED, I COULD HAVE HAD MORE OPTIONS, ESPECIALLY SINCE ONE OF THE NAVAIDS ON MY RTE WAS OUT. MORE FROM LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN WHAT FOR ME WAS A NEW ENVIRONMENT. THE SECOND MISTAKE WAS DUE TO NOT CONTACTING THE TWR EARLIER. THE ACFT'S NAV TECHNOLOGY I THOUGHT I WAS FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH, BUT WAS NOT. THE LITTLE TO AND FROM THING WILL FOREVER BE PROMINENT. THE SECOND MISTAKE WAS HELPED ALONG DUE TO TURB, THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ALT AND THE INABILITY TO CHANGE THE FREQ. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED. THE FIRST BY VISUAL REF TO A LANDMARK. THE SECOND I KNEW WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING, BUT COULDN'T DO MUCH ABOUT IT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: HAVE A DME INSTALLED IN ACFT, OR HAVE MORE OPTIONS WITH OTHER INTERSECTING RADIALS. FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN, SO THE CTLR IS THERE TO 'HOLD YOUR HAND.' GET MORE DUAL TIME IN UNFAMILIAR ENVIRONMENTS. THE ACFT HAS 3 PLACES TO SET UP FUTURE FREQS -- USE THEM. CALL CTLING AGENCIES EARLIER RATHER THAN JUST WHEN NECESSARY. WHILE THERE WAS LIGHT CHOP IN THE LNDG PATTERN, THE SEVERE TURB SE OF LAX COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A 'BLOW OFF' AT THE REFINERY IN EL SEGUNDO. SOMETHING TO BE AWARE OF IN THE FUTURE.

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.