Narrative:

Takeoff from 2RR (river ranch), destination X07 (lake wales), 26 mi. Put X07 in LORAN. GPS would not bring in X07 on screen. DME button broke off when I tried to tune in lakeland earlier. X07 on LORAN directed me to cof (within 2 mi) could not find lake wales because XO7 and x-zero-7 are not the same and I put in the wrong X07, which read similar distance. I landed once at mlb and stepped off runway and looked at map. Still thinking LORAN had directed me to X07 lake wales area, I thought perhaps I was at bartow. I took off again, looking for X07 lake wales and after more frustration at not finding X07 lake wales, I landed at the nearest airport to ask directions. We were down to 1 tank of fuel and I thought I should land to save fuel and find out how far off I was. Boy -- what a shock I got! If it was not at night, I would easily have seen visually my error. Instead, at night, I placed all faith in my trusty LORAN. Being a short hop (26 mi) to lake wales I did not think I needed to flight plan more than the LORAN and GPS. Obviously I should have used VOR radials as well. I'll stick to days and more thorough back-up planning. 119.65 and 122.8 were the frequencys I attempted, but no answer came.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 FLYING TO LAKE WALES (X ZERO SEVEN) ENTERED XO7 IN HIS LORAN BY MISTAKE. LORAN LED HIM TOWARD COF (PATRICK AFB). HE LANDED AT THE CLOSEST ARPT WHICH PROVED TO BE COF. HE ENTERED THEIR AIRSPACE AND LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: TKOF FROM 2RR (RIVER RANCH), DEST X07 (LAKE WALES), 26 MI. PUT X07 IN LORAN. GPS WOULD NOT BRING IN X07 ON SCREEN. DME BUTTON BROKE OFF WHEN I TRIED TO TUNE IN LAKELAND EARLIER. X07 ON LORAN DIRECTED ME TO COF (WITHIN 2 MI) COULD NOT FIND LAKE WALES BECAUSE XO7 AND X-ZERO-7 ARE NOT THE SAME AND I PUT IN THE WRONG X07, WHICH READ SIMILAR DISTANCE. I LANDED ONCE AT MLB AND STEPPED OFF RWY AND LOOKED AT MAP. STILL THINKING LORAN HAD DIRECTED ME TO X07 LAKE WALES AREA, I THOUGHT PERHAPS I WAS AT BARTOW. I TOOK OFF AGAIN, LOOKING FOR X07 LAKE WALES AND AFTER MORE FRUSTRATION AT NOT FINDING X07 LAKE WALES, I LANDED AT THE NEAREST ARPT TO ASK DIRECTIONS. WE WERE DOWN TO 1 TANK OF FUEL AND I THOUGHT I SHOULD LAND TO SAVE FUEL AND FIND OUT HOW FAR OFF I WAS. BOY -- WHAT A SHOCK I GOT! IF IT WAS NOT AT NIGHT, I WOULD EASILY HAVE SEEN VISUALLY MY ERROR. INSTEAD, AT NIGHT, I PLACED ALL FAITH IN MY TRUSTY LORAN. BEING A SHORT HOP (26 MI) TO LAKE WALES I DID NOT THINK I NEEDED TO FLT PLAN MORE THAN THE LORAN AND GPS. OBVIOUSLY I SHOULD HAVE USED VOR RADIALS AS WELL. I'LL STICK TO DAYS AND MORE THOROUGH BACK-UP PLANNING. 119.65 AND 122.8 WERE THE FREQS I ATTEMPTED, BUT NO ANSWER CAME.

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.