Private pilot in a PA28 suffers an inadvertent class C entry without clearance in a night operation....

Attributes
ACN	377870
Time
Date	199708
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : grb
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : grb
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	377870
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On aug/xa/97 I was flying from manitowoc, wi, to green bay, wi, at night on a pleasure flight. I noticed a large fire around green bay and decided to proceed to see what it was. Due to the night conditions and lack of positional awareness, I did not remember to call green bay approach right away. When I did call I said that I was 20 NM to the southeast (this would have put me outside class C airspace). Shortly after the controller contact, he requested me to turn 180 degrees to avoid airliner traffic on final to the airport. Due to lack of knowledge of my position, I may have transgressed into class C airspace before receiving permission to enter. The controller did not say anything about any transgressions of class C airspace and I canceled VFR advisories and returned to manitowoc, wi. There were many ways of determining position. If I had tuned in green bay VOR and read the DME in my aircraft, I would have known exactly how far I was away. Likewise, I have a LORAN in my aircraft that would have done the same thing. I also could have checked the chart out more closely with lighted towers on the ground. Because the flight was not planned and was supposed to be just an 'around the local area' sightseeing flight, I did not think to check out green bay frequencys and distances until I realized that I was getting 'too close.' next time I will plan the flight more attentively and check out where the aircraft is going leading by 40 mi or more before we get in areas that are problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT IN A PA28 SUFFERS AN INADVERTENT CLASS C ENTRY WITHOUT CLRNC IN A NIGHT OP. RPTR ADMITS TO BEING UNSURE OF HIS POS FROM THE CLASS C SPACE AND CHANGING TO APCH TOO LATE. WHEN ON FREQ, CTLR VECTORS HIM AWAY FROM THE ARPT DUE TO TFC.

Narrative: ON AUG/XA/97 I WAS FLYING FROM MANITOWOC, WI, TO GREEN BAY, WI, AT NIGHT ON A PLEASURE FLT. I NOTICED A LARGE FIRE AROUND GREEN BAY AND DECIDED TO PROCEED TO SEE WHAT IT WAS. DUE TO THE NIGHT CONDITIONS AND LACK OF POSITIONAL AWARENESS, I DID NOT REMEMBER TO CALL GREEN BAY APCH RIGHT AWAY. WHEN I DID CALL I SAID THAT I WAS 20 NM TO THE SE (THIS WOULD HAVE PUT ME OUTSIDE CLASS C AIRSPACE). SHORTLY AFTER THE CTLR CONTACT, HE REQUESTED ME TO TURN 180 DEGS TO AVOID AIRLINER TFC ON FINAL TO THE ARPT. DUE TO LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF MY POS, I MAY HAVE TRANSGRESSED INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE BEFORE RECEIVING PERMISSION TO ENTER. THE CTLR DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ABOUT ANY TRANSGRESSIONS OF CLASS C AIRSPACE AND I CANCELED VFR ADVISORIES AND RETURNED TO MANITOWOC, WI. THERE WERE MANY WAYS OF DETERMINING POS. IF I HAD TUNED IN GREEN BAY VOR AND READ THE DME IN MY ACFT, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN EXACTLY HOW FAR I WAS AWAY. LIKEWISE, I HAVE A LORAN IN MY ACFT THAT WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING. I ALSO COULD HAVE CHKED THE CHART OUT MORE CLOSELY WITH LIGHTED TWRS ON THE GND. BECAUSE THE FLT WAS NOT PLANNED AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE JUST AN 'AROUND THE LCL AREA' SIGHTSEEING FLT, I DID NOT THINK TO CHK OUT GREEN BAY FREQS AND DISTANCES UNTIL I REALIZED THAT I WAS GETTING 'TOO CLOSE.' NEXT TIME I WILL PLAN THE FLT MORE ATTENTIVELY AND CHK OUT WHERE THE ACFT IS GOING LEADING BY 40 MI OR MORE BEFORE WE GET IN AREAS THAT ARE PROBS.

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.

Private pilot in a PA28 suffers an inadvertent class C entry without clearance in a night operation. Reporter admits to being unsure of his position from the class C space and changing to approach too late. When on frequency, controller vectors him away from the airport due to traffic.