Narrative:

I departed VFR as sole occupant of the aircraft from burnet municipal airport, burnet, tx (bmq), and flew to my intended destination, san marcos municipal airport (hyi). After receiving a standard briefing from the san angelo FSS I departed. My plane, a 1969 cessna skylane 182-C, was purchased by me on nov/xx/97. The specialist who briefed me (FSS) reported the WX en route to be slightly better than MVFR with visibility more than 5 mi and ceilings variable from 1400-2000 ft. My destination involved a 40-45 min flight. The entire flight was conducted in VFR conditions and the WX was almost exactly as reported in my briefing. There was no precipitation. My plane is equipped with a 11 morrow LORAN -- fly buddy. Since I have had only limited experience with LORAN and was not yet proficient in its operation, I had my 'navigator' (not on board during the flight) program the san marcos municipal airport as a waypoint. He mistakenly programmed the austin mueller municipal airport in austin, tx, as the waypoint. After departure and during the flight portion, which took me over the austin mueller airport, I did not communicate with anyone. I had no reason to suspect that by reference to my LORAN that I was not flying to my destination, san marcos municipal. As I approached the austin mueller airport, the visibility was probably 4-5 mi and when I initially saw the airport I had not the slightest notion it was not san marcos, my intended destination. I was tuned to san marcos CTAF and monitored traffic landing first on runway 8 and then changing to runway 4. During the various reports by san marcos traffic, there were 2 or more practice ILS approachs to runway 12 by other aircraft. As I flew over the boundary of the austin airport, I was preparing to enter left traffic for runway 4 when I first realized I was not above the airport at my intended destination but in fact was over the austin mueller airport. My altitude was 2500 ft and I immediately turned right to a heading to take me to san marcos while maintaining level flight. Due to the ceiling I was unable to climb and remain VFR. Some 20-25 mins later, I landed at the san marcos municipal airport. Albeit I am a high time pilot with decades of experience dating back to pre wwii days, my unauthorized incursion into classified airspace is my first violation of any kind. Further, throughout my flying yrs, I have never had an accident, damaged any aircraft or had an insurance claim. My predicament arose and resulted from my firm belief that the guidance and bearing information supplied by my LORAN was indeed directing me to my stated destination of san marcos, tx. It is my firm belief that I could not have reasonably suspected, in near MVFR conditions, that such was not the case. I obviously do not intend to ever rely on crew or otherwise to program my LORAN and will forego using it for navigation in the future until I have become highly proficient in operating same.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C182 ENTERS CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. HE HAD A FRIEND PROGRAM THE LORAN WHICH HE WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH FOR DEST ARPT. IT WAS PROGRAMMED FOR A DIFFERENT ARPT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED VFR AS SOLE OCCUPANT OF THE ACFT FROM BURNET MUNICIPAL ARPT, BURNET, TX (BMQ), AND FLEW TO MY INTENDED DEST, SAN MARCOS MUNICIPAL ARPT (HYI). AFTER RECEIVING A STANDARD BRIEFING FROM THE SAN ANGELO FSS I DEPARTED. MY PLANE, A 1969 CESSNA SKYLANE 182-C, WAS PURCHASED BY ME ON NOV/XX/97. THE SPECIALIST WHO BRIEFED ME (FSS) RPTED THE WX ENRTE TO BE SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN MVFR WITH VISIBILITY MORE THAN 5 MI AND CEILINGS VARIABLE FROM 1400-2000 FT. MY DEST INVOLVED A 40-45 MIN FLT. THE ENTIRE FLT WAS CONDUCTED IN VFR CONDITIONS AND THE WX WAS ALMOST EXACTLY AS RPTED IN MY BRIEFING. THERE WAS NO PRECIP. MY PLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH A 11 MORROW LORAN -- FLY BUDDY. SINCE I HAVE HAD ONLY LIMITED EXPERIENCE WITH LORAN AND WAS NOT YET PROFICIENT IN ITS OP, I HAD MY 'NAVIGATOR' (NOT ON BOARD DURING THE FLT) PROGRAM THE SAN MARCOS MUNICIPAL ARPT AS A WAYPOINT. HE MISTAKENLY PROGRAMMED THE AUSTIN MUELLER MUNICIPAL ARPT IN AUSTIN, TX, AS THE WAYPOINT. AFTER DEP AND DURING THE FLT PORTION, WHICH TOOK ME OVER THE AUSTIN MUELLER ARPT, I DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH ANYONE. I HAD NO REASON TO SUSPECT THAT BY REF TO MY LORAN THAT I WAS NOT FLYING TO MY DEST, SAN MARCOS MUNICIPAL. AS I APCHED THE AUSTIN MUELLER ARPT, THE VISIBILITY WAS PROBABLY 4-5 MI AND WHEN I INITIALLY SAW THE ARPT I HAD NOT THE SLIGHTEST NOTION IT WAS NOT SAN MARCOS, MY INTENDED DEST. I WAS TUNED TO SAN MARCOS CTAF AND MONITORED TFC LNDG FIRST ON RWY 8 AND THEN CHANGING TO RWY 4. DURING THE VARIOUS RPTS BY SAN MARCOS TFC, THERE WERE 2 OR MORE PRACTICE ILS APCHS TO RWY 12 BY OTHER ACFT. AS I FLEW OVER THE BOUNDARY OF THE AUSTIN ARPT, I WAS PREPARING TO ENTER L TFC FOR RWY 4 WHEN I FIRST REALIZED I WAS NOT ABOVE THE ARPT AT MY INTENDED DEST BUT IN FACT WAS OVER THE AUSTIN MUELLER ARPT. MY ALT WAS 2500 FT AND I IMMEDIATELY TURNED R TO A HDG TO TAKE ME TO SAN MARCOS WHILE MAINTAINING LEVEL FLT. DUE TO THE CEILING I WAS UNABLE TO CLB AND REMAIN VFR. SOME 20-25 MINS LATER, I LANDED AT THE SAN MARCOS MUNICIPAL ARPT. ALBEIT I AM A HIGH TIME PLT WITH DECADES OF EXPERIENCE DATING BACK TO PRE WWII DAYS, MY UNAUTH INCURSION INTO CLASSIFIED AIRSPACE IS MY FIRST VIOLATION OF ANY KIND. FURTHER, THROUGHOUT MY FLYING YRS, I HAVE NEVER HAD AN ACCIDENT, DAMAGED ANY ACFT OR HAD AN INSURANCE CLAIM. MY PREDICAMENT AROSE AND RESULTED FROM MY FIRM BELIEF THAT THE GUIDANCE AND BEARING INFO SUPPLIED BY MY LORAN WAS INDEED DIRECTING ME TO MY STATED DEST OF SAN MARCOS, TX. IT IS MY FIRM BELIEF THAT I COULD NOT HAVE REASONABLY SUSPECTED, IN NEAR MVFR CONDITIONS, THAT SUCH WAS NOT THE CASE. I OBVIOUSLY DO NOT INTEND TO EVER RELY ON CREW OR OTHERWISE TO PROGRAM MY LORAN AND WILL FOREGO USING IT FOR NAV IN THE FUTURE UNTIL I HAVE BECOME HIGHLY PROFICIENT IN OPERATING SAME.

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.