Narrative:

After completing business in winston-salem, nc, I made the decision to proceed to my home field, even though I had already been up and working since early morning, and was very tired. I had done only superficial preflight planning, having just flown the route on the way to int. The only professional decisions I made were to check WX and fill my tanks with gas, giving me approximately 4 hours flying time. While en route cruising at 5500 ft MSL I misidented a ground chkpoint, without realizing that I had not been maintaining proper heading control. This led me to try and intercept the 255 degree radial on iso which would take me to my home field, even though I was not on course. Furthermore, while being on the correct radial, but without DME or a cross radial, I descended too early for approach to land. When I realized that I was not where I thought I was, I finally found an NDB station to fix my position with the iso 255 degree radial. Previously I had been unable to identify the NDB's on my course. Since I was getting iso with a good identify (I had suspected communication/ics problems earlier) I thought the NDB receiver was bad, rather than thinking I was off course. The fgp NDB told me that while I was on the iso 255 degree radial, I was very close to fayetteville. En route to this position it is very possible that I passed through restr airspace (R-5311) where parachute operations, among other things, are conducted, and that I violated class C airspace. Not knowing my exact position before this it is hard to tell. After finally fixing my position, I reluctantly checked in with fayetteville approach to see if I had been causing any problems, but when I checked in with them they simply replied that I was leaving their airspace and to change frequencys. When I got on the ground I called the radar facility at fayetteville to ask if anyone had reported a stray aircraft, and I called again later to make sure. Both times I spoke with the same controller and she said there had been no violations that they were aware of. My fatigue, desire to get home, and lack of preflight planning contributed to positional disorientation (being lost), and could have resulted in an airspace violation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TIRED PA28 PLT MISIDENTED A VISUAL CHKPOINT AND STARTED HIS DSCNT FOR A LNDG FAR TOO SOON. HE RPTS THAT HE MAY HAVE VIOLATED A RESTR AREA AND CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AFTER COMPLETING BUSINESS IN WINSTON-SALEM, NC, I MADE THE DECISION TO PROCEED TO MY HOME FIELD, EVEN THOUGH I HAD ALREADY BEEN UP AND WORKING SINCE EARLY MORNING, AND WAS VERY TIRED. I HAD DONE ONLY SUPERFICIAL PREFLT PLANNING, HAVING JUST FLOWN THE RTE ON THE WAY TO INT. THE ONLY PROFESSIONAL DECISIONS I MADE WERE TO CHK WX AND FILL MY TANKS WITH GAS, GIVING ME APPROX 4 HRS FLYING TIME. WHILE ENRTE CRUISING AT 5500 FT MSL I MISIDENTED A GND CHKPOINT, WITHOUT REALIZING THAT I HAD NOT BEEN MAINTAINING PROPER HEADING CTL. THIS LED ME TO TRY AND INTERCEPT THE 255 DEG RADIAL ON ISO WHICH WOULD TAKE ME TO MY HOME FIELD, EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT ON COURSE. FURTHERMORE, WHILE BEING ON THE CORRECT RADIAL, BUT WITHOUT DME OR A CROSS RADIAL, I DSNDED TOO EARLY FOR APCH TO LAND. WHEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS, I FINALLY FOUND AN NDB STATION TO FIX MY POS WITH THE ISO 255 DEG RADIAL. PREVIOUSLY I HAD BEEN UNABLE TO IDENT THE NDB'S ON MY COURSE. SINCE I WAS GETTING ISO WITH A GOOD IDENT (I HAD SUSPECTED COM/ICS PROBS EARLIER) I THOUGHT THE NDB RECEIVER WAS BAD, RATHER THAN THINKING I WAS OFF COURSE. THE FGP NDB TOLD ME THAT WHILE I WAS ON THE ISO 255 DEG RADIAL, I WAS VERY CLOSE TO FAYETTEVILLE. ENRTE TO THIS POS IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT I PASSED THROUGH RESTR AIRSPACE (R-5311) WHERE PARACHUTE OPS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, ARE CONDUCTED, AND THAT I VIOLATED CLASS C AIRSPACE. NOT KNOWING MY EXACT POS BEFORE THIS IT IS HARD TO TELL. AFTER FINALLY FIXING MY POS, I RELUCTANTLY CHKED IN WITH FAYETTEVILLE APCH TO SEE IF I HAD BEEN CAUSING ANY PROBS, BUT WHEN I CHKED IN WITH THEM THEY SIMPLY REPLIED THAT I WAS LEAVING THEIR AIRSPACE AND TO CHANGE FREQS. WHEN I GOT ON THE GND I CALLED THE RADAR FACILITY AT FAYETTEVILLE TO ASK IF ANYONE HAD RPTED A STRAY ACFT, AND I CALLED AGAIN LATER TO MAKE SURE. BOTH TIMES I SPOKE WITH THE SAME CTLR AND SHE SAID THERE HAD BEEN NO VIOLATIONS THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF. MY FATIGUE, DESIRE TO GET HOME, AND LACK OF PREFLT PLANNING CONTRIBUTED TO POSITIONAL DISORIENTATION (BEING LOST), AND COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION.

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.