Narrative:

On a commercial check ride, I wandered mistakenly into mexican airspace while navigating under and around san class B airspace. While acting as PIC in a tour of the lakes to the southeast of montgomery field, I mistook a lake south of the border as barrett lake and flew directly to it. My examiner knew that the course was wrong and where we were, but allowed me to continue, hoping I would recover myself. After being told of the error, I immediately corrected to a northbound heading and returned to american airspace. Contributing factors to the misnav of the aircraft were: my lack of 'big picture' (thinking a northeast heading would have been correct instead of the southeast heading I chose), failure on my part to take decisive and concise action upon realization of being lost, lack of total concentration by myself on the task at hand by not having my head in the cockpit at all times during the flight. Corrective actions for the human factors include concentrated effort on my part to not only look at where I am on the chart, but to keep in mind, in general, where my next point is. Where do I want to go? Which way is it from where I am? What is the exact course that will get me there? That would have been the right way to get to any point or destination rather than just thinking where am I? Where do I want to be? Always remember to look at the general big picture. If you're off course, immediately correct for it. I waited too long to find out my exact location and even then just hoped for the best. Another factor that contributed was my mentality at the time of the flight. On the preflight of the airplane, I found my mind wandering off to completely non related tasks. My lack of ability to focus on what I was doing and allowing my mind to wander came into the aircraft with me. This caused me to be complacent about factors of my flight. Not only was I wandering off course, but my altitudes and headings were not where I wanted them to be. We were in a winding roller coaster and I was just holding on for the ride. Bottom line: if you can't focus, or events in your life (stress) cause you to be mentally fatigued, realize it and don't fly. Remember to think of the big picture, and stay ahead of the craft at all times, and if you are lost, do something about it. If you are off of where you want to be, do something about it. Do not become a complacent pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENTERED MEXICAN AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON A COMMERCIAL CHK RIDE, I WANDERED MISTAKENLY INTO MEXICAN AIRSPACE WHILE NAVING UNDER AND AROUND SAN CLASS B AIRSPACE. WHILE ACTING AS PIC IN A TOUR OF THE LAKES TO THE SE OF MONTGOMERY FIELD, I MISTOOK A LAKE S OF THE BORDER AS BARRETT LAKE AND FLEW DIRECTLY TO IT. MY EXAMINER KNEW THAT THE COURSE WAS WRONG AND WHERE WE WERE, BUT ALLOWED ME TO CONTINUE, HOPING I WOULD RECOVER MYSELF. AFTER BEING TOLD OF THE ERROR, I IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED TO A NBOUND HDG AND RETURNED TO AMERICAN AIRSPACE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE MISNAV OF THE ACFT WERE: MY LACK OF 'BIG PICTURE' (THINKING A NE HDG WOULD HAVE BEEN CORRECT INSTEAD OF THE SE HDG I CHOSE), FAILURE ON MY PART TO TAKE DECISIVE AND CONCISE ACTION UPON REALIZATION OF BEING LOST, LACK OF TOTAL CONCENTRATION BY MYSELF ON THE TASK AT HAND BY NOT HAVING MY HEAD IN THE COCKPIT AT ALL TIMES DURING THE FLT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FOR THE HUMAN FACTORS INCLUDE CONCENTRATED EFFORT ON MY PART TO NOT ONLY LOOK AT WHERE I AM ON THE CHART, BUT TO KEEP IN MIND, IN GENERAL, WHERE MY NEXT POINT IS. WHERE DO I WANT TO GO? WHICH WAY IS IT FROM WHERE I AM? WHAT IS THE EXACT COURSE THAT WILL GET ME THERE? THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE RIGHT WAY TO GET TO ANY POINT OR DEST RATHER THAN JUST THINKING WHERE AM I? WHERE DO I WANT TO BE? ALWAYS REMEMBER TO LOOK AT THE GENERAL BIG PICTURE. IF YOU'RE OFF COURSE, IMMEDIATELY CORRECT FOR IT. I WAITED TOO LONG TO FIND OUT MY EXACT LOCATION AND EVEN THEN JUST HOPED FOR THE BEST. ANOTHER FACTOR THAT CONTRIBUTED WAS MY MENTALITY AT THE TIME OF THE FLT. ON THE PREFLT OF THE AIRPLANE, I FOUND MY MIND WANDERING OFF TO COMPLETELY NON RELATED TASKS. MY LACK OF ABILITY TO FOCUS ON WHAT I WAS DOING AND ALLOWING MY MIND TO WANDER CAME INTO THE ACFT WITH ME. THIS CAUSED ME TO BE COMPLACENT ABOUT FACTORS OF MY FLT. NOT ONLY WAS I WANDERING OFF COURSE, BUT MY ALTS AND HDGS WERE NOT WHERE I WANTED THEM TO BE. WE WERE IN A WINDING ROLLER COASTER AND I WAS JUST HOLDING ON FOR THE RIDE. BOTTOM LINE: IF YOU CAN'T FOCUS, OR EVENTS IN YOUR LIFE (STRESS) CAUSE YOU TO BE MENTALLY FATIGUED, REALIZE IT AND DON'T FLY. REMEMBER TO THINK OF THE BIG PICTURE, AND STAY AHEAD OF THE CRAFT AT ALL TIMES, AND IF YOU ARE LOST, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IF YOU ARE OFF OF WHERE YOU WANT TO BE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. DO NOT BECOME A COMPLACENT PLT.

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.