Narrative:

The training flight began in a routine way. I observed the student's preflight, and after a short ground lesson, we flew. We stayed in the practice area near long beach harbor for about 45 mins. The student was practicing instrument maneuvers while I looked for traffic and enjoyed the beautiful sky. Clouds were thick in places, yet sparse in between with tops reaching 3000 ft. The orange county area was broken to scattered with tops at about 2000 ft. I noticed the student beginning to wear down, so I had him remove the 'hood' and continue VFR to the shoreline. Upon reaching the shoreline region, I noticed that the clouds had really moved in. Tops were at about 2500 ft and the ceiling along the shoreline had gone below 700 ft. 'No problem,' I thought. 'I can just navigation by VOR until I find a break in the clouds to descend through.' dialing in the ATIS for fullerton was no help. They were still reporting clear and 10 mi. Not a chance. I decided to dial in the seal beach VOR as my student made contact with los alamitos tower and advised them that we were northbound to fullerton. Then the problems started. The numbers (digital) on the navigation were half gone. I was missing the first 3 digits of the frequency. As I heard los alamitos give us a frequency change, I heard them state that we were due east of fullerton. We should have been due south. My only guess is that my student had done some turns (or course corrections) to the right while I was busy with the VOR. Ok, I admit, now I was lost. Not sure of our position, I attempted to call fullerton, but their frequency was jammed with traffic. So here we are: 1 bad navigation receiver, 1 jammed frequency, a student pilot, an instructor, and a solid layer of clouds underneath. I don't know the exact time (probably 5 mins) it took after that to find our position, but when we did, I immediately called socal approach. We were 3 mi west of el toro MCAS at 3500 ft. Smack dab in the middle of class C airspace. I apologized to the controller and requested a descent (VFR, of course) to 1500 ft and proceeded to follow the freeways home to fullerton. Inattn and complacency led to this problem, which proves that I need to pay more attention to situational awareness when in the cockpit. I had the mechanic pull the bad navigation receiver, and it's in the shop as we speak. Lucky for me, I learn from my mistakes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CFI IN A GRUMMAN AA1B GETS LOST WHILE ON A TRAINING FLT WITH A PVT PLT AND ENTERS THE SNA CLASS C WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: THE TRAINING FLT BEGAN IN A ROUTINE WAY. I OBSERVED THE STUDENT'S PREFLT, AND AFTER A SHORT GND LESSON, WE FLEW. WE STAYED IN THE PRACTICE AREA NEAR LONG BEACH HARBOR FOR ABOUT 45 MINS. THE STUDENT WAS PRACTICING INST MANEUVERS WHILE I LOOKED FOR TFC AND ENJOYED THE BEAUTIFUL SKY. CLOUDS WERE THICK IN PLACES, YET SPARSE IN BTWN WITH TOPS REACHING 3000 FT. THE ORANGE COUNTY AREA WAS BROKEN TO SCATTERED WITH TOPS AT ABOUT 2000 FT. I NOTICED THE STUDENT BEGINNING TO WEAR DOWN, SO I HAD HIM REMOVE THE 'HOOD' AND CONTINUE VFR TO THE SHORELINE. UPON REACHING THE SHORELINE REGION, I NOTICED THAT THE CLOUDS HAD REALLY MOVED IN. TOPS WERE AT ABOUT 2500 FT AND THE CEILING ALONG THE SHORELINE HAD GONE BELOW 700 FT. 'NO PROB,' I THOUGHT. 'I CAN JUST NAV BY VOR UNTIL I FIND A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS TO DSND THROUGH.' DIALING IN THE ATIS FOR FULLERTON WAS NO HELP. THEY WERE STILL RPTING CLR AND 10 MI. NOT A CHANCE. I DECIDED TO DIAL IN THE SEAL BEACH VOR AS MY STUDENT MADE CONTACT WITH LOS ALAMITOS TWR AND ADVISED THEM THAT WE WERE NBOUND TO FULLERTON. THEN THE PROBS STARTED. THE NUMBERS (DIGITAL) ON THE NAV WERE HALF GONE. I WAS MISSING THE FIRST 3 DIGITS OF THE FREQ. AS I HEARD LOS ALAMITOS GIVE US A FREQ CHANGE, I HEARD THEM STATE THAT WE WERE DUE E OF FULLERTON. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DUE S. MY ONLY GUESS IS THAT MY STUDENT HAD DONE SOME TURNS (OR COURSE CORRECTIONS) TO THE R WHILE I WAS BUSY WITH THE VOR. OK, I ADMIT, NOW I WAS LOST. NOT SURE OF OUR POS, I ATTEMPTED TO CALL FULLERTON, BUT THEIR FREQ WAS JAMMED WITH TFC. SO HERE WE ARE: 1 BAD NAV RECEIVER, 1 JAMMED FREQ, A STUDENT PLT, AN INSTRUCTOR, AND A SOLID LAYER OF CLOUDS UNDERNEATH. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT TIME (PROBABLY 5 MINS) IT TOOK AFTER THAT TO FIND OUR POS, BUT WHEN WE DID, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED SOCAL APCH. WE WERE 3 MI W OF EL TORO MCAS AT 3500 FT. SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF CLASS C AIRSPACE. I APOLOGIZED TO THE CTLR AND REQUESTED A DSCNT (VFR, OF COURSE) TO 1500 FT AND PROCEEDED TO FOLLOW THE FREEWAYS HOME TO FULLERTON. INATTN AND COMPLACENCY LED TO THIS PROB, WHICH PROVES THAT I NEED TO PAY MORE ATTN TO SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WHEN IN THE COCKPIT. I HAD THE MECH PULL THE BAD NAV RECEIVER, AND IT'S IN THE SHOP AS WE SPEAK. LUCKY FOR ME, I LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES.

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.