Private pilot of a C172 became lost and inadvertently entered restr airspace.

Attributes
ACN	481639
Time
Date	200008
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	special use airspace : r6714.restricted
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl single value : 10100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 93 flight time type : 93
ASRS Report	481639
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Navigational Facility Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was on a VFR pleasure flight from puw to bfi. Conditions were VFR, but hazy. The VOR was OTS in pullman until aug/xa/00. Because of this, I planned to use pilotage (following roads) and chart navigation to return to bfi via ellensburg. We had flown to puw using the same methods a few hours earlier, I was familiar with the route having lived in the region from 1984 to 1988, and solid VFR conditions were forecast throughout the region, so I felt very comfortable making the flight. My plan was to intercept highway 26 outside of colfax, and follow it west to othello, then to vantage, and then follow I-90 back to the seattle area. This is what we thought we did, but apparently we followed another highway. Approximately 40 mins into the flight, I determined that I was lost when my known chkpoint was not there. I tried for about 15 mins to determine my position on the charts using navaids and pilotage, but I could not get a good fix on the VOR that I thought was closest (moses lake). At this point I contacted seattle FSS on 122.0 and advised them that I was disoriented (I should have said lost). I was in the process of climbing to 10500 ft MSL when he put me in contact with someone who asked my heading, attitude, fuel and souls on board. He then had me squawk 7700 and identify, then had me maintain my directional heading, and maintain straight and level (I was at 10100 ft MSL), and VFR. He then advised me that I was in a restr area. I determined after the flight that it was R-6714 (yakima). I am not sure which agency I was talking to at this point (sounded military). I was then put in touch with chinook approach for flight following to ellensburg. At one point, 1 of these 2 agencies had me do a directional steer, but I am not sure which one. At ellensburg, I canceled flight following and proceeded back to boeing field VFR without further incident. To prevent this in the future, I would ask for flight following for the entire route. Also, I will use more diligence and maintain better situational awareness with respect to my position on the chart. Also, I plan on purchasing a GPS as a backup navigation tool. Had I done any of those things, my getting lost and penetrating restr airspace could have been prevented.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A C172 BECAME LOST AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERED RESTR AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR PLEASURE FLT FROM PUW TO BFI. CONDITIONS WERE VFR, BUT HAZY. THE VOR WAS OTS IN PULLMAN UNTIL AUG/XA/00. BECAUSE OF THIS, I PLANNED TO USE PILOTAGE (FOLLOWING ROADS) AND CHART NAV TO RETURN TO BFI VIA ELLENSBURG. WE HAD FLOWN TO PUW USING THE SAME METHODS A FEW HRS EARLIER, I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE RTE HAVING LIVED IN THE REGION FROM 1984 TO 1988, AND SOLID VFR CONDITIONS WERE FORECAST THROUGHOUT THE REGION, SO I FELT VERY COMFORTABLE MAKING THE FLT. MY PLAN WAS TO INTERCEPT HWY 26 OUTSIDE OF COLFAX, AND FOLLOW IT W TO OTHELLO, THEN TO VANTAGE, AND THEN FOLLOW I-90 BACK TO THE SEATTLE AREA. THIS IS WHAT WE THOUGHT WE DID, BUT APPARENTLY WE FOLLOWED ANOTHER HWY. APPROX 40 MINS INTO THE FLT, I DETERMINED THAT I WAS LOST WHEN MY KNOWN CHKPOINT WAS NOT THERE. I TRIED FOR ABOUT 15 MINS TO DETERMINE MY POS ON THE CHARTS USING NAVAIDS AND PILOTAGE, BUT I COULD NOT GET A GOOD FIX ON THE VOR THAT I THOUGHT WAS CLOSEST (MOSES LAKE). AT THIS POINT I CONTACTED SEATTLE FSS ON 122.0 AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS DISORIENTED (I SHOULD HAVE SAID LOST). I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF CLBING TO 10500 FT MSL WHEN HE PUT ME IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO ASKED MY HDG, ATTITUDE, FUEL AND SOULS ON BOARD. HE THEN HAD ME SQUAWK 7700 AND IDENT, THEN HAD ME MAINTAIN MY DIRECTIONAL HDG, AND MAINTAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL (I WAS AT 10100 FT MSL), AND VFR. HE THEN ADVISED ME THAT I WAS IN A RESTR AREA. I DETERMINED AFTER THE FLT THAT IT WAS R-6714 (YAKIMA). I AM NOT SURE WHICH AGENCY I WAS TALKING TO AT THIS POINT (SOUNDED MIL). I WAS THEN PUT IN TOUCH WITH CHINOOK APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING TO ELLENSBURG. AT ONE POINT, 1 OF THESE 2 AGENCIES HAD ME DO A DIRECTIONAL STEER, BUT I AM NOT SURE WHICH ONE. AT ELLENSBURG, I CANCELED FLT FOLLOWING AND PROCEEDED BACK TO BOEING FIELD VFR WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. TO PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD ASK FOR FLT FOLLOWING FOR THE ENTIRE RTE. ALSO, I WILL USE MORE DILIGENCE AND MAINTAIN BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WITH RESPECT TO MY POS ON THE CHART. ALSO, I PLAN ON PURCHASING A GPS AS A BACKUP NAV TOOL. HAD I DONE ANY OF THOSE THINGS, MY GETTING LOST AND PENETRATING RESTR AIRSPACE COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.

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.