C210 pilot, flying a VOR approach, became disoriented, entered restr area.

Attributes
ACN	500790
Time
Date	200102
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : okb.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1160 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Route In Use	approach : instrument non precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	500790
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight originated in alb 3 hours prior. Crossed ocn VORTAC, descended to 2500 ft with 1 loop in hold, parallel entry. FAF crossed (ocn). Began descent to MDA. Pilot acquired airport visually. Descent to MDA continued. Pilot did not reacquire visual of airport! May have mistaken runway for freeway initially. Pilot attempted reacquisition, crossed 3+ mi DME. Pilot was incredulous that was not where he thought it should be, went missed approach! Called approach, declared missed approach. ATC requested intentions. Pilot responded, 'back to VOR and try again.' ATC stated to 'fly full published missed approach to ocean vista.' pilot set up to navigation to ocean vista. We were then on missed approach course to ocean vista. ATC called back with clearance direct ocn VOR and VOR approach. Pilot (still way behind in cockpit) set up for IAP as published. Second approach: crossed ocn procedure turn outbound, reported as requested by ATC. (I think) crossed FAF and again began non precision approach descent. Did not acquire airport. While in descent, passenger idented airport at 10 O'clock. Pilot attempted to acquire airport at 12 O'clock position, again incredulous that it was not out there. Pilot went visual approach and turned 40 degrees left. Pilot was aware of departure from published approach. Believed that something was wrong. Improper set-up of instruments, wrong approach plate, instrument malfunction. Pilot went visual, looked for aircraft and terrain. Visibility good, pilot felt he must go visual to deal with this situation. Did not see major safety of flight issue, but couldn't continue to fly the IAP if there was a problem. Approached the airport that was acquired at 10 O'clock position. When in visual range, pilot idented that it was not the same airport that was overflown during the missed approach. Pilot turned east, then south. Went back to approach frequency. Approach was already calling. Requested vector to airport, got an appropriate admonishment from controller regarding incursion into restr area. Received vectors to ocn. Conclusion: this was a screw-up where no one got hurt. This is the stuff that accidents are made of.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT, FLYING A VOR APCH, BECAME DISORIENTED, ENTERED RESTR AREA.

Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED IN ALB 3 HRS PRIOR. CROSSED OCN VORTAC, DSNDED TO 2500 FT WITH 1 LOOP IN HOLD, PARALLEL ENTRY. FAF CROSSED (OCN). BEGAN DSCNT TO MDA. PLT ACQUIRED ARPT VISUALLY. DSCNT TO MDA CONTINUED. PLT DID NOT REACQUIRE VISUAL OF ARPT! MAY HAVE MISTAKEN RWY FOR FREEWAY INITIALLY. PLT ATTEMPTED REACQUISITION, CROSSED 3+ MI DME. PLT WAS INCREDULOUS THAT WAS NOT WHERE HE THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE, WENT MISSED APCH! CALLED APCH, DECLARED MISSED APCH. ATC REQUESTED INTENTIONS. PLT RESPONDED, 'BACK TO VOR AND TRY AGAIN.' ATC STATED TO 'FLY FULL PUBLISHED MISSED APCH TO OCEAN VISTA.' PLT SET UP TO NAV TO OCEAN VISTA. WE WERE THEN ON MISSED APCH COURSE TO OCEAN VISTA. ATC CALLED BACK WITH CLRNC DIRECT OCN VOR AND VOR APCH. PLT (STILL WAY BEHIND IN COCKPIT) SET UP FOR IAP AS PUBLISHED. SECOND APCH: CROSSED OCN PROC TURN OUTBOUND, RPTED AS REQUESTED BY ATC. (I THINK) CROSSED FAF AND AGAIN BEGAN NON PRECISION APCH DSCNT. DID NOT ACQUIRE ARPT. WHILE IN DSCNT, PAX IDENTED ARPT AT 10 O'CLOCK. PLT ATTEMPTED TO ACQUIRE ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK POS, AGAIN INCREDULOUS THAT IT WAS NOT OUT THERE. PLT WENT VISUAL APCH AND TURNED 40 DEGS L. PLT WAS AWARE OF DEP FROM PUBLISHED APCH. BELIEVED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. IMPROPER SET-UP OF INSTS, WRONG APCH PLATE, INST MALFUNCTION. PLT WENT VISUAL, LOOKED FOR ACFT AND TERRAIN. VISIBILITY GOOD, PLT FELT HE MUST GO VISUAL TO DEAL WITH THIS SIT. DID NOT SEE MAJOR SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE, BUT COULDN'T CONTINUE TO FLY THE IAP IF THERE WAS A PROB. APCHED THE ARPT THAT WAS ACQUIRED AT 10 O'CLOCK POS. WHEN IN VISUAL RANGE, PLT IDENTED THAT IT WAS NOT THE SAME ARPT THAT WAS OVERFLOWN DURING THE MISSED APCH. PLT TURNED E, THEN S. WENT BACK TO APCH FREQ. APCH WAS ALREADY CALLING. REQUESTED VECTOR TO ARPT, GOT AN APPROPRIATE ADMONISHMENT FROM CTLR REGARDING INCURSION INTO RESTR AREA. RECEIVED VECTORS TO OCN. CONCLUSION: THIS WAS A SCREW-UP WHERE NO ONE GOT HURT. THIS IS THE STUFF THAT ACCIDENTS ARE MADE OF.

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.