Narrative:

On aug/fri/01, I lost my positional awareness around sdl and may have caused a complaint to be filed by the scottsdale air traffic controller. I departed gyr intending to land at sdl. After executing a left downwind departure from runway 21, I proceeded direct toward my first visual check point, which was geu. I contacted glendale tower after leaving phoenix goodyear's airspace, and asked for a clearance to transition through their airspace at an altitude of 2600 ft. My main concern at that time was not to enter the class B airspace, which I did remain clear of. I did not find the glendale airport and that's when I discovered I had lost my positional awareness. Then I realized that I was near another airport, sdl and immediately contacted the control tower. To the best of my knowledge I was approximately 3-5 NM from the runway. Scottsdale tower then gave me a squawk code and I was given a landing clearance. After I landed, I was instructed to call the tower by telephone. I had been informed that I was too close to a departing jet. I did see the jet and believed we were far enough away from each other where no conflict existed. From my perspective the departing jet was no threat and my TCASII did not detect a collision threat either. Contributing factors: in my opinion there were multiple contributing factors, that led up to this event. This was the first time I had flown in the phoenix area. 2 hours earlier, I had driven from sdl to gyr by car in about 1 hour. I think this may have given me a somewhat false impression of the actual distance between the 2 airports. Once I became airborne, I really didn't expect to see my landmarks so quickly and that is why I failed to spot glendale and lost my position. I was still experiencing some jet lag after a long flight from europe. Corrective actions: immediately on the same day after this instance, I decided to do a BFR with a local flight instructor. I completed the BFR and became more familiar with the local operating procedures and local landmarks. In the future my plan is to always request flight following for additional assistance anytime I am near class B or class C airspace to prevent another instance such as this. Also I believe a longer rest period after an intercontinental flight would be beneficial to prevent fatigue. Most importantly I learned from this experience and this event brought to my attention the areas of operations that I need to improve on.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AC11 PLT FAILED TO NOTIFY SDL TWR CLASS D OF HIS ARR UNTIL 3-5 MI FROM THE RWY.

Narrative: ON AUG/FRI/01, I LOST MY POSITIONAL AWARENESS AROUND SDL AND MAY HAVE CAUSED A COMPLAINT TO BE FILED BY THE SCOTTSDALE AIR TFC CTLR. I DEPARTED GYR INTENDING TO LAND AT SDL. AFTER EXECUTING A L DOWNWIND DEP FROM RWY 21, I PROCEEDED DIRECT TOWARD MY FIRST VISUAL CHK POINT, WHICH WAS GEU. I CONTACTED GLENDALE TWR AFTER LEAVING PHOENIX GOODYEAR'S AIRSPACE, AND ASKED FOR A CLRNC TO TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR AIRSPACE AT AN ALT OF 2600 FT. MY MAIN CONCERN AT THAT TIME WAS NOT TO ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, WHICH I DID REMAIN CLR OF. I DID NOT FIND THE GLENDALE ARPT AND THAT'S WHEN I DISCOVERED I HAD LOST MY POSITIONAL AWARENESS. THEN I REALIZED THAT I WAS NEAR ANOTHER ARPT, SDL AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE CTL TWR. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE I WAS APPROX 3-5 NM FROM THE RWY. SCOTTSDALE TWR THEN GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND I WAS GIVEN A LNDG CLRNC. AFTER I LANDED, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR BY TELEPHONE. I HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT I WAS TOO CLOSE TO A DEPARTING JET. I DID SEE THE JET AND BELIEVED WE WERE FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM EACH OTHER WHERE NO CONFLICT EXISTED. FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THE DEPARTING JET WAS NO THREAT AND MY TCASII DID NOT DETECT A COLLISION THREAT EITHER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: IN MY OPINION THERE WERE MULTIPLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, THAT LED UP TO THIS EVENT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD FLOWN IN THE PHOENIX AREA. 2 HRS EARLIER, I HAD DRIVEN FROM SDL TO GYR BY CAR IN ABOUT 1 HR. I THINK THIS MAY HAVE GIVEN ME A SOMEWHAT FALSE IMPRESSION OF THE ACTUAL DISTANCE BTWN THE 2 ARPTS. ONCE I BECAME AIRBORNE, I REALLY DIDN'T EXPECT TO SEE MY LANDMARKS SO QUICKLY AND THAT IS WHY I FAILED TO SPOT GLENDALE AND LOST MY POS. I WAS STILL EXPERIENCING SOME JET LAG AFTER A LONG FLT FROM EUROPE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: IMMEDIATELY ON THE SAME DAY AFTER THIS INSTANCE, I DECIDED TO DO A BFR WITH A LCL FLT INSTRUCTOR. I COMPLETED THE BFR AND BECAME MORE FAMILIAR WITH THE LCL OPERATING PROCS AND LCL LANDMARKS. IN THE FUTURE MY PLAN IS TO ALWAYS REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING FOR ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE ANYTIME I AM NEAR CLASS B OR CLASS C AIRSPACE TO PREVENT ANOTHER INSTANCE SUCH AS THIS. ALSO I BELIEVE A LONGER REST PERIOD AFTER AN INTERCONTINENTAL FLT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO PREVENT FATIGUE. MOST IMPORTANTLY I LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE AND THIS EVENT BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THE AREAS OF OPS THAT I NEED TO IMPROVE ON.

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.