Narrative:

I flew very close to P-49 near crawford, tx. I don't think I violated the airspace, but I got closer than I would ever care to. I departed waco regional airport, (act, class D airspace) runway 19 and was cleared for a right turn-out and northwest departure. Because winds were southerly at 10-15 KTS, I took up about a 300 degree heading to account for the drift and head towards clifton, tx. A few mins after departure, I saw valley mills, tx, at about my 2 O'clock position and 2-3 mi away -- not where I thought I was, and very close to P-49. I was still on waco tower frequency, but they did not say anything to me. Possible contributing factors: 1) compass precession. I aligned my gyroscope compass to the magnetic compass during taxi-out, but a sharp 'tail-dragger' turn may have precessed it. Preoccupation with dog in back seat (see below) distracted me. I was looking at gyroscope compass and not xchking magnetic compass. Perhaps my 300 degree heading was not really a 300 degree heading. 2) I was taking my 2 yr old dog flying for the first time, so I was (probably) over-concerned with how she would do in an airplane (turns out, she is a great flyer). 3) visibility -- although reported by the tower as 10 mi, it was quite hazy (I estimate it was 7-8 mi). While this sounds like plenty, I find I often rely on multiple, distant landmarks to correlate my position. These distant points were not visible on this day. How to correct it? Go back to the basics: 1) xchk compasses when aligned on the runway and frequently during flight. 2) avoid distractions! (Dog in back).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A GOLDEN RETRIEVER IS INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF DISTRACTIONS THAT LEADS TO ENCROACHMENT ON P-49.

Narrative: I FLEW VERY CLOSE TO P-49 NEAR CRAWFORD, TX. I DON'T THINK I VIOLATED THE AIRSPACE, BUT I GOT CLOSER THAN I WOULD EVER CARE TO. I DEPARTED WACO REGIONAL ARPT, (ACT, CLASS D AIRSPACE) RWY 19 AND WAS CLRED FOR A R TURN-OUT AND NW DEP. BECAUSE WINDS WERE SOUTHERLY AT 10-15 KTS, I TOOK UP ABOUT A 300 DEG HDG TO ACCOUNT FOR THE DRIFT AND HEAD TOWARDS CLIFTON, TX. A FEW MINS AFTER DEP, I SAW VALLEY MILLS, TX, AT ABOUT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS AND 2-3 MI AWAY -- NOT WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS, AND VERY CLOSE TO P-49. I WAS STILL ON WACO TWR FREQ, BUT THEY DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO ME. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) COMPASS PRECESSION. I ALIGNED MY GYROSCOPE COMPASS TO THE MAGNETIC COMPASS DURING TAXI-OUT, BUT A SHARP 'TAIL-DRAGGER' TURN MAY HAVE PRECESSED IT. PREOCCUPATION WITH DOG IN BACK SEAT (SEE BELOW) DISTRACTED ME. I WAS LOOKING AT GYROSCOPE COMPASS AND NOT XCHKING MAGNETIC COMPASS. PERHAPS MY 300 DEG HDG WAS NOT REALLY A 300 DEG HDG. 2) I WAS TAKING MY 2 YR OLD DOG FLYING FOR THE FIRST TIME, SO I WAS (PROBABLY) OVER-CONCERNED WITH HOW SHE WOULD DO IN AN AIRPLANE (TURNS OUT, SHE IS A GREAT FLYER). 3) VISIBILITY -- ALTHOUGH RPTED BY THE TWR AS 10 MI, IT WAS QUITE HAZY (I ESTIMATE IT WAS 7-8 MI). WHILE THIS SOUNDS LIKE PLENTY, I FIND I OFTEN RELY ON MULTIPLE, DISTANT LANDMARKS TO CORRELATE MY POS. THESE DISTANT POINTS WERE NOT VISIBLE ON THIS DAY. HOW TO CORRECT IT? GO BACK TO THE BASICS: 1) XCHK COMPASSES WHEN ALIGNED ON THE RWY AND FREQUENTLY DURING FLT. 2) AVOID DISTRACTIONS! (DOG IN BACK).

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.