Narrative:

I departed from lns airport on my way to mtn. While cruising at 115 KTS at 3000 ft, I made my first call (after leaving class D airspace INS) to the FSS to open my flight plan. Once I was done with that I continued flying the plane, doing the pilotage and deadreckoning until I passed my first chkpoint. I got my frequency ready to call baltimore approach. That frequency was given to me when I called (on ground) to file my flight plan. I needed to contact approach to request flight following and/or radar vectors to intersection B, which was the point in which pilots coming from the north areas were supposed to report and get clearance to enter to class B airspace. I was not able to or capable of flying to this point. That's why I needed radar vectors. My main concern was not to violate or cross over the restr area without permission. I estimated my time en route about 35 mins to mtn. I made my call, but did not get any answer. I kept flying my heading, which was at that point 209 degrees. After a little while, I continued making my calls to establish communication with baltimore approach. I tried several times, but they never got back to me. I used different frequencys, but it didn't make any difference. I went back to use the frequencys of FSS, lancaster tower, harrisburg approach, called them, and the same thing happened, they did not get back to me. At that point, I realized that something was wrong with the radios. I kept trying to find the river that I was supposed to cross to guide myself back to martin (that was my last alternative). Checking my time, I noticed that about 30 mins had already passed. I thought that if I was flying a correct course, I was close to the airport. I did my instrument check and noticed that the heading indicator (or directional gyro) was not aligned with the compass. It was indicating my course +/- 210 degrees, and the compass indicated 120 degrees. That's when I really realized I was completely off of my course, and of course -- lost! I did adjust the directional gyro a couple of times until I did my instrument check and figured that out. I climbed and tried to locate the closest airport to land and get help. I did not know where I was, even if I tried to compare my chart with the white snow, which covered that land surface. This was an area I did not visit before and did not have any idea about. While flying in circles, I spotted a big airport. I thought it was my airport for a moment, but I figured it wasn't, because I didn't see the chesapeake and eastern shore. I got myself ready for landing and squawked 7600, because I did not know who to call at that airport, and I was not able to communication (something was wrong with the radios). I was about 500 ft final when I viewed the area and noticed a couple of military aircraft and told myself 'I think this is a military airport.' I thought about going around, but where was I supposed to go for help? It was around XA45 when I landed. It was getting dark and the WX was forecasted to be bad. Once I got off the plane, I told the officers that I was lost. Then they told me that I was in philadelphia at the 'willow grove naval air station.' how I got there? I guess with more experience I will know better how to solve a situation like this in the future. I have no idea how I got so far like that. My directional gyro failure gave me an off course deviation of about 90 degrees to the east from my original course, and it was too late for me to compensate. What came to my mind was to land and get help.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT GETS LOST WHEN PREFLT EQUIP CHKS WERE NOT COMPLETED. LNDG AT AN ARPT 90 DEGS FROM AND 1/2 HR BEYOND THE INTENDED ARPT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED FROM LNS ARPT ON MY WAY TO MTN. WHILE CRUISING AT 115 KTS AT 3000 FT, I MADE MY FIRST CALL (AFTER LEAVING CLASS D AIRSPACE INS) TO THE FSS TO OPEN MY FLT PLAN. ONCE I WAS DONE WITH THAT I CONTINUED FLYING THE PLANE, DOING THE PILOTAGE AND DEADRECKONING UNTIL I PASSED MY FIRST CHKPOINT. I GOT MY FREQ READY TO CALL BALTIMORE APCH. THAT FREQ WAS GIVEN TO ME WHEN I CALLED (ON GND) TO FILE MY FLT PLAN. I NEEDED TO CONTACT APCH TO REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING AND/OR RADAR VECTORS TO INTXN B, WHICH WAS THE POINT IN WHICH PLTS COMING FROM THE N AREAS WERE SUPPOSED TO RPT AND GET CLRNC TO ENTER TO CLASS B AIRSPACE. I WAS NOT ABLE TO OR CAPABLE OF FLYING TO THIS POINT. THAT'S WHY I NEEDED RADAR VECTORS. MY MAIN CONCERN WAS NOT TO VIOLATE OR CROSS OVER THE RESTR AREA WITHOUT PERMISSION. I ESTIMATED MY TIME ENRTE ABOUT 35 MINS TO MTN. I MADE MY CALL, BUT DID NOT GET ANY ANSWER. I KEPT FLYING MY HDG, WHICH WAS AT THAT POINT 209 DEGS. AFTER A LITTLE WHILE, I CONTINUED MAKING MY CALLS TO ESTABLISH COM WITH BALTIMORE APCH. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THEY NEVER GOT BACK TO ME. I USED DIFFERENT FREQS, BUT IT DIDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. I WENT BACK TO USE THE FREQS OF FSS, LANCASTER TWR, HARRISBURG APCH, CALLED THEM, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED, THEY DID NOT GET BACK TO ME. AT THAT POINT, I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE RADIOS. I KEPT TRYING TO FIND THE RIVER THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO CROSS TO GUIDE MYSELF BACK TO MARTIN (THAT WAS MY LAST ALTERNATIVE). CHKING MY TIME, I NOTICED THAT ABOUT 30 MINS HAD ALREADY PASSED. I THOUGHT THAT IF I WAS FLYING A CORRECT COURSE, I WAS CLOSE TO THE ARPT. I DID MY INST CHK AND NOTICED THAT THE HDG INDICATOR (OR DIRECTIONAL GYRO) WAS NOT ALIGNED WITH THE COMPASS. IT WAS INDICATING MY COURSE +/- 210 DEGS, AND THE COMPASS INDICATED 120 DEGS. THAT'S WHEN I REALLY REALIZED I WAS COMPLETELY OFF OF MY COURSE, AND OF COURSE -- LOST! I DID ADJUST THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO A COUPLE OF TIMES UNTIL I DID MY INST CHK AND FIGURED THAT OUT. I CLBED AND TRIED TO LOCATE THE CLOSEST ARPT TO LAND AND GET HELP. I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS, EVEN IF I TRIED TO COMPARE MY CHART WITH THE WHITE SNOW, WHICH COVERED THAT LAND SURFACE. THIS WAS AN AREA I DID NOT VISIT BEFORE AND DID NOT HAVE ANY IDEA ABOUT. WHILE FLYING IN CIRCLES, I SPOTTED A BIG ARPT. I THOUGHT IT WAS MY ARPT FOR A MOMENT, BUT I FIGURED IT WASN'T, BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE THE CHESAPEAKE AND EASTERN SHORE. I GOT MYSELF READY FOR LNDG AND SQUAWKED 7600, BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW WHO TO CALL AT THAT ARPT, AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO COM (SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE RADIOS). I WAS ABOUT 500 FT FINAL WHEN I VIEWED THE AREA AND NOTICED A COUPLE OF MIL ACFT AND TOLD MYSELF 'I THINK THIS IS A MIL ARPT.' I THOUGHT ABOUT GOING AROUND, BUT WHERE WAS I SUPPOSED TO GO FOR HELP? IT WAS AROUND XA45 WHEN I LANDED. IT WAS GETTING DARK AND THE WX WAS FORECASTED TO BE BAD. ONCE I GOT OFF THE PLANE, I TOLD THE OFFICERS THAT I WAS LOST. THEN THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS IN PHILADELPHIA AT THE 'WILLOW GROVE NAVAL AIR STATION.' HOW I GOT THERE? I GUESS WITH MORE EXPERIENCE I WILL KNOW BETTER HOW TO SOLVE A SIT LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I GOT SO FAR LIKE THAT. MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO FAILURE GAVE ME AN OFF COURSE DEV OF ABOUT 90 DEGS TO THE E FROM MY ORIGINAL COURSE, AND IT WAS TOO LATE FOR ME TO COMPENSATE. WHAT CAME TO MY MIND WAS TO LAND AND GET HELP.

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.