Narrative:

I became disoriented and overflew the key west naval station airfield. This was caused by a series of errors. I was taking a vacation in ft lauderdale. During the week, I decided to fly down to key west and explore the island. Because I had never flown in south fl below fex, I did a lot of preflight planning. I failed to copy the identifier for key west and then went to the trip planner I had downloaded on my computer. When I typed in key west, the program brought up the identifier for the naval marine station (nqx), which I subsequently retained as the identifier for key west airport. At this point, I had no idea that there was a naval station airport in proximity to key west. Prior to my departure, I called FSS and obtained a WX briefing and asked about any special considerations flying in the keys. He indicated that my only concern was to avoid the restr area around military base in south fl. He indicated that if I flew to the east of the keys, I would avoid that area completely. No mention was made of the tethered balloon near key west. On arrival at fex, I inquired about the availability of an instructor to brief me on the flight procedures for negotiating the airspace around miami and ft lauderdale international airports and none was available. The desk clerk advised me that miami would let me fly down the east coast without any problems. I also reviewed the maps in the flight preparation room without noticing the naval station airfield. After takeoff, I was given 5 handoffs to different facilities before anyone actually tried to identify my flight. By that time, I had flown well off the coast to the east and decided to climb to 7500 ft to overfly the eastern edge of the miami class B airspace before turning towards key west. I was finally identification'd by approach. I was using hand held GPS equipment. I, for the first time, realized that there was a military facility in the area. Unfortunately, I continued to utilize the GPS for guidance to key west and entered the incorrect nqx into the computer. East of pine island, I called naval approach and was given a squawk code and flight following. I was informed to remain 3 miles off the coast of the island to the south due to a flight of 3 military jets incoming. I saw the military airfield and remained to the south until I could see the airstrip at key west. I was handed off to the key west controller who directed me to enter a right base for runway 9. At this point, I became confused, as the GPS indicated that I was passing west of key west airport. Looking to the north, I didn't see any indication of military aircraft on the ground nor did I see any military like facilities, so I assumed that I was now flying towards the naval air station instead of key west. I then turned to the north and ended up overflying the military airfield. The key west controller finally realized the error I was making and directed me to immediately fly to the north to avoid the incoming military flight. She gave me vectors finally clearing me to enter a right downwind for runway 9. I then panicked at the realization of the fact that I had violated a military base airspace. I subsequently became completely disoriented as to the direction I was flying and how to set up the approach to land. Fortunately, the controller was able to provide assistance until I could get reoriented, but not before I entered the pattern incorrectly at key west. The landing was uneventful. I have realized that despite my good efforts to plan this flight and use all the resources available, I made a basic error in not utilizing a current sectional, which I had available in the cockpit, and inquiring with the controller when I became confused as to the correct location of the airfield. While GPS adds a lot of safety to flying, it can also contribute to airspace violation if the data is incorrectly entered in the computer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT ENRTE TO KEY WEST BECOMES DISORIENTED, PENETRATES NQX RESTR AIRSPACE BEFORE DISORIENTATION RESOLVED.

Narrative: I BECAME DISORIENTED AND OVERFLEW THE KEY WEST NAVAL STATION AIRFIELD. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A SERIES OF ERRORS. I WAS TAKING A VACATION IN FT LAUDERDALE. DURING THE WEEK, I DECIDED TO FLY DOWN TO KEY WEST AND EXPLORE THE ISLAND. BECAUSE I HAD NEVER FLOWN IN S FL BELOW FEX, I DID A LOT OF PREFLT PLANNING. I FAILED TO COPY THE IDENTIFIER FOR KEY WEST AND THEN WENT TO THE TRIP PLANNER I HAD DOWNLOADED ON MY COMPUTER. WHEN I TYPED IN KEY WEST, THE PROGRAM BROUGHT UP THE IDENTIFIER FOR THE NAVAL MARINE STATION (NQX), WHICH I SUBSEQUENTLY RETAINED AS THE IDENTIFIER FOR KEY WEST ARPT. AT THIS POINT, I HAD NO IDEA THAT THERE WAS A NAVAL STATION ARPT IN PROXIMITY TO KEY WEST. PRIOR TO MY DEP, I CALLED FSS AND OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING AND ASKED ABOUT ANY SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FLYING IN THE KEYS. HE INDICATED THAT MY ONLY CONCERN WAS TO AVOID THE RESTR AREA AROUND MIL BASE IN S FL. HE INDICATED THAT IF I FLEW TO THE E OF THE KEYS, I WOULD AVOID THAT AREA COMPLETELY. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF THE TETHERED BALLOON NEAR KEY WEST. ON ARR AT FEX, I INQUIRED ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY OF AN INSTRUCTOR TO BRIEF ME ON THE FLT PROCS FOR NEGOTIATING THE AIRSPACE AROUND MIAMI AND FT LAUDERDALE INTL ARPTS AND NONE WAS AVAILABLE. THE DESK CLERK ADVISED ME THAT MIAMI WOULD LET ME FLY DOWN THE E COAST WITHOUT ANY PROBS. I ALSO REVIEWED THE MAPS IN THE FLT PREPARATION ROOM WITHOUT NOTICING THE NAVAL STATION AIRFIELD. AFTER TAKEOFF, I WAS GIVEN 5 HANDOFFS TO DIFFERENT FACILITIES BEFORE ANYONE ACTUALLY TRIED TO IDENTIFY MY FLT. BY THAT TIME, I HAD FLOWN WELL OFF THE COAST TO THE E AND DECIDED TO CLB TO 7500 FT TO OVERFLY THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE MIAMI CLASS B AIRSPACE BEFORE TURNING TOWARDS KEY WEST. I WAS FINALLY ID'D BY APCH. I WAS USING HAND HELD GPS EQUIPMENT. I, FOR THE FIRST TIME, REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A MIL FACILITY IN THE AREA. UNFORTUNATELY, I CONTINUED TO UTILIZE THE GPS FOR GUIDANCE TO KEY WEST AND ENTERED THE INCORRECT NQX INTO THE COMPUTER. E OF PINE ISLAND, I CALLED NAVAL APCH AND WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND FLT FOLLOWING. I WAS INFORMED TO REMAIN 3 MILES OFF THE COAST OF THE ISLAND TO THE S DUE TO A FLT OF 3 MIL JETS INCOMING. I SAW THE MIL AIRFIELD AND REMAINED TO THE S UNTIL I COULD SEE THE AIRSTRIP AT KEY WEST. I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE KEY WEST CTLR WHO DIRECTED ME TO ENTER A RIGHT BASE FOR RWY 9. AT THIS POINT, I BECAME CONFUSED, AS THE GPS INDICATED THAT I WAS PASSING W OF KEY WEST ARPT. LOOKING TO THE N, I DIDN'T SEE ANY INDICATION OF MIL ACFT ON THE GND NOR DID I SEE ANY MIL LIKE FACILITIES, SO I ASSUMED THAT I WAS NOW FLYING TOWARDS THE NAVAL AIR STATION INSTEAD OF KEY WEST. I THEN TURNED TO THE N AND ENDED UP OVERFLYING THE MIL AIRFIELD. THE KEY WEST CTLR FINALLY REALIZED THE ERROR I WAS MAKING AND DIRECTED ME TO IMMEDIATELY FLY TO THE N TO AVOID THE INCOMING MIL FLT. SHE GAVE ME VECTORS FINALLY CLRING ME TO ENTER A RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 9. I THEN PANICKED AT THE REALIZATION OF THE FACT THAT I HAD VIOLATED A MIL BASE AIRSPACE. I SUBSEQUENTLY BECAME COMPLETELY DISORIENTED AS TO THE DIRECTION I WAS FLYING AND HOW TO SET UP THE APCH TO LAND. FORTUNATELY, THE CTLR WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE UNTIL I COULD GET REORIENTED, BUT NOT BEFORE I ENTERED THE PATTERN INCORRECTLY AT KEY WEST. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. I HAVE REALIZED THAT DESPITE MY GOOD EFFORTS TO PLAN THIS FLT AND USE ALL THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE, I MADE A BASIC ERROR IN NOT UTILIZING A CURRENT SECTIONAL, WHICH I HAD AVAILABLE IN THE COCKPIT, AND INQUIRING WITH THE CTLR WHEN I BECAME CONFUSED AS TO THE CORRECT LOCATION OF THE AIRFIELD. WHILE GPS ADDS A LOT OF SAFETY TO FLYING, IT CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO AIRSPACE VIOLATION IF THE DATA IS INCORRECTLY ENTERED IN THE COMPUTER.

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.