Narrative:

I was on the last leg of my solo cross country flight, heading back to gardner municipal (K34). I experienced gyroscope drift and flew to topeka, ks. The reason why I'm flying this report is because I was circling forbes field in topeka, ks, without establishing communication with the tower. My cruising altitude to gardner municipal (K34) was 3500 ft MSL. I saw a rotating beacon from the distance and thought it was new century (ixd). I then searched to the southwest of new century (ixd) for gardner municipal (K34). I did not see the rotating beacon for gardner municipal (K34). I continued to fly toward the rotating beacon and attempting to contact new century (ixd) tower. The tower did not respond. I waited a few seconds and attempted to contact new century (ixd) tower one more time, there was not a response. I continued to fly toward the rotating beacon and when I arrived at the airport, I was at 3500 ft MSL. I started circling the airport and proceeded to climb to 4000 ft MSL. Still circling the airport, I tried to tune in ojc navigation. The signal was very weak. I then proceeded to tune in top navigation and the signal was very strong. My intuition was that I was flying over forbes field. I looked at the map and verified that I was circling forbes field and I could also see billiards airport in the distance. I proceeded to fly to the east from topeka, ks, while having the ojc navigation tuned in which was a very weak signal, I contacted ZKC for VFR flight following to gardner municipal (K34). Once center had radar contact, I looked at the fuel gauges, both left and right tanks were right above empty. I contacted center and they provided me a vector back to topeka forbes field for refueling. I landed at forbes field and contacted forbes field tower. The controller directed me to the terminal for refueling and indicated that airport officials will have some questions for me. The airport officials asked me why I was circling the airport and explained to them the situation. In about 15 mins, I was back heading east to gardner municipal (K34). Lessons learned: 1) when I didn't hear a response from new century tower, I should have looked at my flight plan to determine my last known location and idented a possible off course variance location from the map. 2) I should have contacted forbes field tower when I was circling the airport, regardless of altitude. 3) how to contact and communicate with center to request a VFR flight following. 4) check the magnetic compass and compare to the gyroscope every 10-15 mins for gyroscope drift.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C150 PLT ON SOLO XCOUNTRY EXPERIENCED POS CONFUSION.

Narrative: I WAS ON THE LAST LEG OF MY SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT, HEADING BACK TO GARDNER MUNI (K34). I EXPERIENCED GYROSCOPE DRIFT AND FLEW TO TOPEKA, KS. THE REASON WHY I'M FLYING THIS RPT IS BECAUSE I WAS CIRCLING FORBES FIELD IN TOPEKA, KS, WITHOUT ESTABLISHING COM WITH THE TWR. MY CRUISING ALT TO GARDNER MUNI (K34) WAS 3500 FT MSL. I SAW A ROTATING BEACON FROM THE DISTANCE AND THOUGHT IT WAS NEW CENTURY (IXD). I THEN SEARCHED TO THE SW OF NEW CENTURY (IXD) FOR GARDNER MUNI (K34). I DID NOT SEE THE ROTATING BEACON FOR GARDNER MUNI (K34). I CONTINUED TO FLY TOWARD THE ROTATING BEACON AND ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT NEW CENTURY (IXD) TWR. THE TWR DID NOT RESPOND. I WAITED A FEW SECONDS AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT NEW CENTURY (IXD) TWR ONE MORE TIME, THERE WAS NOT A RESPONSE. I CONTINUED TO FLY TOWARD THE ROTATING BEACON AND WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT, I WAS AT 3500 FT MSL. I STARTED CIRCLING THE ARPT AND PROCEEDED TO CLB TO 4000 FT MSL. STILL CIRCLING THE ARPT, I TRIED TO TUNE IN OJC NAV. THE SIGNAL WAS VERY WEAK. I THEN PROCEEDED TO TUNE IN TOP NAV AND THE SIGNAL WAS VERY STRONG. MY INTUITION WAS THAT I WAS FLYING OVER FORBES FIELD. I LOOKED AT THE MAP AND VERIFIED THAT I WAS CIRCLING FORBES FIELD AND I COULD ALSO SEE BILLIARDS ARPT IN THE DISTANCE. I PROCEEDED TO FLY TO THE E FROM TOPEKA, KS, WHILE HAVING THE OJC NAV TUNED IN WHICH WAS A VERY WEAK SIGNAL, I CONTACTED ZKC FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING TO GARDNER MUNI (K34). ONCE CTR HAD RADAR CONTACT, I LOOKED AT THE FUEL GAUGES, BOTH L AND R TANKS WERE RIGHT ABOVE EMPTY. I CONTACTED CTR AND THEY PROVIDED ME A VECTOR BACK TO TOPEKA FORBES FIELD FOR REFUELING. I LANDED AT FORBES FIELD AND CONTACTED FORBES FIELD TWR. THE CTLR DIRECTED ME TO THE TERMINAL FOR REFUELING AND INDICATED THAT ARPT OFFICIALS WILL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR ME. THE ARPT OFFICIALS ASKED ME WHY I WAS CIRCLING THE ARPT AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THE SIT. IN ABOUT 15 MINS, I WAS BACK HEADING E TO GARDNER MUNI (K34). LESSONS LEARNED: 1) WHEN I DIDN'T HEAR A RESPONSE FROM NEW CENTURY TWR, I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT MY FLT PLAN TO DETERMINE MY LAST KNOWN LOCATION AND IDENTED A POSSIBLE OFF COURSE VARIANCE LOCATION FROM THE MAP. 2) I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED FORBES FIELD TWR WHEN I WAS CIRCLING THE ARPT, REGARDLESS OF ALT. 3) HOW TO CONTACT AND COMMUNICATE WITH CTR TO REQUEST A VFR FLT FOLLOWING. 4) CHK THE MAGNETIC COMPASS AND COMPARE TO THE GYROSCOPE EVERY 10-15 MINS FOR GYROSCOPE DRIFT.

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.