Narrative:

I filed a VFR cross country flight with lansing FSS to depart battle creek, mi (btl) direct to south bend, in (sbn) direct to valparasio, in (vpz) direct to muncie, in (mie) direct to final destination battle creek, mi (btl). As I waited for the fueler to give me my fuel slip, I decided to get a quick bite to eat. I called dispatch at my club to let them know that I would be arriving 1 hour later than my stated estimated time of arrival. In the midst of me trying to focus on night flying and maintaining my situational awareness, I failed to amend my flight plan with terre haute or lansing FSS. As I approached my flying school's practice area, I did not call kalamazoo approach because I knew that I was 15 mi south of the btl airport. Also, I did not hear fwa approach hand me off to kalamazoo. I tried to call fwa approach on communication #2 but no answer. Once I listened to the ATIS for btl, I realized that runway 23 was not the runway in use. The runway in use was runway 31 which required me to maneuver from the south to the west to make a 45 degree entry for a left downwind for runway 31. I got too close to btl airspace as I was transitioning from the south to the west. Because I never heard fwa hand me over to battle creek, I still had my transponder squawk code tuned in the transponder. Once I landed in btl, I contacted ground on 121.7 to inform them that I was off the active runway and would like to taxi. I contacted them 3 times on communication #2, but no answer. I tuned in 121.7 on communication #2 and ATC responded immediately for me to taxi back to FBO and remain on 121.7 frequency. Once I knew that my flight would be delayed from my scheduled morning departure, I should have canceled the flight, because I had not eaten nor had I taken into consideration that I would get tired and hungry during each leg of my flight. Nor did I take into consideration that I would arrive late in the evening back to btl. I will remember to always talk to ATC, report when I have the airport in sight, and to amend my flight plan if I foresee that I have encountered a headwind or when I foresee that my stopovers are longer than anticipated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT RPTED A MYRIAD OF MISTAKES DURING A SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT, ONE OF WHICH WAS BLUNDERING INTO BTL'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I FILED A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT WITH LANSING FSS TO DEPART BATTLE CREEK, MI (BTL) DIRECT TO SOUTH BEND, IN (SBN) DIRECT TO VALPARASIO, IN (VPZ) DIRECT TO MUNCIE, IN (MIE) DIRECT TO FINAL DEST BATTLE CREEK, MI (BTL). AS I WAITED FOR THE FUELER TO GIVE ME MY FUEL SLIP, I DECIDED TO GET A QUICK BITE TO EAT. I CALLED DISPATCH AT MY CLUB TO LET THEM KNOW THAT I WOULD BE ARRIVING 1 HR LATER THAN MY STATED ESTIMATED TIME OF ARR. IN THE MIDST OF ME TRYING TO FOCUS ON NIGHT FLYING AND MAINTAINING MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, I FAILED TO AMEND MY FLT PLAN WITH TERRE HAUTE OR LANSING FSS. AS I APCHED MY FLYING SCHOOL'S PRACTICE AREA, I DID NOT CALL KALAMAZOO APCH BECAUSE I KNEW THAT I WAS 15 MI S OF THE BTL ARPT. ALSO, I DID NOT HEAR FWA APCH HAND ME OFF TO KALAMAZOO. I TRIED TO CALL FWA APCH ON COM #2 BUT NO ANSWER. ONCE I LISTENED TO THE ATIS FOR BTL, I REALIZED THAT RWY 23 WAS NOT THE RWY IN USE. THE RWY IN USE WAS RWY 31 WHICH REQUIRED ME TO MANEUVER FROM THE S TO THE W TO MAKE A 45 DEG ENTRY FOR A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31. I GOT TOO CLOSE TO BTL AIRSPACE AS I WAS TRANSITIONING FROM THE S TO THE W. BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD FWA HAND ME OVER TO BATTLE CREEK, I STILL HAD MY XPONDER SQUAWK CODE TUNED IN THE XPONDER. ONCE I LANDED IN BTL, I CONTACTED GND ON 121.7 TO INFORM THEM THAT I WAS OFF THE ACTIVE RWY AND WOULD LIKE TO TAXI. I CONTACTED THEM 3 TIMES ON COM #2, BUT NO ANSWER. I TUNED IN 121.7 ON COM #2 AND ATC RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY FOR ME TO TAXI BACK TO FBO AND REMAIN ON 121.7 FREQ. ONCE I KNEW THAT MY FLT WOULD BE DELAYED FROM MY SCHEDULED MORNING DEP, I SHOULD HAVE CANCELED THE FLT, BECAUSE I HAD NOT EATEN NOR HAD I TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THAT I WOULD GET TIRED AND HUNGRY DURING EACH LEG OF MY FLT. NOR DID I TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT I WOULD ARRIVE LATE IN THE EVENING BACK TO BTL. I WILL REMEMBER TO ALWAYS TALK TO ATC, RPT WHEN I HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT, AND TO AMEND MY FLT PLAN IF I FORESEE THAT I HAVE ENCOUNTERED A HEADWIND OR WHEN I FORESEE THAT MY STOPOVERS ARE LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED.

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.