Narrative:

My flight instructor and I sat down to go over my flight plan for my cross country flight from long beach to palm springs to blythe to ramona to long beach. As my instructor went through my flight plans, I was told that my flight plan from long beach to palm springs and from palm springs to blythe was fine. However, my plans from blythe to ramona were slightly inaccurate. Instructor told me that as I came into the banning pass, I would need to go due south instead of what I had calculated -- a heading of 197 degrees. Unfortunately, we became distraction for some reason. Due to this distraction, I feel that I had forgotten to update my flight plan to fly due south rather than continue on my heading of 197 degrees. At approximately XA30, my instructor and myself went on to preflight the aircraft. 1/2 hour later, I departed long beach airport on runway 25L for a left downwind departure. After a frequency change was approved, I contacted socal approach for flight following to palm springs. After landing at palm springs, I immediately departed palm springs to continue my cross country to blythe. I once again picked up flight following to blythe and eventually I landed at blythe. Once at blythe, I refueled the aircraft, had a break and got something to eat. After the break at blythe, I departed for my third destination, ramona. I had no difficulties in getting to the banning pass. After the banning pass, I turned to my heading of 197 degrees. After my check points had passed on my left, I started to think that maybe I was going in the wrong direction. After a few moments, I saw what I thought was ramona airport and started descending from 6500 ft to 2600 ft. As I got closer to the airport, I realized that it was not ramona airport. Once I realized it was not, I immediately started to climb and contacted ramona airport, who in turn had me contact socal approach. Socal approach then gave me a heading to follow to get to ramona. What I did not realize was that I had entered the restr airspace at camp pendleton. When I landed at ramona airport I was told by the ramona tower that I needed to contact camp pendleton to explain why I had violated their airspace. I was unable to contact them, as I could not find a phone. After refueling, I departed ramona airport and headed back to long beach. Once at long beach, I was also unable to find a phone to call camp pendleton. The following morning I contacted camp pendleton to explain my actions. I was told that the matter would be referred to FSDO as I had violated the restr area airspace. I explained to them that I am a student pilot and had gotten lost on the way to ramona and had, in turn, accidentally entered the restr airspace and apologized. The reasons for this were, as I was an inexperienced pilot, the flight from long beach to palm springs to blythe to ramona to long beach were slightly too long for a student pilot. I would, therefore, not recommend such a long flight to any student pilots, as it is a huge test of endurance. Also, after leaving blythe, I began to feel hungry and tired. For this reason I was unable to think straight. Due to some turbulence I was experiencing on some of the way to palm springs and most of the way to blythe, I was required to concentrate a lot more in order to control the aircraft in terms of safety as I did not want to come down to earth other than landing the aircraft safely. I do not feel that my instructor is at fault, as I should have made the changes suggested immediately. With better judgement I feel that this incident could have been avoided. I fully understand that this incident needs to be investigated as I had entered military airspace. Supplemental information from acn 625637: in retrospect, I realize that other students' needs were a cause of distraction for me. Possible prevention could have occurred had I simply asked not to be bothered by other students while I am reviewing flight plans. In addition to this, I feel that time pressures were a factor in this airspace violation. We should have started earlier in the day so that getting my student off of the ground would not have been a factor. Finally, for a student pilot, the route mentioned above would be too long and involved. I feel that if I listen to my instincts and not the pressure coming from higher up to finish this student, I will have more effectiveness and success at my job.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY MISCALCULATES HIS TRACK AND ENTERS MOA OVER CAMP PENDLETON.

Narrative: MY FLT INSTRUCTOR AND I SAT DOWN TO GO OVER MY FLT PLAN FOR MY XCOUNTRY FLT FROM LONG BEACH TO PALM SPRINGS TO BLYTHE TO RAMONA TO LONG BEACH. AS MY INSTRUCTOR WENT THROUGH MY FLT PLANS, I WAS TOLD THAT MY FLT PLAN FROM LONG BEACH TO PALM SPRINGS AND FROM PALM SPRINGS TO BLYTHE WAS FINE. HOWEVER, MY PLANS FROM BLYTHE TO RAMONA WERE SLIGHTLY INACCURATE. INSTRUCTOR TOLD ME THAT AS I CAME INTO THE BANNING PASS, I WOULD NEED TO GO DUE S INSTEAD OF WHAT I HAD CALCULATED -- A HDG OF 197 DEGS. UNFORTUNATELY, WE BECAME DISTR FOR SOME REASON. DUE TO THIS DISTR, I FEEL THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN TO UPDATE MY FLT PLAN TO FLY DUE S RATHER THAN CONTINUE ON MY HDG OF 197 DEGS. AT APPROX XA30, MY INSTRUCTOR AND MYSELF WENT ON TO PREFLT THE ACFT. 1/2 HR LATER, I DEPARTED LONG BEACH ARPT ON RWY 25L FOR A L DOWNWIND DEP. AFTER A FREQ CHANGE WAS APPROVED, I CONTACTED SOCAL APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING TO PALM SPRINGS. AFTER LNDG AT PALM SPRINGS, I IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED PALM SPRINGS TO CONTINUE MY XCOUNTRY TO BLYTHE. I ONCE AGAIN PICKED UP FLT FOLLOWING TO BLYTHE AND EVENTUALLY I LANDED AT BLYTHE. ONCE AT BLYTHE, I REFUELED THE ACFT, HAD A BREAK AND GOT SOMETHING TO EAT. AFTER THE BREAK AT BLYTHE, I DEPARTED FOR MY THIRD DEST, RAMONA. I HAD NO DIFFICULTIES IN GETTING TO THE BANNING PASS. AFTER THE BANNING PASS, I TURNED TO MY HDG OF 197 DEGS. AFTER MY CHK POINTS HAD PASSED ON MY L, I STARTED TO THINK THAT MAYBE I WAS GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS, I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT WAS RAMONA ARPT AND STARTED DSNDING FROM 6500 FT TO 2600 FT. AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE ARPT, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT RAMONA ARPT. ONCE I REALIZED IT WAS NOT, I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO CLB AND CONTACTED RAMONA ARPT, WHO IN TURN HAD ME CONTACT SOCAL APCH. SOCAL APCH THEN GAVE ME A HDG TO FOLLOW TO GET TO RAMONA. WHAT I DID NOT REALIZE WAS THAT I HAD ENTERED THE RESTR AIRSPACE AT CAMP PENDLETON. WHEN I LANDED AT RAMONA ARPT I WAS TOLD BY THE RAMONA TWR THAT I NEEDED TO CONTACT CAMP PENDLETON TO EXPLAIN WHY I HAD VIOLATED THEIR AIRSPACE. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THEM, AS I COULD NOT FIND A PHONE. AFTER REFUELING, I DEPARTED RAMONA ARPT AND HEADED BACK TO LONG BEACH. ONCE AT LONG BEACH, I WAS ALSO UNABLE TO FIND A PHONE TO CALL CAMP PENDLETON. THE FOLLOWING MORNING I CONTACTED CAMP PENDLETON TO EXPLAIN MY ACTIONS. I WAS TOLD THAT THE MATTER WOULD BE REFERRED TO FSDO AS I HAD VIOLATED THE RESTR AREA AIRSPACE. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I AM A STUDENT PLT AND HAD GOTTEN LOST ON THE WAY TO RAMONA AND HAD, IN TURN, ACCIDENTALLY ENTERED THE RESTR AIRSPACE AND APOLOGIZED. THE REASONS FOR THIS WERE, AS I WAS AN INEXPERIENCED PLT, THE FLT FROM LONG BEACH TO PALM SPRINGS TO BLYTHE TO RAMONA TO LONG BEACH WERE SLIGHTLY TOO LONG FOR A STUDENT PLT. I WOULD, THEREFORE, NOT RECOMMEND SUCH A LONG FLT TO ANY STUDENT PLTS, AS IT IS A HUGE TEST OF ENDURANCE. ALSO, AFTER LEAVING BLYTHE, I BEGAN TO FEEL HUNGRY AND TIRED. FOR THIS REASON I WAS UNABLE TO THINK STRAIGHT. DUE TO SOME TURB I WAS EXPERIENCING ON SOME OF THE WAY TO PALM SPRINGS AND MOST OF THE WAY TO BLYTHE, I WAS REQUIRED TO CONCENTRATE A LOT MORE IN ORDER TO CTL THE ACFT IN TERMS OF SAFETY AS I DID NOT WANT TO COME DOWN TO EARTH OTHER THAN LNDG THE ACFT SAFELY. I DO NOT FEEL THAT MY INSTRUCTOR IS AT FAULT, AS I SHOULD HAVE MADE THE CHANGES SUGGESTED IMMEDIATELY. WITH BETTER JUDGEMENT I FEEL THAT THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS INCIDENT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AS I HAD ENTERED MIL AIRSPACE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 625637: IN RETROSPECT, I REALIZE THAT OTHER STUDENTS' NEEDS WERE A CAUSE OF DISTR FOR ME. POSSIBLE PREVENTION COULD HAVE OCCURRED HAD I SIMPLY ASKED NOT TO BE BOTHERED BY OTHER STUDENTS WHILE I AM REVIEWING FLT PLANS. IN ADDITION TO THIS, I FEEL THAT TIME PRESSURES WERE A FACTOR IN THIS AIRSPACE VIOLATION. WE SHOULD HAVE STARTED EARLIER IN THE DAY SO THAT GETTING MY STUDENT OFF OF THE GND WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. FINALLY, FOR A STUDENT PLT, THE RTE MENTIONED ABOVE WOULD BE TOO LONG AND INVOLVED. I FEEL THAT IF I LISTEN TO MY INSTINCTS AND NOT THE PRESSURE COMING FROM HIGHER UP TO FINISH THIS STUDENT, I WILL HAVE MORE EFFECTIVENESS AND SUCCESS AT MY JOB.

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.