Narrative:

Traveling on the last leg of a multi-leg day; I was transitioning under the 2000 ft floor of class B airspace. I called 10 NM northwest of my destination on the CTAF; based on published information that the tower was already closed. The tower responded to my call; indicating they were still open; and gave me a location to report for landing sequence. The tower also indicated a tfr was in effect over a particular area but; based on my presumed location; it would not be an issue (in a call to FSS approximately 1 hour prior to this last leg; there had been no indication a tfr in effect). I queried the location of the tfr as I do not fly in this part of the city very often and was not familiar with the street names from the air. The controller believed I would pass well away from it; based on my location. I was using a terminal chart; handheld GPS and LORAN for positional awareness. I crossed a landmark I believed was the lake I was looking for and turned east towards the airport on what I believed was the correct interstate. I passed over an amusement park which is north of the airport; and north of where I believed I was. I immediately turned south towards the airport but am not sure if; at that point; I momentarily entered the class B surface area (as it goes to the surface at approximately that point). Given that I was also north of where the controller and I both thought I was; I am also not sure if I entered the tfr. After turning south; I found the east/west interstate I had originally been looking for and turned east. At that point; I confused a similarly sized uncontrolled airport just south of my destination as the correct airport. The controller caught my mistake and gave me a heading and landmark towards his airport at which point I entered right downwind; obtained a landing clearance and landed without further problems. I was not familiar with the transition route I was using to go from north to south. I should have done a practice run; in both directions; with someone familiar with the route to correctly identify landmarks/freeways; etc. Secondly; this was the final leg of a multi-leg flight and I was more tired than I thought. My concentration and situational awareness were definitely not what they needed to be to travel through this airspace and/or avoid the tfr. Having the tower open was a huge plus. On the positive side; I made him aware I was unfamiliar with the area early on. He made sure I was aware of the tfr and had me give him position reports several times. He also was able to find me before I landed at the wrong airport and give me additional assistance in locating the correct airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENTERS CLASS B AND TFR ON APCH TO GPM.

Narrative: TRAVELING ON THE LAST LEG OF A MULTI-LEG DAY; I WAS TRANSITIONING UNDER THE 2000 FT FLOOR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. I CALLED 10 NM NW OF MY DEST ON THE CTAF; BASED ON PUBLISHED INFO THAT THE TWR WAS ALREADY CLOSED. THE TWR RESPONDED TO MY CALL; INDICATING THEY WERE STILL OPEN; AND GAVE ME A LOCATION TO RPT FOR LNDG SEQUENCE. THE TWR ALSO INDICATED A TFR WAS IN EFFECT OVER A PARTICULAR AREA BUT; BASED ON MY PRESUMED LOCATION; IT WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE (IN A CALL TO FSS APPROX 1 HR PRIOR TO THIS LAST LEG; THERE HAD BEEN NO INDICATION A TFR IN EFFECT). I QUERIED THE LOCATION OF THE TFR AS I DO NOT FLY IN THIS PART OF THE CITY VERY OFTEN AND WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE STREET NAMES FROM THE AIR. THE CTLR BELIEVED I WOULD PASS WELL AWAY FROM IT; BASED ON MY LOCATION. I WAS USING A TERMINAL CHART; HANDHELD GPS AND LORAN FOR POSITIONAL AWARENESS. I CROSSED A LANDMARK I BELIEVED WAS THE LAKE I WAS LOOKING FOR AND TURNED E TOWARDS THE ARPT ON WHAT I BELIEVED WAS THE CORRECT INTERSTATE. I PASSED OVER AN AMUSEMENT PARK WHICH IS N OF THE ARPT; AND N OF WHERE I BELIEVED I WAS. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED S TOWARDS THE ARPT BUT AM NOT SURE IF; AT THAT POINT; I MOMENTARILY ENTERED THE CLASS B SURFACE AREA (AS IT GOES TO THE SURFACE AT APPROX THAT POINT). GIVEN THAT I WAS ALSO N OF WHERE THE CTLR AND I BOTH THOUGHT I WAS; I AM ALSO NOT SURE IF I ENTERED THE TFR. AFTER TURNING S; I FOUND THE E/W INTERSTATE I HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN LOOKING FOR AND TURNED E. AT THAT POINT; I CONFUSED A SIMILARLY SIZED UNCTLED ARPT JUST S OF MY DEST AS THE CORRECT ARPT. THE CTLR CAUGHT MY MISTAKE AND GAVE ME A HDG AND LANDMARK TOWARDS HIS ARPT AT WHICH POINT I ENTERED R DOWNWIND; OBTAINED A LNDG CLRNC AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE TRANSITION RTE I WAS USING TO GO FROM N TO S. I SHOULD HAVE DONE A PRACTICE RUN; IN BOTH DIRECTIONS; WITH SOMEONE FAMILIAR WITH THE RTE TO CORRECTLY IDENT LANDMARKS/FREEWAYS; ETC. SECONDLY; THIS WAS THE FINAL LEG OF A MULTI-LEG FLT AND I WAS MORE TIRED THAN I THOUGHT. MY CONCENTRATION AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WERE DEFINITELY NOT WHAT THEY NEEDED TO BE TO TRAVEL THROUGH THIS AIRSPACE AND/OR AVOID THE TFR. HAVING THE TWR OPEN WAS A HUGE PLUS. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE; I MADE HIM AWARE I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA EARLY ON. HE MADE SURE I WAS AWARE OF THE TFR AND HAD ME GIVE HIM POS RPTS SEVERAL TIMES. HE ALSO WAS ABLE TO FIND ME BEFORE I LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT AND GIVE ME ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING THE CORRECT ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.