Narrative:

I was a student pilot on my final cross country from santa ana/blythe/imperial/santa ana. I was on the leg from blyth to imperial and was steering a course of 260 degrees magnetic and one of my chkpoints, the holtville airport, was on my starboard beam. The town of holtville, another of my chkpoints, appeared before me as it should have been. At the same time, I believed I saw the imperial airport farther in front of me. At this point, I called naf el centro on 126.20 and informed them of my intentions to enter the airspace surrounding imperial and naf el centro for landing at imperial, to which they replied, 'roger, small aircraft.' I was squawking 1200 and don't recall an ATC change in squawk code. At the town of holtville, I again called naf el centro and requested a frequency change to imperial CTAF. I again received a reply of, 'roger, small aircraft.' I then called imperial for airport advisories and was told, among other things, runway 14 was in use. I noted on my airport approach information (pilot's guide to ca airports, publications/86 rev) that the diagram indicated runways 32 and 14, which the text indicated 'right traffic runway 24.' in trying to resolve this conflict, I evidently became preoccupied with its resolution. Inasmuch as I was unable to resolve it immediately, I called the flight service station at imperial once again to inquire. I was informed that the proper runway was 14L. By this time, I had apparently overflown imperial and became fixed on the runway at naf el centro. When I was close enough to naf el centro to distinguish the number '26' painted on the runway, I realized that this information was inconsistent with any of the numbers at imperial. I immediately called the imperial flight service station again, asking if imperial had a runway 26. I was informed that they did not and that I should contact naval air traffic control on a frequency that I cannot remember. I contacted this frequency immediately, informed them of my predicament, and asked them to 'get me out of here.' I was immediately given vectors to the imperial field, which lay approximately 180 degrees from my position. I inquired of the ATC operator if I had created any difficulties and was informed that I had not. From this point forward, I made a routine approach and landing at imperial. After refueling, I was informed that there was a telephone call for me. I spoke with a female, who identified herself as the el centro chief tower operator. She inquired of me all pertinent identifying data, including my name, address, telephone number, aircraft identify, flight school and flight instructor, all of which I gave her. She also inquired as to whether or not I had seen any jets in the area, to which I responded in the affirmative, 'several times since the holtville airport.' she further informed me that she was telephoning me because she thought I had entered their restriction area. I have since examined my charts in great detail and have determined that the closest restriction area was approximately 3-4 mi from my position. Upon returning home that evening, I telephoned my flight instrument to inform him of the day's events and he advised me to submit this report to NASA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA-SMA OVERFLEW ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG AND PENETRATED ATA OF CLOSE PROX MIL ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS A STUDENT PLT ON MY FINAL XCOUNTRY FROM SANTA ANA/BLYTHE/IMPERIAL/SANTA ANA. I WAS ON THE LEG FROM BLYTH TO IMPERIAL AND WAS STEERING A COURSE OF 260 DEGS MAGNETIC AND ONE OF MY CHKPOINTS, THE HOLTVILLE ARPT, WAS ON MY STARBOARD BEAM. THE TOWN OF HOLTVILLE, ANOTHER OF MY CHKPOINTS, APPEARED BEFORE ME AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. AT THE SAME TIME, I BELIEVED I SAW THE IMPERIAL ARPT FARTHER IN FRONT OF ME. AT THIS POINT, I CALLED NAF EL CENTRO ON 126.20 AND INFORMED THEM OF MY INTENTIONS TO ENTER THE AIRSPACE SURROUNDING IMPERIAL AND NAF EL CENTRO FOR LNDG AT IMPERIAL, TO WHICH THEY REPLIED, 'ROGER, SMA.' I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 AND DON'T RECALL AN ATC CHANGE IN SQUAWK CODE. AT THE TOWN OF HOLTVILLE, I AGAIN CALLED NAF EL CENTRO AND REQUESTED A FREQ CHANGE TO IMPERIAL CTAF. I AGAIN RECEIVED A REPLY OF, 'ROGER, SMA.' I THEN CALLED IMPERIAL FOR ARPT ADVISORIES AND WAS TOLD, AMONG OTHER THINGS, RWY 14 WAS IN USE. I NOTED ON MY ARPT APCH INFO (PLT'S GUIDE TO CA ARPTS, PUBLICATIONS/86 REV) THAT THE DIAGRAM INDICATED RWYS 32 AND 14, WHICH THE TEXT INDICATED 'RIGHT TFC RWY 24.' IN TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS CONFLICT, I EVIDENTLY BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH ITS RESOLUTION. INASMUCH AS I WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE IT IMMEDIATELY, I CALLED THE FLT SVC STATION AT IMPERIAL ONCE AGAIN TO INQUIRE. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE PROPER RWY WAS 14L. BY THIS TIME, I HAD APPARENTLY OVERFLOWN IMPERIAL AND BECAME FIXED ON THE RWY AT NAF EL CENTRO. WHEN I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO NAF EL CENTRO TO DISTINGUISH THE NUMBER '26' PAINTED ON THE RWY, I REALIZED THAT THIS INFO WAS INCONSISTENT WITH ANY OF THE NUMBERS AT IMPERIAL. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE IMPERIAL FLT SVC STATION AGAIN, ASKING IF IMPERIAL HAD A RWY 26. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY DID NOT AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT NAVAL AIR TFC CTL ON A FREQ THAT I CANNOT REMEMBER. I CONTACTED THIS FREQ IMMEDIATELY, INFORMED THEM OF MY PREDICAMENT, AND ASKED THEM TO 'GET ME OUT OF HERE.' I WAS IMMEDIATELY GIVEN VECTORS TO THE IMPERIAL FIELD, WHICH LAY APPROX 180 DEGS FROM MY POS. I INQUIRED OF THE ATC OPERATOR IF I HAD CREATED ANY DIFFICULTIES AND WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD NOT. FROM THIS POINT FORWARD, I MADE A ROUTINE APCH AND LNDG AT IMPERIAL. AFTER REFUELING, I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A TELEPHONE CALL FOR ME. I SPOKE WITH A FEMALE, WHO IDENTIFIED HERSELF AS THE EL CENTRO CHIEF TWR OPERATOR. SHE INQUIRED OF ME ALL PERTINENT IDENTIFYING DATA, INCLUDING MY NAME, ADDRESS, TELEPHONE NUMBER, ACFT IDENT, FLT SCHOOL AND FLT INSTRUCTOR, ALL OF WHICH I GAVE HER. SHE ALSO INQUIRED AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I HAD SEEN ANY JETS IN THE AREA, TO WHICH I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, 'SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THE HOLTVILLE ARPT.' SHE FURTHER INFORMED ME THAT SHE WAS TELEPHONING ME BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT I HAD ENTERED THEIR RESTRICTION AREA. I HAVE SINCE EXAMINED MY CHARTS IN GREAT DETAIL AND HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE CLOSEST RESTRICTION AREA WAS APPROX 3-4 MI FROM MY POS. UPON RETURNING HOME THAT EVENING, I TELEPHONED MY FLT INSTR TO INFORM HIM OF THE DAY'S EVENTS AND HE ADVISED ME TO SUBMIT THIS RPT TO NASA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.