Narrative:

I inadvertently penetrated the cedar rapids arsa without communication and landed at cedar rapids. I believe the primary reason this incident occurred was an apparent error on the 37TH edition of the omaha sectional chart: the des moines VOR V 6-8-294 is labeled 079 degree when I believe it should be 083 degree. When I plotted my course direct to iowa city I calculated my bearing to be 074 degree because it appeared to be about 5 degree north of V 6-8-294, 079 degree on the chart. On close inspection the chart error is obvious, but as such errors are exceedingly rare I accepted the information at face value. En route to iowa city I set the obs to 074 degree and tracked outbnd from des moines. I noted flag drop some 80 mi east of des moines and proceeded the final 20-30 mi via dead reckoning. By now this 5 degree error was stretched over approximately 100 NM and placed me about 11 NM north of iowa city, and about 4 NM south of cedar rapids. As I approached cedar rapids airport I observed it was south of a large populated area, as is iowa city, and with runways similar to iowa city. My ETA was also about right, and I therefore presumed to be at iowa city. Please note that this was the first time I had ever flown over the midwest and was completely unfamiliar with the terrain, towns, and airports. With the possible exception of us 80, the route from des moines to cedar rapids/iowa city is relatively void of notable landmarks and thus somewhat difficult for pilotage. I failed to see or grasp the significance of my crossing us 80. I accept responsibility for not xchking navaids, or performing an airport flyover, or checking for airport details prior to landing at cedar rapids. Minor pilot fatigue and anxiousness to reach my destination also contributed to this incident. Still, I'm convinced that had the sectional been correct I would not have penetrated the cedar rapids arsa and landed at cedar rapids. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Callback was made to be sure voluminous pilot information included with the report was not meant to go to the FAA and to advise reporter of our charter regarding such information. Pilot said he was familiar with our program and authorized destroying unusable material. He again agreed he should have used other navaids to confirm his position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA TRACK DEVIATION UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRPSACE WRONG ARPT LNDG.

Narrative: I INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED THE CEDAR RAPIDS ARSA WITHOUT COM AND LANDED AT CEDAR RAPIDS. I BELIEVE THE PRIMARY REASON THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED WAS AN APPARENT ERROR ON THE 37TH EDITION OF THE OMAHA SECTIONAL CHART: THE DES MOINES VOR V 6-8-294 IS LABELED 079 DEG WHEN I BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE 083 DEG. WHEN I PLOTTED MY COURSE DIRECT TO IOWA CITY I CALCULATED MY BEARING TO BE 074 DEG BECAUSE IT APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 5 DEG N OF V 6-8-294, 079 DEG ON THE CHART. ON CLOSE INSPECTION THE CHART ERROR IS OBVIOUS, BUT AS SUCH ERRORS ARE EXCEEDINGLY RARE I ACCEPTED THE INFO AT FACE VALUE. ENRTE TO IOWA CITY I SET THE OBS TO 074 DEG AND TRACKED OUTBND FROM DES MOINES. I NOTED FLAG DROP SOME 80 MI EAST OF DES MOINES AND PROCEEDED THE FINAL 20-30 MI VIA DEAD RECKONING. BY NOW THIS 5 DEG ERROR WAS STRETCHED OVER APPROX 100 NM AND PLACED ME ABOUT 11 NM NORTH OF IOWA CITY, AND ABOUT 4 NM SOUTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS. AS I APCHED CEDAR RAPIDS ARPT I OBSERVED IT WAS SOUTH OF A LARGE POPULATED AREA, AS IS IOWA CITY, AND WITH RWYS SIMILAR TO IOWA CITY. MY ETA WAS ALSO ABOUT RIGHT, AND I THEREFORE PRESUMED TO BE AT IOWA CITY. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER FLOWN OVER THE MIDWEST AND WAS COMPLETELY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE TERRAIN, TOWNS, AND ARPTS. WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF U.S. 80, THE ROUTE FROM DES MOINES TO CEDAR RAPIDS/IOWA CITY IS RELATIVELY VOID OF NOTABLE LANDMARKS AND THUS SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT FOR PILOTAGE. I FAILED TO SEE OR GRASP THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MY XING U.S. 80. I ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR NOT XCHKING NAVAIDS, OR PERFORMING AN ARPT FLYOVER, OR CHKING FOR ARPT DETAILS PRIOR TO LNDG AT CEDAR RAPIDS. MINOR PLT FATIGUE AND ANXIOUSNESS TO REACH MY DEST ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. STILL, I'M CONVINCED THAT HAD THE SECTIONAL BEEN CORRECT I WOULD NOT HAVE PENETRATED THE CEDAR RAPIDS ARSA AND LANDED AT CEDAR RAPIDS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. CALLBACK WAS MADE TO BE SURE VOLUMINOUS PLT INFO INCLUDED WITH THE RPT WAS NOT MEANT TO GO TO THE FAA AND TO ADVISE RPTR OF OUR CHARTER REGARDING SUCH INFO. PLT SAID HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH OUR PROGRAM AND AUTHORIZED DESTROYING UNUSABLE MATERIAL. HE AGAIN AGREED HE SHOULD HAVE USED OTHER NAVAIDS TO CONFIRM HIS POSITION.

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.