Student pilot on unauthorized solo cross country becomes lost and calls for help, gets led home by coast guard helicopter. The student believed the flight was authorized and the flight school dispatcher permitted the flight. The flight instructor (reporter) questions dispatch safeguards at the school.

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Attributes
ACN	118951
Time
Date	198908
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phk airport : fxe
State Reference	FL
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia artcc : zdc
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1400
ASRS Report	118951
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I am the instructor of the student pilot who became disoriented and lost. The student had made 3 previously successful solo x-country trips. Due to illness, I was not at the airport when the student made a departure on a x-country trip without my knowledge or endorsement. I was notified at home of the occurrence by the student after his safe return. The student told me that he thought I knew of his trip. The student departed from fxe airport for a flight to vnc airport. At a distance of 25 NM from departure, the student became disoriented due to the hazy conditions and he tried to climb above the haze but became more disoriented. After a few minutes passed, the student tried to contact the local FSS for assistance and with no response called on frequency 121.5 where FSS made radar contact and dispatched spc Y, a coast guard helicopter, to escort the student back to fxe airport. The landing was normal. The problem is that there are not enough safeguards to prevent a student from renting an airplane without instructor's knowledge.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON UNAUTHORIZED SOLO CROSS COUNTRY BECOMES LOST AND CALLS FOR HELP, GETS LED HOME BY COAST GUARD HELICOPTER. THE STUDENT BELIEVED THE FLT WAS AUTHORIZED AND THE FLT SCHOOL DISPATCHER PERMITTED THE FLT. THE FLT INSTRUCTOR (REPORTER) QUESTIONS DISPATCH SAFEGUARDS AT THE SCHOOL.

Narrative: I AM THE INSTRUCTOR OF THE STUDENT PLT WHO BECAME DISORIENTED AND LOST. THE STUDENT HAD MADE 3 PREVIOUSLY SUCCESSFUL SOLO X-COUNTRY TRIPS. DUE TO ILLNESS, I WAS NOT AT THE ARPT WHEN THE STUDENT MADE A DEP ON A X-COUNTRY TRIP WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR ENDORSEMENT. I WAS NOTIFIED AT HOME OF THE OCCURRENCE BY THE STUDENT AFTER HIS SAFE RETURN. THE STUDENT TOLD ME THAT HE THOUGHT I KNEW OF HIS TRIP. THE STUDENT DEPARTED FROM FXE ARPT FOR A FLT TO VNC ARPT. AT A DISTANCE OF 25 NM FROM DEP, THE STUDENT BECAME DISORIENTED DUE TO THE HAZY CONDITIONS AND HE TRIED TO CLIMB ABOVE THE HAZE BUT BECAME MORE DISORIENTED. AFTER A FEW MINUTES PASSED, THE STUDENT TRIED TO CONTACT THE LOCAL FSS FOR ASSISTANCE AND WITH NO RESPONSE CALLED ON FREQ 121.5 WHERE FSS MADE RADAR CONTACT AND DISPATCHED SPC Y, A COAST GUARD HELI, TO ESCORT THE STUDENT BACK TO FXE ARPT. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT A STUDENT FROM RENTING AN AIRPLANE WITHOUT INSTRUCTOR'S KNOWLEDGE.

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.