Pilot of small aircraft lost of cross country flight, vectored to home port by TRACON controller.

Attributes
ACN	119636
Time
Date	198908
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pit artcc : zjx
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 73 flight time type : 73
ASRS Report	119636
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : handoff position
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I am a student pilot and I was on my long, solo x-country. On my way back to grove city airport (29D) from mansfield (mfd), I was talking to akron-canton approach (cak) which were very busy at the time. My course should have been about 92 degree and when they turned me to a 110 degree heading and left me there for the whole time until they terminated me, I thought that heading was a vector to 29D. Cak suggested pit for further advisories but I knew that youngstown (yng) was my next controled airport en route back to 29D so I called yng without thinking. Yng could not pick me up on radar and since I thought I was where I was supposed to be, I was puzzled. Thinking I saw the yng airport ahead, I kept going. When I saw 3 east/west runways and big jets, I flipped my sectional over and realized that the airport ahead was pit. Yng then handed me over to pit (after squawking 7700) who vectored me to ellwood city where then yng vectored me to 29D. Looking back, tracing my actual flight out on my sectional and thinking back to the incident, I realize that there were numerous things I should have done to prevent this. Cak being as busy as they were, I should've told them I was a student pilot. I should've questioned cak about suggesting pit. When I crossed the ohio river (which I didn't realize was the ohio river at the time), I should've done 360's around this area (since it was a prominent landmark) until I figured out exactly where I was. I realize what I've done and the seriousness of violating a TCA. I learned a lesson.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LOST OF CROSS COUNTRY FLT, VECTORED TO HOME PORT BY TRACON CTLR.

Narrative: I AM A STUDENT PLT AND I WAS ON MY LONG, SOLO X-COUNTRY. ON MY WAY BACK TO GROVE CITY ARPT (29D) FROM MANSFIELD (MFD), I WAS TALKING TO AKRON-CANTON APCH (CAK) WHICH WERE VERY BUSY AT THE TIME. MY COURSE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 92 DEG AND WHEN THEY TURNED ME TO A 110 DEG HDG AND LEFT ME THERE FOR THE WHOLE TIME UNTIL THEY TERMINATED ME, I THOUGHT THAT HDG WAS A VECTOR TO 29D. CAK SUGGESTED PIT FOR FURTHER ADVISORIES BUT I KNEW THAT YOUNGSTOWN (YNG) WAS MY NEXT CTLED ARPT ENRTE BACK TO 29D SO I CALLED YNG WITHOUT THINKING. YNG COULD NOT PICK ME UP ON RADAR AND SINCE I THOUGHT I WAS WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, I WAS PUZZLED. THINKING I SAW THE YNG ARPT AHEAD, I KEPT GOING. WHEN I SAW 3 E/W RWYS AND BIG JETS, I FLIPPED MY SECTIONAL OVER AND REALIZED THAT THE ARPT AHEAD WAS PIT. YNG THEN HANDED ME OVER TO PIT (AFTER SQUAWKING 7700) WHO VECTORED ME TO ELLWOOD CITY WHERE THEN YNG VECTORED ME TO 29D. LOOKING BACK, TRACING MY ACTUAL FLT OUT ON MY SECTIONAL AND THINKING BACK TO THE INCIDENT, I REALIZE THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS THINGS I SHOULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS. CAK BEING AS BUSY AS THEY WERE, I SHOULD'VE TOLD THEM I WAS A STUDENT PLT. I SHOULD'VE QUESTIONED CAK ABOUT SUGGESTING PIT. WHEN I CROSSED THE OHIO RIVER (WHICH I DIDN'T REALIZE WAS THE OHIO RIVER AT THE TIME), I SHOULD'VE DONE 360'S AROUND THIS AREA (SINCE IT WAS A PROMINENT LANDMARK) UNTIL I FIGURED OUT EXACTLY WHERE I WAS. I REALIZE WHAT I'VE DONE AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF VIOLATING A TCA. I LEARNED A LESSON.

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.