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High crosswinds caused pilot of small aircraft to drift into unknown territory, became lost. Radar assistance from ZOA vectored him into sjc.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 126577 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198910 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sjc |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 14000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other landing 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 : 34 flight time total : 840 flight time type : 300 |
| ASRS Report | 126577 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit other other : unspecified atc |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The mission coordinator told us an ELT was being picked up approximately 30 NM south of hawthorne, nv. We were sent to the area to verify the ELT signal. We left carson city and arrived over the weak ELT signal. We looked for lights or another type of signal. None could be seen--it was almost dark at the time, and any further searching was too dangerous. I called base and confirmed the ELT and started for home, truckee, ca. I tuned in lake tahoe VOR 300 degrees 'to.' I received a strong signal. I checked the magnetic compass, and it was reading 300 degrees at bridgeport, ca. The DME read 68 NM, and 45 mins at 90 KT ground speed. With the strong wind, everything looked good for the return trip. I checked the magnetic compass several times during out trip, and also checked the VOR for course center. Things looked ok, but I could not locate the lights of carson city or reno, nv. 35 mins passed. I contacted rno FSS to ask for radar assistance. No radar contact at this time. I had also climbed to 14000' to avoid the mountains and get better radio reception. After rno could not locate our aircraft, they told me to squawk 7700. Also at this time an airline captain told me to contact ZOA for radar vectors. The lights that we started heading for turned out to be sjc. We had 15 gals of fuel left, and at the reduced power setting, I had a little over an hour left in the sky. I had been taught that if lost, before running out of fuel, to climb, communicate and confess.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HIGH CROSSWINDS CAUSED PLT OF SMA TO DRIFT INTO UNKNOWN TERRITORY, BECAME LOST. RADAR ASSISTANCE FROM ZOA VECTORED HIM INTO SJC.
Narrative: THE MISSION COORDINATOR TOLD US AN ELT WAS BEING PICKED UP APPROX 30 NM S OF HAWTHORNE, NV. WE WERE SENT TO THE AREA TO VERIFY THE ELT SIGNAL. WE LEFT CARSON CITY AND ARRIVED OVER THE WEAK ELT SIGNAL. WE LOOKED FOR LIGHTS OR ANOTHER TYPE OF SIGNAL. NONE COULD BE SEEN--IT WAS ALMOST DARK AT THE TIME, AND ANY FURTHER SEARCHING WAS TOO DANGEROUS. I CALLED BASE AND CONFIRMED THE ELT AND STARTED FOR HOME, TRUCKEE, CA. I TUNED IN LAKE TAHOE VOR 300 DEGS 'TO.' I RECEIVED A STRONG SIGNAL. I CHKED THE MAGNETIC COMPASS, AND IT WAS READING 300 DEGS AT BRIDGEPORT, CA. THE DME READ 68 NM, AND 45 MINS AT 90 KT GND SPD. WITH THE STRONG WIND, EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD FOR THE RETURN TRIP. I CHKED THE MAGNETIC COMPASS SEVERAL TIMES DURING OUT TRIP, AND ALSO CHKED THE VOR FOR COURSE CENTER. THINGS LOOKED OK, BUT I COULD NOT LOCATE THE LIGHTS OF CARSON CITY OR RENO, NV. 35 MINS PASSED. I CONTACTED RNO FSS TO ASK FOR RADAR ASSISTANCE. NO RADAR CONTACT AT THIS TIME. I HAD ALSO CLBED TO 14000' TO AVOID THE MOUNTAINS AND GET BETTER RADIO RECEPTION. AFTER RNO COULD NOT LOCATE OUR ACFT, THEY TOLD ME TO SQUAWK 7700. ALSO AT THIS TIME AN AIRLINE CAPT TOLD ME TO CONTACT ZOA FOR RADAR VECTORS. THE LIGHTS THAT WE STARTED HDG FOR TURNED OUT TO BE SJC. WE HAD 15 GALS OF FUEL LEFT, AND AT THE REDUCED PWR SETTING, I HAD A LITTLE OVER AN HR LEFT IN THE SKY. I HAD BEEN TAUGHT THAT IF LOST, BEFORE RUNNING OUT OF FUEL, TO CLB, COMMUNICATE AND CONFESS.
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.