Instructor reports that student on cross-country gets lost, declares emergency. Flight assist.

Attributes
ACN	150519
Time
Date	199007
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : txk
State Reference	AR
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	150519
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I signed one of my students, off for a x-country flight from benton, ar, to greenville, ms, to texarkana, ar, and back to benton, ar. I got a call from him informing me about what transpired on his flight. Somewhere between benton, ar, and greenville, ms, he missed his check points and became disoriented. He said he tried to call flight service at little rock and flight watch at memphis and recieved no answer. For worth center called him and asked if they could help. During a conversation with fort worth center, he was told to squawk 7700, and he did. Fort worth vectored him to texarkana, ar, for landing. Upon landing he was informed by phone from FSDO at little rock to leave the aircraft on the ground. I personally went to texarkana, ar, on july 90, and flew the aircraft back to benton, ar. On this flight I discovered that the VOR malfunctioned and the magnetic compass was erratic. I feel that these two problems contributed to him missing his first check point, and then his becoming disoriented. I informed spi that his aircraft is grounded until these problems are corrected and he had additional training. I feel that he got involved with checking radio and completely lost track of his position.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR REPORTS THAT STUDENT ON CROSS-COUNTRY GETS LOST, DECLARES EMERGENCY. FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I SIGNED ONE OF MY STUDENTS, OFF FOR A X-COUNTRY FLT FROM BENTON, AR, TO GREENVILLE, MS, TO TEXARKANA, AR, AND BACK TO BENTON, AR. I GOT A CALL FROM HIM INFORMING ME ABOUT WHAT TRANSPIRED ON HIS FLT. SOMEWHERE BTWN BENTON, AR, AND GREENVILLE, MS, HE MISSED HIS CHK POINTS AND BECAME DISORIENTED. HE SAID HE TRIED TO CALL FLT SVC AT LITTLE ROCK AND FLT WATCH AT MEMPHIS AND RECIEVED NO ANSWER. FOR WORTH CTR CALLED HIM AND ASKED IF THEY COULD HELP. DURING A CONVERSATION WITH FORT WORTH CTR, HE WAS TOLD TO SQUAWK 7700, AND HE DID. FORT WORTH VECTORED HIM TO TEXARKANA, AR, FOR LNDG. UPON LNDG HE WAS INFORMED BY PHONE FROM FSDO AT LITTLE ROCK TO LEAVE THE ACFT ON THE GND. I PERSONALLY WENT TO TEXARKANA, AR, ON JULY 90, AND FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO BENTON, AR. ON THIS FLT I DISCOVERED THAT THE VOR MALFUNCTIONED AND THE MAGNETIC COMPASS WAS ERRATIC. I FEEL THAT THESE TWO PROBS CONTRIBUTED TO HIM MISSING HIS FIRST CHK POINT, AND THEN HIS BECOMING DISORIENTED. I INFORMED SPI THAT HIS ACFT IS GNDED UNTIL THESE PROBS ARE CORRECTED AND HE HAD ADDITIONAL TRNING. I FEEL THAT HE GOT INVOLVED WITH CHKING RADIO AND COMPLETELY LOST TRACK OF HIS POS.

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