Narrative:

This incident is being written up by the instrument of a student who landed off airport on a x-country. The student had demonstrated her ability to find her location by use of 2 VOR's and x-chking. During her x-country flight she became disoriented while going from calaveras to coalinga. Taking off from calaveras she (as she described it to me) was always east of her intended course. Instead of intercepting a known radial, she looked for ground references. She may have found somewhere she thought she knew where she was, but I don't think so. Anyway what it boils down to is she missed her intended airport by about 15 mi. Problems with this scene: the student is on a time clock with her written running out and a vacation come up, so both student and instrument were trying to rush through so she could be ready for chkride. The route that was picked was not what instrument had suggested, but one student thought would be easier. Proved that to be wrong. Instrument should have insisted on the route previously chosen and not been talked into signing one off that was different. Another problem was that since the first airport of intended landing was less than 1 hour from departure airport, I didn't think it necessary to buy fuel. From now on I'll have all student pilots buy fuel at every airport of intended landing. Maybe student could have used the last 1/2 hour to wake up and use what was taught. Also frequencys available were not used even though this was gone over on the ground. They were written on flight plan also, but not used. I'm not sure if anyone else in instructing can learn from this, but the lessons are: don't let the student push if you feel maybe they need more dual; fuel up at every stop of x-country; and make sure student's can use VOR's and radio to get themselves un-lost. Good parts: the student landed in a field, did a good landing and was not hurt, and neither was the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR REPORT REGARDING SPI ON CROSS-COUNTRY WHO LANDED IN FIELD.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT IS BEING WRITTEN UP BY THE INSTR OF A STUDENT WHO LANDED OFF ARPT ON A X-COUNTRY. THE STUDENT HAD DEMONSTRATED HER ABILITY TO FIND HER LOCATION BY USE OF 2 VOR'S AND X-CHKING. DURING HER X-COUNTRY FLT SHE BECAME DISORIENTED WHILE GOING FROM CALAVERAS TO COALINGA. TAKING OFF FROM CALAVERAS SHE (AS SHE DESCRIBED IT TO ME) WAS ALWAYS E OF HER INTENDED COURSE. INSTEAD OF INTERCEPTING A KNOWN RADIAL, SHE LOOKED FOR GND REFS. SHE MAY HAVE FOUND SOMEWHERE SHE THOUGHT SHE KNEW WHERE SHE WAS, BUT I DON'T THINK SO. ANYWAY WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO IS SHE MISSED HER INTENDED ARPT BY ABOUT 15 MI. PROBS WITH THIS SCENE: THE STUDENT IS ON A TIME CLOCK WITH HER WRITTEN RUNNING OUT AND A VACATION COME UP, SO BOTH STUDENT AND INSTR WERE TRYING TO RUSH THROUGH SO SHE COULD BE READY FOR CHKRIDE. THE RTE THAT WAS PICKED WAS NOT WHAT INSTR HAD SUGGESTED, BUT ONE STUDENT THOUGHT WOULD BE EASIER. PROVED THAT TO BE WRONG. INSTR SHOULD HAVE INSISTED ON THE RTE PREVIOUSLY CHOSEN AND NOT BEEN TALKED INTO SIGNING ONE OFF THAT WAS DIFFERENT. ANOTHER PROB WAS THAT SINCE THE FIRST ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG WAS LESS THAN 1 HR FROM DEP ARPT, I DIDN'T THINK IT NECESSARY TO BUY FUEL. FROM NOW ON I'LL HAVE ALL STUDENT PLTS BUY FUEL AT EVERY ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG. MAYBE STUDENT COULD HAVE USED THE LAST 1/2 HR TO WAKE UP AND USE WHAT WAS TAUGHT. ALSO FREQS AVAILABLE WERE NOT USED EVEN THOUGH THIS WAS GONE OVER ON THE GND. THEY WERE WRITTEN ON FLT PLAN ALSO, BUT NOT USED. I'M NOT SURE IF ANYONE ELSE IN INSTRUCTING CAN LEARN FROM THIS, BUT THE LESSONS ARE: DON'T LET THE STUDENT PUSH IF YOU FEEL MAYBE THEY NEED MORE DUAL; FUEL UP AT EVERY STOP OF X-COUNTRY; AND MAKE SURE STUDENT'S CAN USE VOR'S AND RADIO TO GET THEMSELVES UN-LOST. GOOD PARTS: THE STUDENT LANDED IN A FIELD, DID A GOOD LNDG AND WAS NOT HURT, AND NEITHER WAS THE ACFT.

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.