Narrative:

70 hour student pilot with 18 hours total x-country time, was endorsed by instrument for long distance solo x-country from exx, via sdz VOR to cpc, then via flo VOR to cdn, then via ctf VOR to exx. Student received a thorough preflight briefing from instrument including a review of: airspace to be encountered during the trip. Communications procedures for flight following and traffic avoidance. Lost procedures including VFR pilotage, VOR lost procedures, LORAN C backup navigation, lost radio communications procedure. Student also received a 2 hour dual x-country in marginal VFR conditions to insure navigational ability should such conditions be encountered on the long distance trip. Student flight planning was double-checked and paperwork and endorsements provided by instrument as necessary. Student departed exx airport and made an uneventful trip to cpc airport via sdz VOR. After deparing cpc, student became disoriented and despite good VFR, student attempted to do a 180 degree and return to cpc. Unable to find cpc airport, student began to fly in circles until he encountered a four lane highway which he followed north until he came to a large airport. Student stated that he flew about the area looking towards the control tower until he saw a green flashing light at which point he landed. Student made no attempt to use VOR lost procedures, LORAN C, or emergency communications procedures, which he attributes to an extreme sense of 'worry and disorientation.' he states that he was aware that the airport (which turned out to be fay located in the fay arsa) was a controled field, but he had no idea how to establish radio communication for a clearance, and did not use the emergency frequency due, once again, to the 'worry and disorientation.' student was contacted by phone by ATC after landing and gave the specialist his name, address, phone number, and base. This student had never displayed any tendency to panic or to become incapacitated when put into stressful simulated emergencys during training, and furthermore never displayed faulty or unsafe judgement during training exercises. I would think that due to his previous training and his preflight briefing that he would have reacted by immediately instituting a VOR lost procedure. His failure to do any of the suggested and recommended procedures, was both shocking and surprising to me, and causes me serious doubt as to his judgement should a future incident occur. I have arranged for this student to fly with another instrument for a number of hours of remedial training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI ON CROSS-COUNTRY FLT BECOMES DISORIENTED, ENTERS ARSA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: 70 HR STUDENT PLT WITH 18 HRS TOTAL X-COUNTRY TIME, WAS ENDORSED BY INSTR FOR LONG DISTANCE SOLO X-COUNTRY FROM EXX, VIA SDZ VOR TO CPC, THEN VIA FLO VOR TO CDN, THEN VIA CTF VOR TO EXX. STUDENT RECEIVED A THOROUGH PREFLT BRIEFING FROM INSTR INCLUDING A REVIEW OF: AIRSPACE TO BE ENCOUNTERED DURING THE TRIP. COMS PROCS FOR FLT FOLLOWING AND TFC AVOIDANCE. LOST PROCS INCLUDING VFR PILOTAGE, VOR LOST PROCS, LORAN C BACKUP NAV, LOST RADIO COMS PROC. STUDENT ALSO RECEIVED A 2 HR DUAL X-COUNTRY IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS TO INSURE NAVIGATIONAL ABILITY SHOULD SUCH CONDITIONS BE ENCOUNTERED ON THE LONG DISTANCE TRIP. STUDENT FLT PLANNING WAS DOUBLE-CHKED AND PAPERWORK AND ENDORSEMENTS PROVIDED BY INSTR AS NECESSARY. STUDENT DEPARTED EXX ARPT AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL TRIP TO CPC ARPT VIA SDZ VOR. AFTER DEPARING CPC, STUDENT BECAME DISORIENTED AND DESPITE GOOD VFR, STUDENT ATTEMPTED TO DO A 180 DEG AND RETURN TO CPC. UNABLE TO FIND CPC ARPT, STUDENT BEGAN TO FLY IN CIRCLES UNTIL HE ENCOUNTERED A FOUR LANE HWY WHICH HE FOLLOWED N UNTIL HE CAME TO A LARGE ARPT. STUDENT STATED THAT HE FLEW ABOUT THE AREA LOOKING TOWARDS THE CTL TWR UNTIL HE SAW A GREEN FLASHING LIGHT AT WHICH POINT HE LANDED. STUDENT MADE NO ATTEMPT TO USE VOR LOST PROCS, LORAN C, OR EMER COMS PROCS, WHICH HE ATTRIBUTES TO AN EXTREME SENSE OF 'WORRY AND DISORIENTATION.' HE STATES THAT HE WAS AWARE THAT THE ARPT (WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE FAY LOCATED IN THE FAY ARSA) WAS A CTLED FIELD, BUT HE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO ESTABLISH RADIO COM FOR A CLRNC, AND DID NOT USE THE EMER FREQ DUE, ONCE AGAIN, TO THE 'WORRY AND DISORIENTATION.' STUDENT WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE BY ATC AFTER LNDG AND GAVE THE SPECIALIST HIS NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE NUMBER, AND BASE. THIS STUDENT HAD NEVER DISPLAYED ANY TENDENCY TO PANIC OR TO BECOME INCAPACITATED WHEN PUT INTO STRESSFUL SIMULATED EMERS DURING TRNING, AND FURTHERMORE NEVER DISPLAYED FAULTY OR UNSAFE JUDGEMENT DURING TRNING EXERCISES. I WOULD THINK THAT DUE TO HIS PREVIOUS TRNING AND HIS PREFLT BRIEFING THAT HE WOULD HAVE REACTED BY IMMEDIATELY INSTITUTING A VOR LOST PROC. HIS FAILURE TO DO ANY OF THE SUGGESTED AND RECOMMENDED PROCS, WAS BOTH SHOCKING AND SURPRISING TO ME, AND CAUSES ME SERIOUS DOUBT AS TO HIS JUDGEMENT SHOULD A FUTURE INCIDENT OCCUR. I HAVE ARRANGED FOR THIS STUDENT TO FLY WITH ANOTHER INSTR FOR A NUMBER OF HRS OF REMEDIAL TRNING.

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.