Spi becomes disoriented due to haze on cross country flight. Needs flight assist.

Attributes
ACN	189185
Time
Date	199109
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hio
State Reference	OR
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pdx artcc : zan
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 56 flight time type : 45
ASRS Report	189185
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Student pilot traveled to hillsboro from salem, or, to make second landing of 3 required for long cross country requirement for private pilot certificate. On return leg, (round robin from tiw to sle and back), pilot failed to locate hillsboro. Haze obscured the ground and pilot could not get a VOR fix. Pilot called portland approach for help. Portland gave pilot VOR radial but aircraft's receiver could not keep it fixed. Pilot was given transponder code and asked to identify after controllers expressed concern that pilot may have violated portland arsa. Pilot idented and checked sectional chart and ground position. Pilot determined he was outside the arsa and told controllers so. Pilot was then given correct vector and found the airport easily. At the time vector was given, radar showed pilot was 15 mi south of airport. Well outside controled airspace. Pilot believes no violation occurred, but was urged to file NASA report. Contributing factors: mountains and ground haze made locating airport from the south difficult. Pilot's inexperience and relative unfamiliarity with VOR were factors. Pilot was only on second flight in 3 weeks because of bad WX. Communications with controllers sometimes difficult. At one point, controller tried to communication with her radio turned down. Even filing/activating flight plan required talking on 3 or 4 frequencys before someone would activate it. Pilot was using frequencys given him by FSS at time of filing. Communications procedures need to be streamlined.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI BECOMES DISORIENTED DUE TO HAZE ON XCOUNTRY FLT. NEEDS FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: STUDENT PLT TRAVELED TO HILLSBORO FROM SALEM, OR, TO MAKE SECOND LNDG OF 3 REQUIRED FOR LONG XCOUNTRY REQUIREMENT FOR PRIVATE PLT CERTIFICATE. ON RETURN LEG, (ROUND ROBIN FROM TIW TO SLE AND BACK), PLT FAILED TO LOCATE HILLSBORO. HAZE OBSCURED THE GND AND PLT COULD NOT GET A VOR FIX. PLT CALLED PORTLAND APCH FOR HELP. PORTLAND GAVE PLT VOR RADIAL BUT ACFT'S RECEIVER COULD NOT KEEP IT FIXED. PLT WAS GIVEN TRANSPONDER CODE AND ASKED TO IDENT AFTER CTLRS EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT PLT MAY HAVE VIOLATED PORTLAND ARSA. PLT IDENTED AND CHKED SECTIONAL CHART AND GND POS. PLT DETERMINED HE WAS OUTSIDE THE ARSA AND TOLD CTLRS SO. PLT WAS THEN GIVEN CORRECT VECTOR AND FOUND THE ARPT EASILY. AT THE TIME VECTOR WAS GIVEN, RADAR SHOWED PLT WAS 15 MI S OF ARPT. WELL OUTSIDE CTLED AIRSPACE. PLT BELIEVES NO VIOLATION OCCURRED, BUT WAS URGED TO FILE NASA RPT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MOUNTAINS AND GND HAZE MADE LOCATING ARPT FROM THE S DIFFICULT. PLT'S INEXPERIENCE AND RELATIVE UNFAMILIARITY WITH VOR WERE FACTORS. PLT WAS ONLY ON SECOND FLT IN 3 WKS BECAUSE OF BAD WX. COMS WITH CTLRS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT. AT ONE POINT, CTLR TRIED TO COM WITH HER RADIO TURNED DOWN. EVEN FILING/ACTIVATING FLT PLAN REQUIRED TALKING ON 3 OR 4 FREQS BEFORE SOMEONE WOULD ACTIVATE IT. PLT WAS USING FREQS GIVEN HIM BY FSS AT TIME OF FILING. COMS PROCS NEED TO BE STREAMLINED.

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.