Student pilot on cross country flight became disoriented and inadvertently entered a TCA.

Attributes
ACN	208749
Time
Date	199204
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt airport : eho
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
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 : 96 flight time total : 119 flight time type : 33
ASRS Report	208749
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 1020 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	208560
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The reporter of this event is a commercial student pilot enrolled at school of aviation, training for his commercial certificate. This training route (hyw-iso-cho- gsp-hyw) was his seventh solo cross country flight. The issue was/is that the student did not know that he was lost until he contacted the clt approach. The student planned to contact greer (gsp) approach approximately 20 NM from the vicinity of the airport, and the fact that he got through, made him believe that he still was on the right course. The gsp approach gave the student a squawk code, but did not come back with further clrncs. In that event the student kept on circling awaiting the controller to come back. After the student had tried for several times to get in touch with gsp approach, he was contacted by another aircraft (identify unknown), and was advised to call up clt approach. The student complied, called up the clt controller, and from that he learned that he was lost inside the TCA. The clt approach calculated that the student had been flying for 4 hours, when he actually had been flying for 3 hours. The student informed the controller about his destination, and the controller came back advising the student to land at shelby, an airport which is closer. At that time the student had realized that he was in the TCA, and from that wanted to correct the situation by landing as soon as possible. In spite of the fact that the plane had 30 gallons of fuel left against the 8 gallons the controller calculated with. The student landed at shelby. The leg from there back to hyw was uneventful. What may have caused the student to loose track of his course is still affected by some degree of confusion. The student believes that when he encountered moderate turbulence along the leg bzm-gsp, the directional gyro failed to show correct headings according to the compass. The student is well aware that he is supposed to check the directional gyro against the compass for proper alignment at least every 15 mins. So he did, but the turbulence problemized correct readings. The student is aware of the seriousness of the violation, and from that will ensure that corrective action will be taken to solve the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON XCOUNTRY FLT BECAME DISORIENTED AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A TCA.

Narrative: THE RPTR OF THIS EVENT IS A COMMERCIAL STUDENT PLT ENROLLED AT SCHOOL OF AVIATION, TRAINING FOR HIS COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE. THIS TRAINING RTE (HYW-ISO-CHO- GSP-HYW) WAS HIS SEVENTH SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. THE ISSUE WAS/IS THAT THE STUDENT DID NOT KNOW THAT HE WAS LOST UNTIL HE CONTACTED THE CLT APCH. THE STUDENT PLANNED TO CONTACT GREER (GSP) APCH APPROX 20 NM FROM THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT, AND THE FACT THAT HE GOT THROUGH, MADE HIM BELIEVE THAT HE STILL WAS ON THE RIGHT COURSE. THE GSP APCH GAVE THE STUDENT A SQUAWK CODE, BUT DID NOT COME BACK WITH FURTHER CLRNCS. IN THAT EVENT THE STUDENT KEPT ON CIRCLING AWAITING THE CTLR TO COME BACK. AFTER THE STUDENT HAD TRIED FOR SEVERAL TIMES TO GET IN TOUCH WITH GSP APCH, HE WAS CONTACTED BY ANOTHER ACFT (IDENT UNKNOWN), AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL UP CLT APCH. THE STUDENT COMPLIED, CALLED UP THE CLT CTLR, AND FROM THAT HE LEARNED THAT HE WAS LOST INSIDE THE TCA. THE CLT APCH CALCULATED THAT THE STUDENT HAD BEEN FLYING FOR 4 HRS, WHEN HE ACTUALLY HAD BEEN FLYING FOR 3 HRS. THE STUDENT INFORMED THE CTLR ABOUT HIS DEST, AND THE CTLR CAME BACK ADVISING THE STUDENT TO LAND AT SHELBY, AN ARPT WHICH IS CLOSER. AT THAT TIME THE STUDENT HAD REALIZED THAT HE WAS IN THE TCA, AND FROM THAT WANTED TO CORRECT THE SITUATION BY LNDG AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE PLANE HAD 30 GALLONS OF FUEL LEFT AGAINST THE 8 GALLONS THE CTLR CALCULATED WITH. THE STUDENT LANDED AT SHELBY. THE LEG FROM THERE BACK TO HYW WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE STUDENT TO LOOSE TRACK OF HIS COURSE IS STILL AFFECTED BY SOME DEG OF CONFUSION. THE STUDENT BELIEVES THAT WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB ALONG THE LEG BZM-GSP, THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO FAILED TO SHOW CORRECT HDGS ACCORDING TO THE COMPASS. THE STUDENT IS WELL AWARE THAT HE IS SUPPOSED TO CHK THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AGAINST THE COMPASS FOR PROPER ALIGNMENT AT LEAST EVERY 15 MINS. SO HE DID, BUT THE TURB PROBLEMIZED CORRECT READINGS. THE STUDENT IS AWARE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE VIOLATION, AND FROM THAT WILL ENSURE THAT CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

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.