Narrative:

My student on a solo local flight out of fty became lost. The student pilot practice area is located northwest of fty and it's southern-most boundary is parallel to interstate 20. The student inadvertently flew south of the boundary (J-20) and soon was disoriented as to where he was. He then began to fly southeast toward what he believed to be fty. At this time, he called fty tower and informed them that he was disoriented the tower instructed him to squawk 1200 and identify. However, the transponder failed to operate. I was inbound to fty from a local training flight, when I heard my student report he was disoriented. The tower was soon unable to maintain contact with the student. But, because I was in-flight, I was able to stay in contact with the student. We tried having him look for different landmarks and try a VOR cross-fix, neither of which he was able to do. Atl center and approach were also looking for him (the tower had given him a transponder code). Mcn FSS attempted a DF steer, but it was unsuccessful (note: atl DF has been decommissioned). Eventually, the transponder began to work and a police helicopter was dispatched to griffen-spalding county airport. The student made an uneventful landing and I contacted him by phone. I later went and picked him up. The student admitted that his inattn to position awareness was the cause of the problem. However, I feel more emphasis should be placed on lost procedures to future CFI's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI IS LOST. INSTRUCTOR AIRBORNE IN OTHER ACFT TRIES TO ASSIST. TRANSPONDER FINALLY ACTIVATED AND CTR LOCATED HIM. POLICE HELI DISPATCHED TO GUIDE HIM.

Narrative: MY STUDENT ON A SOLO LCL FLT OUT OF FTY BECAME LOST. THE STUDENT PLT PRACTICE AREA IS LOCATED NW OF FTY AND IT'S SOUTHERN-MOST BOUNDARY IS PARALLEL TO INTERSTATE 20. THE STUDENT INADVERTENTLY FLEW S OF THE BOUNDARY (J-20) AND SOON WAS DISORIENTED AS TO WHERE HE WAS. HE THEN BEGAN TO FLY SE TOWARD WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE FTY. AT THIS TIME, HE CALLED FTY TWR AND INFORMED THEM THAT HE WAS DISORIENTED THE TWR INSTRUCTED HIM TO SQUAWK 1200 AND IDENT. HOWEVER, THE TRANSPONDER FAILED TO OPERATE. I WAS INBOUND TO FTY FROM A LCL TRAINING FLT, WHEN I HEARD MY STUDENT RPT HE WAS DISORIENTED. THE TWR WAS SOON UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTACT WITH THE STUDENT. BUT, BECAUSE I WAS INFLT, I WAS ABLE TO STAY IN CONTACT WITH THE STUDENT. WE TRIED HAVING HIM LOOK FOR DIFFERENT LANDMARKS AND TRY A VOR CROSS-FIX, NEITHER OF WHICH HE WAS ABLE TO DO. ATL CTR AND APCH WERE ALSO LOOKING FOR HIM (THE TWR HAD GIVEN HIM A TRANSPONDER CODE). MCN FSS ATTEMPTED A DF STEER, BUT IT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL (NOTE: ATL DF HAS BEEN DECOMMISSIONED). EVENTUALLY, THE TRANSPONDER BEGAN TO WORK AND A POLICE HELI WAS DISPATCHED TO GRIFFEN-SPALDING COUNTY ARPT. THE STUDENT MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND I CONTACTED HIM BY PHONE. I LATER WENT AND PICKED HIM UP. THE STUDENT ADMITTED THAT HIS INATTN TO POS AWARENESS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I FEEL MORE EMPHASIS SHOULD BE PLACED ON LOST PROCS TO FUTURE CFI'S.

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.