Narrative:

The following narrative is based upon events described to me by my student who undertook the 300 mi solo cross country flight that forms the basis of this report. The student obtained both an initial detailed and follow-up WX briefing from, and filed a 3 leg flight plan with, bridgeport FSS. The flight was to be from westerly to concord to danbury back to westerly. The student opened his flight plan, shortly after departure, through the norwich VOR. When he attempted to close his first leg flight plan through the bangor FSS upon arriving at concord, he was advised that he had submitted a 'round robin' flight plan, although he indicates that what he had requested was a flight plan with three separate legs. While at concord. The aircraft was refueled. The student departed concord at AB30Z. He contacted westover and windsor locks on his way to danbury. The WX, which to this point had been as forecast, deteriorated due to reduced visibility (haze) and lowered ceiling. When the student attempted to contact danbury tower, he was unable to obtain a response even though he was able to hear the tower talking to many other aircraft. Attempts to navigation by the carmel VOR (and other area vors) were unsuccessful. The student was flying at 3000 to 3500 ft (low clouds prevented him from climbing higher) to increase his chances of obtaining a usable VOR signal. The student at this point became uncertain of his position. When he sighted orange county airport he landed and replotted his course to danbury. Upon arriving in the danbury area, the student advised the tower he wanted to land and to refuel. The tower advised him that there would be a long wait for fuel because there was an air show in progress (apparently no NOTAM was issued for this air show). The student interpreted this to mean that he would have a long wait for a clearance to land. Because he was concerned about fuel and about completing the flight before sunset, the student decided not to wait and departed the area for bridgeport's sikorsky airport. While in the pattern at sikorsky, the tower requested a 360 degree turn for spacing. While in the turn, the engine quit. The student advised the tower and was cleared for an immediate landing. The engine restarted and failed twice while on final. The student declined an invitation to declare an emergency and landed without further incident. After refueling and a complete runup, he took off and returned to westerly without further incident. At about BC00Z, danbury tower called westerly to ask if the student had landed. Upon being told 'no' and that he was 'due,' the controller said that they had spoken to him about an hour before when the student had contacted the tower for landing instructions. The controller indicated that there had been a local air show with numerous aircraft in the pattern. The controller and I agreed to talk again in another 20 mins (or sooner if the student returned in the interim). The student returned to westerly at BD20Z. When he attempted to close his flight plan with bridgeport FSS, he was told that, to his surprise, the flight plan had already been closed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI ON FIRST XCOUNTRY SOLO FLT EXPERIENCES MANY PROBLEMS. LANDS SAFELY.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING NARRATIVE IS BASED UPON EVENTS DESCRIBED TO ME BY MY STUDENT WHO UNDERTOOK THE 300 MI SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT THAT FORMS THE BASIS OF THIS RPT. THE STUDENT OBTAINED BOTH AN INITIAL DETAILED AND FOLLOW-UP WX BRIEFING FROM, AND FILED A 3 LEG FLT PLAN WITH, BRIDGEPORT FSS. THE FLT WAS TO BE FROM WESTERLY TO CONCORD TO DANBURY BACK TO WESTERLY. THE STUDENT OPENED HIS FLT PLAN, SHORTLY AFTER DEP, THROUGH THE NORWICH VOR. WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE HIS FIRST LEG FLT PLAN THROUGH THE BANGOR FSS UPON ARRIVING AT CONCORD, HE WAS ADVISED THAT HE HAD SUBMITTED A 'ROUND ROBIN' FLT PLAN, ALTHOUGH HE INDICATES THAT WHAT HE HAD REQUESTED WAS A FLT PLAN WITH THREE SEPARATE LEGS. WHILE AT CONCORD. THE ACFT WAS REFUELED. THE STUDENT DEPARTED CONCORD AT AB30Z. HE CONTACTED WESTOVER AND WINDSOR LOCKS ON HIS WAY TO DANBURY. THE WX, WHICH TO THIS POINT HAD BEEN AS FORECAST, DETERIORATED DUE TO REDUCED VISIBILITY (HAZE) AND LOWERED CEILING. WHEN THE STUDENT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DANBURY TWR, HE WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN A RESPONSE EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ABLE TO HEAR THE TWR TALKING TO MANY OTHER ACFT. ATTEMPTS TO NAV BY THE CARMEL VOR (AND OTHER AREA VORS) WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE STUDENT WAS FLYING AT 3000 TO 3500 FT (LOW CLOUDS PREVENTED HIM FROM CLBING HIGHER) TO INCREASE HIS CHANCES OF OBTAINING A USABLE VOR SIGNAL. THE STUDENT AT THIS POINT BECAME UNCERTAIN OF HIS POS. WHEN HE SIGHTED ORANGE COUNTY ARPT HE LANDED AND REPLOTTED HIS COURSE TO DANBURY. UPON ARRIVING IN THE DANBURY AREA, THE STUDENT ADVISED THE TWR HE WANTED TO LAND AND TO REFUEL. THE TWR ADVISED HIM THAT THERE WOULD BE A LONG WAIT FOR FUEL BECAUSE THERE WAS AN AIR SHOW IN PROGRESS (APPARENTLY NO NOTAM WAS ISSUED FOR THIS AIR SHOW). THE STUDENT INTERPRETED THIS TO MEAN THAT HE WOULD HAVE A LONG WAIT FOR A CLRNC TO LAND. BECAUSE HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FUEL AND ABOUT COMPLETING THE FLT BEFORE SUNSET, THE STUDENT DECIDED NOT TO WAIT AND DEPARTED THE AREA FOR BRIDGEPORT'S SIKORSKY ARPT. WHILE IN THE PATTERN AT SIKORSKY, THE TWR REQUESTED A 360 DEG TURN FOR SPACING. WHILE IN THE TURN, THE ENG QUIT. THE STUDENT ADVISED THE TWR AND WAS CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE LNDG. THE ENG RESTARTED AND FAILED TWICE WHILE ON FINAL. THE STUDENT DECLINED AN INVITATION TO DECLARE AN EMER AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER REFUELING AND A COMPLETE RUNUP, HE TOOK OFF AND RETURNED TO WESTERLY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AT ABOUT BC00Z, DANBURY TWR CALLED WESTERLY TO ASK IF THE STUDENT HAD LANDED. UPON BEING TOLD 'NO' AND THAT HE WAS 'DUE,' THE CTLR SAID THAT THEY HAD SPOKEN TO HIM ABOUT AN HR BEFORE WHEN THE STUDENT HAD CONTACTED THE TWR FOR LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. THE CTLR INDICATED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A LCL AIR SHOW WITH NUMEROUS ACFT IN THE PATTERN. THE CTLR AND I AGREED TO TALK AGAIN IN ANOTHER 20 MINS (OR SOONER IF THE STUDENT RETURNED IN THE INTERIM). THE STUDENT RETURNED TO WESTERLY AT BD20Z. WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE HIS FLT PLAN WITH BRIDGEPORT FSS, HE WAS TOLD THAT, TO HIS SURPRISE, THE FLT PLAN HAD ALREADY BEEN CLOSED.

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.