Narrative:

I noticed us passing over an agricultural field of some kind with a small single engine small aircraft in the middle. I could tell that the small aircraft was on its nose with the tail high in the air. I reported the sighting to my captain and immediately called tpa approach and told him that we were passing over a downed aircraft and to mark his radar screen for search and rescue. He advised me that he had marked the screen and asked me about the aircraft, i.e., type, location, condition, etc. I was then handed off to the next controller who advised me that an aircraft had just been reported down in the area and would I keep a look out. I advised the controller that I was the one who had just reported the downed aircraft. The controller asked me the aircraft's position, to which I replied 'about 3 mi back.' my whole point with this report is this: I had all sorts of navaids at my disposal with which to pinpoint the aircraft but relied on a controller marking his screen. I'm sure it would have helped search and rescue if I had noted a VOR radial and a DME fix. Granted, it was a very busy segment of flight, but I realized when the next controller asked about the aircraft position and all I was able to provide was 'about 3 mi back' that I had dropped the ball. As a postscript, on the next leg of our trip back, over the same area, tpa approach advised us that the aircraft had been found and that no injuries had been reported.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT PLT FOUND A DOWNED ACFT AND RPTED THIS TO TPA TRACON.

Narrative: I NOTICED US PASSING OVER AN AGRICULTURAL FIELD OF SOME KIND WITH A SMALL SINGLE ENG SMA IN THE MIDDLE. I COULD TELL THAT THE SMA WAS ON ITS NOSE WITH THE TAIL HIGH IN THE AIR. I RPTED THE SIGHTING TO MY CAPT AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED TPA APCH AND TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE PASSING OVER A DOWNED ACFT AND TO MARK HIS RADAR SCREEN FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE. HE ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD MARKED THE SCREEN AND ASKED ME ABOUT THE ACFT, I.E., TYPE, LOCATION, CONDITION, ETC. I WAS THEN HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR WHO ADVISED ME THAT AN ACFT HAD JUST BEEN RPTED DOWN IN THE AREA AND WOULD I KEEP A LOOK OUT. I ADVISED THE CTLR THAT I WAS THE ONE WHO HAD JUST RPTED THE DOWNED ACFT. THE CTLR ASKED ME THE ACFT'S POS, TO WHICH I REPLIED 'ABOUT 3 MI BACK.' MY WHOLE POINT WITH THIS RPT IS THIS: I HAD ALL SORTS OF NAVAIDS AT MY DISPOSAL WITH WHICH TO PINPOINT THE ACFT BUT RELIED ON A CTLR MARKING HIS SCREEN. I'M SURE IT WOULD HAVE HELPED SEARCH AND RESCUE IF I HAD NOTED A VOR RADIAL AND A DME FIX. GRANTED, IT WAS A VERY BUSY SEGMENT OF FLT, BUT I REALIZED WHEN THE NEXT CTLR ASKED ABOUT THE ACFT POS AND ALL I WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE WAS 'ABOUT 3 MI BACK' THAT I HAD DROPPED THE BALL. AS A POSTSCRIPT, ON THE NEXT LEG OF OUR TRIP BACK, OVER THE SAME AREA, TPA APCH ADVISED US THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN FOUND AND THAT NO INJURIES HAD BEEN RPTED.

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.