Student pilot on a solo cross country became disoriented and was starting to land at the wrong airport. ATC intervened and directed him to the intended nearby airport.

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Attributes
ACN	244402
Time
Date	199306
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tiw airport : olm
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2400 msl bound upper : 2400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sea tower : tiw
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 1000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	244402
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Student became disoriented on solo cross country. Disorientation lead him to believe that tiw was olm. Student contacted olm tower, tower realized student was in error and told him to contact sea TRACON who vectored student to safe landing at olm, but student did violate the tiw air traffic area. I can only guess as to student's thought process (he filed separate report), but it is clear he failed to follow procedures, and thus, did not maintain situational awareness. I did his cross country training and placed great emphasis on lost procedures as well as pilotage and radio navigation. This student did well in training and on several previous xcountries, so I felt some overconfidence and complacency contributed to his failure to follow good procedures. Another (less experienced) CFI supervised, endorsed the cross country, and the other CFI allowed the student to take a direct but complex/congested route whereas a 5 min, 4 NM detour would have kept him well clear of airspace and given him 2 positive navigational references, an airway and the hood canal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY BECAME DISORIENTED AND WAS STARTING TO LAND AT THE WRONG ARPT. ATC INTERVENED AND DIRECTED HIM TO THE INTENDED NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: STUDENT BECAME DISORIENTED ON SOLO XCOUNTRY. DISORIENTATION LEAD HIM TO BELIEVE THAT TIW WAS OLM. STUDENT CONTACTED OLM TWR, TWR REALIZED STUDENT WAS IN ERROR AND TOLD HIM TO CONTACT SEA TRACON WHO VECTORED STUDENT TO SAFE LNDG AT OLM, BUT STUDENT DID VIOLATE THE TIW ATA. I CAN ONLY GUESS AS TO STUDENT'S THOUGHT PROCESS (HE FILED SEPARATE RPT), BUT IT IS CLR HE FAILED TO FOLLOW PROCS, AND THUS, DID NOT MAINTAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I DID HIS XCOUNTRY TRAINING AND PLACED GREAT EMPHASIS ON LOST PROCS AS WELL AS PILOTAGE AND RADIO NAV. THIS STUDENT DID WELL IN TRAINING AND ON SEVERAL PREVIOUS XCOUNTRIES, SO I FELT SOME OVERCONFIDENCE AND COMPLACENCY CONTRIBUTED TO HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW GOOD PROCS. ANOTHER (LESS EXPERIENCED) CFI SUPERVISED, ENDORSED THE XCOUNTRY, AND THE OTHER CFI ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO TAKE A DIRECT BUT COMPLEX/CONGESTED RTE WHEREAS A 5 MIN, 4 NM DETOUR WOULD HAVE KEPT HIM WELL CLR OF AIRSPACE AND GIVEN HIM 2 POSITIVE NAVIGATIONAL REFS, AN AIRWAY AND THE HOOD CANAL.

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.