Narrative:

I took off as solo occupant of the cessna 152 from princeton airport to do a practice of stalls, emergency procedures and steep turns. Returning from practicing the procedures I found myself lost and I started to do circles to look for check points but I did not get oriented. Then, I maintained a heading toward where I thought that princeton airport was located. After not succeeding, I was confused and I tuned 7700 and tuned into 121.5 and communicated, starting with XXX, the plane identify and that I was lost and trying to go back to princeton airport. The people on 121.5 asked me if I had an idea of where I was and/or if there were any check points to use as reference, my answer was negative. The 121.5 personnel requested me to tune in to X transponder code, and to change to the mcguire frequency for vectors to go back to princeton airport. The people at mcguire asked me for reference points and the only one I found was a big highway that was crossing a big river. I requested their permission to get closer to the bridge to identify any signs in the bridge and any town in the surroundings. Then I noticed that I was at the entrance to the delaware turnpike. I communicated my position and started to do circles around the area to maintain my position while waiting for vectors to return to princeton airport. At that moment, I mentally figured out that although I had enough fuel to stay in the air for a good period of time, finding an airport would be the best alternative to land, call princeton airport, plan my trip back and add fuel if necessary. Besides, landing and being among more experienced people would give me comfort. Once mcguire gave me instructions on heading I left the area and after flying for some time I found myself in an area that was familiar . I requested mcguire to do a turn to check if princeton airport was where I had the impression it was. During my turn, I found an airport that was not princeton. Neither mcguire nor I could identify the airport at that time. Then, I asked mcguire for permission to get closer to that airport and the permission was approved.at that point I had the impression that either mcguire and/or 121.5 had informed the airports in the area of the problem and that probably the personnel at the airport where I was would recognize the cessna, or that I had tuned to the X code. I did some circles around the airport to check for the active runway, pattern and numbers of the runways in order to: have enough information to land if it was necessary to do so. Give enough time to let other aircraft and people know that I was around so that they would notice my presence and, use the runways' numbers as reference for mcguire to identify the airport to plan a route back to princeton airport if I was close to princeton. I was also expecting to read the name of the airport in the runways since being able to read them will orient me without having the need to land. Mcguire could not identify the airport once I gave them the numbers of the runways. I asked mcguire permission to land and they approved me to land at the unknown airport. Then, I did my landing, I taxied my plane and started to look for help. It was sunday and some of the buildings were empty, I looked for a phone but I did not find any. After 15 mins I found somebody from security whom I told about the situation and then he told me that I was at trenton airport. This person informed the administration of the airport of the event. Then I called the tower and asked them for help to go back to princeton airport. The tower at trenton told me that they could not give me vectors but they said that heading northeast after departing on runway 6 will lead me to princeton airport. I followed their orders, received a clearance for takeoff and about 4 mi from trenton they came back to me and I informed them that I had seen princeton airport. I thank them for the help and told them that I was going to switch to the frequency at princeton airport. Once near princeton airport, I entered the pattern and landed the plane. Any violation to any FAA regulation while I had tuned to 7700 and/or X or any problem caused to an airplane was not done on any intention to violate the air traffic laws of the united states. Every maneuver and decision was done to help me get oriented and under my best judgement to protect the property, security and life of others. No damages to any property nor physical injuries of any kind occurred during that distressing period.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI GETS LOST, TUNES EMER FREQ TO GET HELP.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF AS SOLO OCCUPANT OF THE CESSNA 152 FROM PRINCETON ARPT TO DO A PRACTICE OF STALLS, EMER PROCS AND STEEP TURNS. RETURNING FROM PRACTICING THE PROCS I FOUND MYSELF LOST AND I STARTED TO DO CIRCLES TO LOOK FOR CHK POINTS BUT I DID NOT GET ORIENTED. THEN, I MAINTAINED A HDG TOWARD WHERE I THOUGHT THAT PRINCETON ARPT WAS LOCATED. AFTER NOT SUCCEEDING, I WAS CONFUSED AND I TUNED 7700 AND TUNED INTO 121.5 AND COMMUNICATED, STARTING WITH XXX, THE PLANE IDENT AND THAT I WAS LOST AND TRYING TO GO BACK TO PRINCETON ARPT. THE PEOPLE ON 121.5 ASKED ME IF I HAD AN IDEA OF WHERE I WAS AND/OR IF THERE WERE ANY CHK POINTS TO USE AS REF, MY ANSWER WAS NEGATIVE. THE 121.5 PERSONNEL REQUESTED ME TO TUNE IN TO X XPONDER CODE, AND TO CHANGE TO THE MCGUIRE FREQ FOR VECTORS TO GO BACK TO PRINCETON ARPT. THE PEOPLE AT MCGUIRE ASKED ME FOR REF POINTS AND THE ONLY ONE I FOUND WAS A BIG HWY THAT WAS XING A BIG RIVER. I REQUESTED THEIR PERMISSION TO GET CLOSER TO THE BRIDGE TO IDENT ANY SIGNS IN THE BRIDGE AND ANY TOWN IN THE SURROUNDINGS. THEN I NOTICED THAT I WAS AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE DELAWARE TURNPIKE. I COMMUNICATED MY POS AND STARTED TO DO CIRCLES AROUND THE AREA TO MAINTAIN MY POS WHILE WAITING FOR VECTORS TO RETURN TO PRINCETON ARPT. AT THAT MOMENT, I MENTALLY FIGURED OUT THAT ALTHOUGH I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO STAY IN THE AIR FOR A GOOD PERIOD OF TIME, FINDING AN ARPT WOULD BE THE BEST ALTERNATIVE TO LAND, CALL PRINCETON ARPT, PLAN MY TRIP BACK AND ADD FUEL IF NECESSARY. BESIDES, LNDG AND BEING AMONG MORE EXPERIENCED PEOPLE WOULD GIVE ME COMFORT. ONCE MCGUIRE GAVE ME INSTRUCTIONS ON HDG I LEFT THE AREA AND AFTER FLYING FOR SOME TIME I FOUND MYSELF IN AN AREA THAT WAS FAMILIAR . I REQUESTED MCGUIRE TO DO A TURN TO CHK IF PRINCETON ARPT WAS WHERE I HAD THE IMPRESSION IT WAS. DURING MY TURN, I FOUND AN ARPT THAT WAS NOT PRINCETON. NEITHER MCGUIRE NOR I COULD IDENT THE ARPT AT THAT TIME. THEN, I ASKED MCGUIRE FOR PERMISSION TO GET CLOSER TO THAT ARPT AND THE PERMISSION WAS APPROVED.AT THAT POINT I HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT EITHER MCGUIRE AND/OR 121.5 HAD INFORMED THE ARPTS IN THE AREA OF THE PROB AND THAT PROBABLY THE PERSONNEL AT THE ARPT WHERE I WAS WOULD RECOGNIZE THE CESSNA, OR THAT I HAD TUNED TO THE X CODE. I DID SOME CIRCLES AROUND THE ARPT TO CHK FOR THE ACTIVE RWY, PATTERN AND NUMBERS OF THE RWYS IN ORDER TO: HAVE ENOUGH INFO TO LAND IF IT WAS NECESSARY TO DO SO. GIVE ENOUGH TIME TO LET OTHER ACFT AND PEOPLE KNOW THAT I WAS AROUND SO THAT THEY WOULD NOTICE MY PRESENCE AND, USE THE RWYS' NUMBERS AS REF FOR MCGUIRE TO IDENT THE ARPT TO PLAN A RTE BACK TO PRINCETON ARPT IF I WAS CLOSE TO PRINCETON. I WAS ALSO EXPECTING TO READ THE NAME OF THE ARPT IN THE RWYS SINCE BEING ABLE TO READ THEM WILL ORIENT ME WITHOUT HAVING THE NEED TO LAND. MCGUIRE COULD NOT IDENT THE ARPT ONCE I GAVE THEM THE NUMBERS OF THE RWYS. I ASKED MCGUIRE PERMISSION TO LAND AND THEY APPROVED ME TO LAND AT THE UNKNOWN ARPT. THEN, I DID MY LNDG, I TAXIED MY PLANE AND STARTED TO LOOK FOR HELP. IT WAS SUNDAY AND SOME OF THE BUILDINGS WERE EMPTY, I LOOKED FOR A PHONE BUT I DID NOT FIND ANY. AFTER 15 MINS I FOUND SOMEBODY FROM SECURITY WHOM I TOLD ABOUT THE SIT AND THEN HE TOLD ME THAT I WAS AT TRENTON ARPT. THIS PERSON INFORMED THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE ARPT OF THE EVENT. THEN I CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED THEM FOR HELP TO GO BACK TO PRINCETON ARPT. THE TWR AT TRENTON TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME VECTORS BUT THEY SAID THAT HDG NE AFTER DEPARTING ON RWY 6 WILL LEAD ME TO PRINCETON ARPT. I FOLLOWED THEIR ORDERS, RECEIVED A CLRNC FOR TKOF AND ABOUT 4 MI FROM TRENTON THEY CAME BACK TO ME AND I INFORMED THEM THAT I HAD SEEN PRINCETON ARPT. I THANK THEM FOR THE HELP AND TOLD THEM THAT I WAS GOING TO SWITCH TO THE FREQ AT PRINCETON ARPT. ONCE NEAR PRINCETON ARPT, I ENTERED THE PATTERN AND LANDED THE PLANE. ANY VIOLATION TO ANY FAA REG WHILE I HAD TUNED TO 7700 AND/OR X OR ANY PROB CAUSED TO AN AIRPLANE WAS NOT DONE ON ANY INTENTION TO VIOLATE THE AIR TFC LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES. EVERY MANEUVER AND DECISION WAS DONE TO HELP ME GET ORIENTED AND UNDER MY BEST JUDGEMENT TO PROTECT THE PROPERTY, SECURITY AND LIFE OF OTHERS. NO DAMAGES TO ANY PROPERTY NOR PHYSICAL INJURIES OF ANY KIND OCCURRED DURING THAT DISTRESSING PERIOD.

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.