Spi becomes disoriented and enters class C airspace without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	294672
Time
Date	199501
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : evv
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : evv
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 325 flight time type : 25
ASRS Report	294672
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 51
ASRS Report	295308
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My student planned a cross country training flight from mdh to ucy and return. I checked her planning before she left and gave her the appropriate endorsements in her logbook and sent her off. Later that afternoon, I called columbia FSS to see what her inbound time to mdh was and they told me AB15Z. At AB45Z columbia called us back because she was overdue. We started making phone calls to find out where she was. When we found out where she was located, she had been in contact with ZKC (127.7) and they managed to get her to the marion airport (mwa) which is approximately 11 mi east of carbondale (mdh). We wanted her to land as soon as possible because we were unsure of the amount of fuel she had remaining. So she landed in marion and I went to pick her up with another instructor. When we returned I took a look and tried to figure out how she got so disoriented. I discovered an error in her planning that I did not detect before she left. Basically, she added her wind correction angle instead of subtracting it and ended up flying way off course. Her predetermined incorrect heading combined with the reduced visibility due to haze caused her to become lost. While she was lost we believe that she penetrated the evv class C airspace unknowingly. When she finally was able to contact the evv approach control, she was already within 5 mi of the primary airport. Supplemental information from acn 295308: on my way back from union city, I lost track of my position in part because of the haze outside, but also because of a computational error when planning. I ended up flying to the northeast and was in class C airspace. I was not sure where I was until I contacted terre haute flight service. They told me I was about 5 mi to the northeast of evv airport and to contact evv approach. Evv approach had me squawk a code, told me my location, and to fly back to carbondale, il, at a heading of 240 degrees. I then monitored evv approach for about 20 mi, where again they gave me another heading of 230 degrees to fly back to carbondale.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI BECOMES DISORIENTED AND ENTERS CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: MY STUDENT PLANNED A XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT FROM MDH TO UCY AND RETURN. I CHKED HER PLANNING BEFORE SHE LEFT AND GAVE HER THE APPROPRIATE ENDORSEMENTS IN HER LOGBOOK AND SENT HER OFF. LATER THAT AFTERNOON, I CALLED COLUMBIA FSS TO SEE WHAT HER INBOUND TIME TO MDH WAS AND THEY TOLD ME AB15Z. AT AB45Z COLUMBIA CALLED US BACK BECAUSE SHE WAS OVERDUE. WE STARTED MAKING PHONE CALLS TO FIND OUT WHERE SHE WAS. WHEN WE FOUND OUT WHERE SHE WAS LOCATED, SHE HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ZKC (127.7) AND THEY MANAGED TO GET HER TO THE MARION ARPT (MWA) WHICH IS APPROX 11 MI E OF CARBONDALE (MDH). WE WANTED HER TO LAND ASAP BECAUSE WE WERE UNSURE OF THE AMOUNT OF FUEL SHE HAD REMAINING. SO SHE LANDED IN MARION AND I WENT TO PICK HER UP WITH ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR. WHEN WE RETURNED I TOOK A LOOK AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT HOW SHE GOT SO DISORIENTED. I DISCOVERED AN ERROR IN HER PLANNING THAT I DID NOT DETECT BEFORE SHE LEFT. BASICALLY, SHE ADDED HER WIND CORRECTION ANGLE INSTEAD OF SUBTRACTING IT AND ENDED UP FLYING WAY OFF COURSE. HER PREDETERMINED INCORRECT HDG COMBINED WITH THE REDUCED VISIBILITY DUE TO HAZE CAUSED HER TO BECOME LOST. WHILE SHE WAS LOST WE BELIEVE THAT SHE PENETRATED THE EVV CLASS C AIRSPACE UNKNOWINGLY. WHEN SHE FINALLY WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE EVV APCH CTL, SHE WAS ALREADY WITHIN 5 MI OF THE PRIMARY ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 295308: ON MY WAY BACK FROM UNION CITY, I LOST TRACK OF MY POS IN PART BECAUSE OF THE HAZE OUTSIDE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF A COMPUTATIONAL ERROR WHEN PLANNING. I ENDED UP FLYING TO THE NE AND WAS IN CLASS C AIRSPACE. I WAS NOT SURE WHERE I WAS UNTIL I CONTACTED TERRE HAUTE FLT SVC. THEY TOLD ME I WAS ABOUT 5 MI TO THE NE OF EVV ARPT AND TO CONTACT EVV APCH. EVV APCH HAD ME SQUAWK A CODE, TOLD ME MY LOCATION, AND TO FLY BACK TO CARBONDALE, IL, AT A HDG OF 240 DEGS. I THEN MONITORED EVV APCH FOR ABOUT 20 MI, WHERE AGAIN THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER HDG OF 230 DEGS TO FLY BACK TO CARBONDALE.

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.