Small aircraft became disoriented near pob and fay.

Attributes
ACN	300955
Time
Date	199504
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 37w
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rdu tower : 37w
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Fighting Falcon F16
Operating Under FAR Part	other : other
Flight Phase	other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	300955
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 600 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

In sum: on a trip from the philadelphia area to lakeland, fl, a pilot planned a fuel stop at hartnett county airport (37W). There were rain showers in the area. The pilot was vectored towards 37W, then handed off to the tower. The reporter saw 4 F-16 in the vicinity of the pope AFB. The reporter complains that TRACON handed him off to 37W tower too soon, but the reporter admits that he called tower on the wrong frequency. He landed with light signals. The reporter admits that his transponder was weak, that he was flying low to avoid clouds, and that he was disoriented. The reporter called ATC when on the ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA BECAME DISORIENTED NEAR POB AND FAY.

Narrative: IN SUM: ON A TRIP FROM THE PHILADELPHIA AREA TO LAKELAND, FL, A PLT PLANNED A FUEL STOP AT HARTNETT COUNTY ARPT (37W). THERE WERE RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA. THE PLT WAS VECTORED TOWARDS 37W, THEN HANDED OFF TO THE TWR. THE RPTR SAW 4 F-16 IN THE VICINITY OF THE POPE AFB. THE RPTR COMPLAINS THAT TRACON HANDED HIM OFF TO 37W TWR TOO SOON, BUT THE RPTR ADMITS THAT HE CALLED TWR ON THE WRONG FREQ. HE LANDED WITH LIGHT SIGNALS. THE RPTR ADMITS THAT HIS XPONDER WAS WEAK, THAT HE WAS FLYING LOW TO AVOID CLOUDS, AND THAT HE WAS DISORIENTED. THE RPTR CALLED ATC WHEN ON THE GND.

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.