An small aircraft pilot became disoriented.

Attributes
ACN	304480
Time
Date	199505
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : csn airport : hef
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2300 msl bound upper : 2300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iad
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 125 flight time type : 14
ASRS Report	304480
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : declared emergency other other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In sum: an inexperienced small aircraft pilot felt pressure to go home as soon as possible. He decided to fly directly over the blue ridge mountains from vbw to hef. He failed to file a flight plan. His primary navigation facility was to be the csn VOR. He flew over the nearby ridge and became lost and unable to identify a town on the other side. He thought that csn was telling him false information and that his compass was faulty. There was turbulence. He was concerned about flying into iad's class B airspace. Dca FSS and iad TRACON assisted him to become reoriented and fly to hef, his home base. He was directed to squawk 7700 to assist iad TRACON in their radar search. He will get more instrument instruction and practice.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT BECAME DISORIENTED.

Narrative: IN SUM: AN INEXPERIENCED SMA PLT FELT PRESSURE TO GO HOME ASAP. HE DECIDED TO FLY DIRECTLY OVER THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS FROM VBW TO HEF. HE FAILED TO FILE A FLT PLAN. HIS PRIMARY NAV FACILITY WAS TO BE THE CSN VOR. HE FLEW OVER THE NEARBY RIDGE AND BECAME LOST AND UNABLE TO IDENT A TOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE. HE THOUGHT THAT CSN WAS TELLING HIM FALSE INFO AND THAT HIS COMPASS WAS FAULTY. THERE WAS TURB. HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT FLYING INTO IAD'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. DCA FSS AND IAD TRACON ASSISTED HIM TO BECOME REORIENTED AND FLY TO HEF, HIS HOME BASE. HE WAS DIRECTED TO SQUAWK 7700 TO ASSIST IAD TRACON IN THEIR RADAR SEARCH. HE WILL GET MORE INST INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE.

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.