Narrative:

My student pilot started his long cross country at hvn to gfl, to orh, and back to hvn. He had carefully planned his flight plan which was complete and reviewed by me pursuant to far 61.93 (D)(2)(I) on the same day right before takeoff. The WX in the new england area was clear skies, calm winds and unrestricted visibility. Student pilot departed hvn, and he opened up his flight plan with FSS (bridgeport) for an estimated 1 hour 30 min flight to gfl. 30 NM south of gfl and with approximately 25 mins left on the first leg he changes over to gfl frequency 123.0 where he can hear that an airplane is on the left base to runway 19 gfl. 20 NM to the left of his wing he can also see alb ny class C. At this point the student is having doubts about his geographic position. Unsure if it is gfl to the left or not he starts circling alb class C airspace. Still on the 123.0 frequency for gfl he can hear that the aircraft is calling out 'short final' for runway 19 gfl. At the same time an aircraft in alb is also on short final runway 19 alb. By this time his en route time is about to expire with the FSS, and also, now convinced that the airport that he is circling is gfl, he is getting the plane ready for landing. He enters a left downwind for runway 19, left base, and final, all called out on the gfl frequency. On the ground at alb he finally understands that this is not gfl. On the ground at the FBO, the tower personnel contacts him over the phone and later on he contacts me at hvn. To pinpoint a reason why this happened I have to refer to the 'stress factor' and the 'decision-making' process. A flight instructor can only observe and prepare a student for stressful sits. You need to be able to recognize the symptoms of stress overload in yourself. I believe that the student entered the 'disorientation' stage that is a pilot's greatest enemy. As a result, poor judgement was exercised and a lot of bad decisions were made. I have flown several dual xcountries with this student. In addition, he had also flown several xcountries by himself, and all of them have been completed uneventfully. Based on my experience with his flying he had proven himself to be a safe, competent pilot capable of completing this particular solo cross country flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ON A LONG XCOUNTRY, A STUDENT PLT ERRONEOUSLY ENTERED CLASS C AIRSPACE AND LANDED AT THE WRONG ARPT.

Narrative: MY STUDENT PLT STARTED HIS LONG XCOUNTRY AT HVN TO GFL, TO ORH, AND BACK TO HVN. HE HAD CAREFULLY PLANNED HIS FLT PLAN WHICH WAS COMPLETE AND REVIEWED BY ME PURSUANT TO FAR 61.93 (D)(2)(I) ON THE SAME DAY RIGHT BEFORE TKOF. THE WX IN THE NEW ENGLAND AREA WAS CLR SKIES, CALM WINDS AND UNRESTRICTED VISIBILITY. STUDENT PLT DEPARTED HVN, AND HE OPENED UP HIS FLT PLAN WITH FSS (BRIDGEPORT) FOR AN ESTIMATED 1 HR 30 MIN FLT TO GFL. 30 NM S OF GFL AND WITH APPROX 25 MINS LEFT ON THE FIRST LEG HE CHANGES OVER TO GFL FREQ 123.0 WHERE HE CAN HEAR THAT AN AIRPLANE IS ON THE L BASE TO RWY 19 GFL. 20 NM TO THE L OF HIS WING HE CAN ALSO SEE ALB NY CLASS C. AT THIS POINT THE STUDENT IS HAVING DOUBTS ABOUT HIS GEOGRAPHIC POS. UNSURE IF IT IS GFL TO THE L OR NOT HE STARTS CIRCLING ALB CLASS C AIRSPACE. STILL ON THE 123.0 FREQ FOR GFL HE CAN HEAR THAT THE ACFT IS CALLING OUT 'SHORT FINAL' FOR RWY 19 GFL. AT THE SAME TIME AN ACFT IN ALB IS ALSO ON SHORT FINAL RWY 19 ALB. BY THIS TIME HIS ENRTE TIME IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE WITH THE FSS, AND ALSO, NOW CONVINCED THAT THE ARPT THAT HE IS CIRCLING IS GFL, HE IS GETTING THE PLANE READY FOR LNDG. HE ENTERS A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19, L BASE, AND FINAL, ALL CALLED OUT ON THE GFL FREQ. ON THE GND AT ALB HE FINALLY UNDERSTANDS THAT THIS IS NOT GFL. ON THE GND AT THE FBO, THE TWR PERSONNEL CONTACTS HIM OVER THE PHONE AND LATER ON HE CONTACTS ME AT HVN. TO PINPOINT A REASON WHY THIS HAPPENED I HAVE TO REFER TO THE 'STRESS FACTOR' AND THE 'DECISION-MAKING' PROCESS. A FLT INSTRUCTOR CAN ONLY OBSERVE AND PREPARE A STUDENT FOR STRESSFUL SITS. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THE SYMPTOMS OF STRESS OVERLOAD IN YOURSELF. I BELIEVE THAT THE STUDENT ENTERED THE 'DISORIENTATION' STAGE THAT IS A PLT'S GREATEST ENEMY. AS A RESULT, POOR JUDGEMENT WAS EXERCISED AND A LOT OF BAD DECISIONS WERE MADE. I HAVE FLOWN SEVERAL DUAL XCOUNTRIES WITH THIS STUDENT. IN ADDITION, HE HAD ALSO FLOWN SEVERAL XCOUNTRIES BY HIMSELF, AND ALL OF THEM HAVE BEEN COMPLETED UNEVENTFULLY. BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE WITH HIS FLYING HE HAD PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE A SAFE, COMPETENT PLT CAPABLE OF COMPLETING THIS PARTICULAR SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT.

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.