Spi becomes disoriented on solo cross country flight. Lands at unknown airport.

Attributes
ACN	318401
Time
Date	199510
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lns
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lns
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 23 flight time total : 42 flight time type : 42
ASRS Report	318401
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This was my first solo cross country, N99 to hzl to N99 to be conducted by pilotage. First leg N99 to hzl was uneventful, however unforecasted wind at 3000 ft caused east drift close to allentown airspace. Second leg began according to flight plan but haze layer formed at 3500 ft MSL resulting in visibility problems. Directional gyroscope experienced some drift and wind caused significant ground track error. Attempted to tune mxe VOR on 113.2 but evidently did something in error. Visually sighted lns airport -- but could not identify at that time. Attempted to get help on 121.5 but no answer was forthcoming. I decided that a precautionary landing was prudent and I checked the airspace for arrival/departing traffic. Upon seeing none, I successfully landed on runway 28 and turned off at first taxiway. Upon seeing a 'lancaster' sign on an airport tower, I looked up ground and tower frequency in northeast airport facility directory to make contact and receive instructions. I apologized for the incursion, explained my 'lost' situation on the second leg of my first cross country solo, and received directions to the FBO where I telephoned my instructor to explain the situation. All tower and ground control personnel were professional, courteous, and very understanding of my situation. I received clearance to depart lns to N99 and completed the flight uneventfully. Plan of action to prevent re-occurrence: schedule another dual lesson with my instructor to review and practice VOR navigation and lost procedures, prior to next solo cross country flight. Learn to recognize excessive wind drift and missed pilotage points much earlier in the flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI BECOMES DISORIENTED ON SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. LANDS AT UNKNOWN ARPT.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY, N99 TO HZL TO N99 TO BE CONDUCTED BY PILOTAGE. FIRST LEG N99 TO HZL WAS UNEVENTFUL, HOWEVER UNFORECASTED WIND AT 3000 FT CAUSED E DRIFT CLOSE TO ALLENTOWN AIRSPACE. SECOND LEG BEGAN ACCORDING TO FLT PLAN BUT HAZE LAYER FORMED AT 3500 FT MSL RESULTING IN VISIBILITY PROBS. DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE EXPERIENCED SOME DRIFT AND WIND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT GND TRACK ERROR. ATTEMPTED TO TUNE MXE VOR ON 113.2 BUT EVIDENTLY DID SOMETHING IN ERROR. VISUALLY SIGHTED LNS ARPT -- BUT COULD NOT IDENT AT THAT TIME. ATTEMPTED TO GET HELP ON 121.5 BUT NO ANSWER WAS FORTHCOMING. I DECIDED THAT A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS PRUDENT AND I CHKED THE AIRSPACE FOR ARR/DEPARTING TFC. UPON SEEING NONE, I SUCCESSFULLY LANDED ON RWY 28 AND TURNED OFF AT FIRST TXWY. UPON SEEING A 'LANCASTER' SIGN ON AN ARPT TWR, I LOOKED UP GND AND TWR FREQ IN NE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY TO MAKE CONTACT AND RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS. I APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCURSION, EXPLAINED MY 'LOST' SIT ON THE SECOND LEG OF MY FIRST XCOUNTRY SOLO, AND RECEIVED DIRECTIONS TO THE FBO WHERE I TELEPHONED MY INSTRUCTOR TO EXPLAIN THE SIT. ALL TWR AND GND CTL PERSONNEL WERE PROFESSIONAL, COURTEOUS, AND VERY UNDERSTANDING OF MY SIT. I RECEIVED CLRNC TO DEPART LNS TO N99 AND COMPLETED THE FLT UNEVENTFULLY. PLAN OF ACTION TO PREVENT RE-OCCURRENCE: SCHEDULE ANOTHER DUAL LESSON WITH MY INSTRUCTOR TO REVIEW AND PRACTICE VOR NAV AND LOST PROCS, PRIOR TO NEXT SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. LEARN TO RECOGNIZE EXCESSIVE WIND DRIFT AND MISSED PILOTAGE POINTS MUCH EARLIER IN THE 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.