Student pilot on first solo cross country flight became disoriented, landed at class D airport witho...

Attributes
ACN	335269
Time
Date	199605
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mfd
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mfd
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time total : 57
ASRS Report	335269
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance incursion : runway non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited penetrated airspace none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The day was clear, there was a fair amount of turbulence, 19-25 mph wind from approximately 260 degrees. How the problem arose: I planned the flight on the ground. A CFI looked the flight plan over and said ok. He signed my logbook to go on the cross country flight. I was flying along, the wind was bad. I decided to add more crab (small course change) to compensate for the wind. I should have turned around at this time but I did not. As the flight went on, in my judgement at this time, I thought even more crab was needed to compensate for the high winds (the ride was very rough). Shortly after my last course change my times were off, nothing looked right. I tried to find where I was on the chart but to no avail. As I was flying I tried to tune in some VOR and used my ADF, nothing seemed to work correctly. I was thinking I was in one area when I was 50 mi away. I saw an airport below, I tried to locate it on the chart with no luck. I was listening on the radio to help me identify the airport that I was circling at from 3800 to 4000 ft MSL. By this time I knew that I was in trouble and completely lost. I decided to land, and found out I was at mfd airport. I was so rattled by this time, I tried to find help. I went up to one building which was empty and closed up. I walked to another building but no one was there. Finding out where I was because of the name on the building, I went back to the plane and looked at the chart, located mansfield. I looked up the tower frequency but was unable to communicate (radio was not set correctly) being very upset and using poor judgement at this time. I departed, taxiing to the runway and taking off. I broke a far by not communicating when approaching class D airspace but I was in trouble at this time and all I had on my mind was getting home. When I could not locate anyone, I broke another far when I departed without communicating with the tower. In closing I can say this will never happen again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT BECAME DISORIENTED, LANDED AT CLASS D ARPT WITHOUT COM AND TOOK OFF WITHOUT COM.

Narrative: THE DAY WAS CLR, THERE WAS A FAIR AMOUNT OF TURB, 19-25 MPH WIND FROM APPROX 260 DEGS. HOW THE PROB AROSE: I PLANNED THE FLT ON THE GND. A CFI LOOKED THE FLT PLAN OVER AND SAID OK. HE SIGNED MY LOGBOOK TO GO ON THE XCOUNTRY FLT. I WAS FLYING ALONG, THE WIND WAS BAD. I DECIDED TO ADD MORE CRAB (SMALL COURSE CHANGE) TO COMPENSATE FOR THE WIND. I SHOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND AT THIS TIME BUT I DID NOT. AS THE FLT WENT ON, IN MY JUDGEMENT AT THIS TIME, I THOUGHT EVEN MORE CRAB WAS NEEDED TO COMPENSATE FOR THE HIGH WINDS (THE RIDE WAS VERY ROUGH). SHORTLY AFTER MY LAST COURSE CHANGE MY TIMES WERE OFF, NOTHING LOOKED RIGHT. I TRIED TO FIND WHERE I WAS ON THE CHART BUT TO NO AVAIL. AS I WAS FLYING I TRIED TO TUNE IN SOME VOR AND USED MY ADF, NOTHING SEEMED TO WORK CORRECTLY. I WAS THINKING I WAS IN ONE AREA WHEN I WAS 50 MI AWAY. I SAW AN ARPT BELOW, I TRIED TO LOCATE IT ON THE CHART WITH NO LUCK. I WAS LISTENING ON THE RADIO TO HELP ME IDENT THE ARPT THAT I WAS CIRCLING AT FROM 3800 TO 4000 FT MSL. BY THIS TIME I KNEW THAT I WAS IN TROUBLE AND COMPLETELY LOST. I DECIDED TO LAND, AND FOUND OUT I WAS AT MFD ARPT. I WAS SO RATTLED BY THIS TIME, I TRIED TO FIND HELP. I WENT UP TO ONE BUILDING WHICH WAS EMPTY AND CLOSED UP. I WALKED TO ANOTHER BUILDING BUT NO ONE WAS THERE. FINDING OUT WHERE I WAS BECAUSE OF THE NAME ON THE BUILDING, I WENT BACK TO THE PLANE AND LOOKED AT THE CHART, LOCATED MANSFIELD. I LOOKED UP THE TWR FREQ BUT WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE (RADIO WAS NOT SET CORRECTLY) BEING VERY UPSET AND USING POOR JUDGEMENT AT THIS TIME. I DEPARTED, TAXIING TO THE RWY AND TAKING OFF. I BROKE A FAR BY NOT COMMUNICATING WHEN APCHING CLASS D AIRSPACE BUT I WAS IN TROUBLE AT THIS TIME AND ALL I HAD ON MY MIND WAS GETTING HOME. WHEN I COULD NOT LOCATE ANYONE, I BROKE ANOTHER FAR WHEN I DEPARTED WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE TWR. IN CLOSING I CAN SAY THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.

Student pilot on first solo cross country flight became disoriented, landed at class D airport without communication and took off without communication.