Narrative:

Student departed pgd in a cessna 152. The WX was called twice before leaving. The FSS in pie reported no adverse WX or flight precautions. A VFR flight plan was filed and opened. The student landed at phk without incident, closed the flight plan, checked the WX, and filed a new flight plan. Upon departure WX was nice, visibility 10-15 mi, and the clouds were scattered at 2500 ft. After recognizing the third visual chkpoint the student dialed in pgd VOR, but was not able to pick it up. At this time, the student encountered unforecast WX conditions including thunderstorms, rain showers, and decreased visibility. While trying to deviate for WX the student became disoriented from his original course. This was probably due to low visibility and a lack of experience and trust in the navigation instruments. The student radioed to pgd unicom that he was over a runway with 'placida' on the strip. This airport is known as rotunda -- due west of pgd. A flight instructor then answered back that he should try a heading of 090 degrees to pgd. I suspect the student was not actually at rotunda, but rather lake placid, a private strip. Communications were weak and were lost shortly thereafter. That is when the student contacted ft myers approach and reported he was lost, but thought he was near placida. He also reported he was low on fuel and requested vectors to pgd. Ft myers switched frequencys and had him climb to 4000 ft AGL. Due to a concern of low fuel they agreed he should declare an emergency and squawk 7700. Soon afterwards, ft myers was able to give radar vectors to labelle airport where the student was able to land with approximately 20-30 mins usable fuel.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STUDENT PLT BECAME LOST DURING A SOLO XCOUNTRY WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED UNFORECAST TSTMS, RAIN SHOWERS, AND DECREASED VISIBILITY. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BECOME REORIENTED, HE CONTACTED THE DEST UNICOM, AND AN RSW APCH CTLR FOR ASSISTANCE. AFTER ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH RSW, THE STUDENT DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS VECTORED TO A NEARBY ARPT FOR FUEL.

Narrative: STUDENT DEPARTED PGD IN A CESSNA 152. THE WX WAS CALLED TWICE BEFORE LEAVING. THE FSS IN PIE RPTED NO ADVERSE WX OR FLT PRECAUTIONS. A VFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED AND OPENED. THE STUDENT LANDED AT PHK WITHOUT INCIDENT, CLOSED THE FLT PLAN, CHKED THE WX, AND FILED A NEW FLT PLAN. UPON DEP WX WAS NICE, VISIBILITY 10-15 MI, AND THE CLOUDS WERE SCATTERED AT 2500 FT. AFTER RECOGNIZING THE THIRD VISUAL CHKPOINT THE STUDENT DIALED IN PGD VOR, BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO PICK IT UP. AT THIS TIME, THE STUDENT ENCOUNTERED UNFORECAST WX CONDITIONS INCLUDING TSTMS, RAIN SHOWERS, AND DECREASED VISIBILITY. WHILE TRYING TO DEVIATE FOR WX THE STUDENT BECAME DISORIENTED FROM HIS ORIGINAL COURSE. THIS WAS PROBABLY DUE TO LOW VISIBILITY AND A LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND TRUST IN THE NAV INSTS. THE STUDENT RADIOED TO PGD UNICOM THAT HE WAS OVER A RWY WITH 'PLACIDA' ON THE STRIP. THIS ARPT IS KNOWN AS ROTUNDA -- DUE W OF PGD. A FLT INSTRUCTOR THEN ANSWERED BACK THAT HE SHOULD TRY A HDG OF 090 DEGS TO PGD. I SUSPECT THE STUDENT WAS NOT ACTUALLY AT ROTUNDA, BUT RATHER LAKE PLACID, A PVT STRIP. COMS WERE WEAK AND WERE LOST SHORTLY THEREAFTER. THAT IS WHEN THE STUDENT CONTACTED FT MYERS APCH AND RPTED HE WAS LOST, BUT THOUGHT HE WAS NEAR PLACIDA. HE ALSO RPTED HE WAS LOW ON FUEL AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO PGD. FT MYERS SWITCHED FREQS AND HAD HIM CLB TO 4000 FT AGL. DUE TO A CONCERN OF LOW FUEL THEY AGREED HE SHOULD DECLARE AN EMER AND SQUAWK 7700. SOON AFTERWARDS, FT MYERS WAS ABLE TO GIVE RADAR VECTORS TO LABELLE ARPT WHERE THE STUDENT WAS ABLE TO LAND WITH APPROX 20-30 MINS USABLE FUEL.

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.