Narrative:

I was monitoring the unicom 122.8, and overheard a pilot communicate with instructor for lost assistance. The pilot stated that he was looking to return to his home airport (alma, mi), but he sounded unsure of his position. During the xmissions to his advisor, he stated: 1) he had no flashlight. 2) asked where the switches (light?) were. 3) asked for instruction in VOR orientation and lost procedures. 4) stated that he had 'run out of daylight.' the sunset was 1 hour previous to his xmissions. After 20 mins of attempted instruction the pilot had changed course from 030 degree heading to 310 degrees. Further xmissions seemed to indicate increasing resolution of course, but no clear idea of the exact location. I transmitted on unicom to the pilot from bay unicom and asked if he needed assistance. After a moment the pilot answered the transmission with his call sign, but then transmitted to his advisor asking, 'can you hear me, instructor?' his original advisor. I believe that the pilot was situationally unaware, had attempted to gain orientation using real time construction from his ground based flight instructor, and was in need of another solution. I transmitted a call-up to the pilot and received an acknowledgement. Next, I transmitted, suggesting that he contact saginaw approach on 126.45, and I repeated the suggestion. He then radioed to instructor asking if he should really try approach or stay with him. No reply was heard. The radio scanner detected his contact to saginaw approach where he requested a heading and flight following to alma. Approach idented him 12 mi southwest of mbs VOR, 21 mi east of his destination. No further conversation at our FBO was monitored. I also phoned mbs ATC and informed the controller of the 20 mins of unicom xmissions. Solutions: identify chkpoints for cross country. Study aim 'lost procedures.' ask for ATC help early. Obtain dual in night flight. Preflight to include flashlights. Plan for an alternate course of action if the flight cannot be completed. I estimated that the pilot was 30 mi off course, low time pilot, unprepared for night flight. Haze at 3500 ft, this altitude impaired visibility. Destination was 10 SM visibility, 2500 scattered, 3500 broken, 9500 overcast. (FSS had no flight plan on this pilot.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND OBSERVER RPT REGARDING A SPI WHO WAS LOST ON A XCOUNTRY FLT AND NIGHT FLYING WITH NO NIGHT EXPERIENCE. SPI IN COM WITH HIS INSTRUCTOR VIA VHF. RPTR, ALSO AN INSTRUCTOR SUGGESTED CONTACTING APCH CTL AND GAVE THE FREQ.

Narrative: I WAS MONITORING THE UNICOM 122.8, AND OVERHEARD A PLT COMMUNICATE WITH INSTRUCTOR FOR LOST ASSISTANCE. THE PLT STATED THAT HE WAS LOOKING TO RETURN TO HIS HOME ARPT (ALMA, MI), BUT HE SOUNDED UNSURE OF HIS POS. DURING THE XMISSIONS TO HIS ADVISOR, HE STATED: 1) HE HAD NO FLASHLIGHT. 2) ASKED WHERE THE SWITCHES (LIGHT?) WERE. 3) ASKED FOR INSTRUCTION IN VOR ORIENTATION AND LOST PROCS. 4) STATED THAT HE HAD 'RUN OUT OF DAYLIGHT.' THE SUNSET WAS 1 HR PREVIOUS TO HIS XMISSIONS. AFTER 20 MINS OF ATTEMPTED INSTRUCTION THE PLT HAD CHANGED COURSE FROM 030 DEG HDG TO 310 DEGS. FURTHER XMISSIONS SEEMED TO INDICATE INCREASING RESOLUTION OF COURSE, BUT NO CLR IDEA OF THE EXACT LOCATION. I XMITTED ON UNICOM TO THE PLT FROM BAY UNICOM AND ASKED IF HE NEEDED ASSISTANCE. AFTER A MOMENT THE PLT ANSWERED THE XMISSION WITH HIS CALL SIGN, BUT THEN XMITTED TO HIS ADVISOR ASKING, 'CAN YOU HEAR ME, INSTRUCTOR?' HIS ORIGINAL ADVISOR. I BELIEVE THAT THE PLT WAS SITUATIONALLY UNAWARE, HAD ATTEMPTED TO GAIN ORIENTATION USING REAL TIME CONSTRUCTION FROM HIS GND BASED FLT INSTRUCTOR, AND WAS IN NEED OF ANOTHER SOLUTION. I XMITTED A CALL-UP TO THE PLT AND RECEIVED AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. NEXT, I XMITTED, SUGGESTING THAT HE CONTACT SAGINAW APCH ON 126.45, AND I REPEATED THE SUGGESTION. HE THEN RADIOED TO INSTRUCTOR ASKING IF HE SHOULD REALLY TRY APCH OR STAY WITH HIM. NO REPLY WAS HEARD. THE RADIO SCANNER DETECTED HIS CONTACT TO SAGINAW APCH WHERE HE REQUESTED A HDG AND FLT FOLLOWING TO ALMA. APCH IDENTED HIM 12 MI SW OF MBS VOR, 21 MI E OF HIS DEST. NO FURTHER CONVERSATION AT OUR FBO WAS MONITORED. I ALSO PHONED MBS ATC AND INFORMED THE CTLR OF THE 20 MINS OF UNICOM XMISSIONS. SOLUTIONS: IDENT CHKPOINTS FOR XCOUNTRY. STUDY AIM 'LOST PROCS.' ASK FOR ATC HELP EARLY. OBTAIN DUAL IN NIGHT FLT. PREFLT TO INCLUDE FLASHLIGHTS. PLAN FOR AN ALTERNATE COURSE OF ACTION IF THE FLT CANNOT BE COMPLETED. I ESTIMATED THAT THE PLT WAS 30 MI OFF COURSE, LOW TIME PLT, UNPREPARED FOR NIGHT FLT. HAZE AT 3500 FT, THIS ALT IMPAIRED VISIBILITY. DEST WAS 10 SM VISIBILITY, 2500 SCATTERED, 3500 BROKEN, 9500 OVCST. (FSS HAD NO FLT PLAN ON THIS PLT.)

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.