Narrative:

My student departed pwk at approximately XA00 pm local en route to an area 20-25 NM off of the 320 degree radial from obk VORTAC. This is considered as the northwest 'practice area' to our flight school, and my student was flying solo. Near the end of the hour long solo lesson, my student decided to try and locate lake in the hills airport (3CK), and return to pwk after locating the airport. He said he had difficulty locating 3CK and decided to proceed eastbound after heading sbound for several mins from the northwest practice area. He said that he thought he had located schaumberg regional (06C), and proceeded to head northbound and descend from his altitude of approximately 2800 ft MSL. Just before landing, our flight school received a call from the area supervisor of the chicago approach control facility saying that an aircraft had been tagged by radar at 3200 ft, 7 mi northwest of ord. The supervisor said he had called pwk tower to verify an aircraft identify. He (the supervisor) said that he only wanted to insure that the pilot was familiar with the ord class B airspace, and that no violation was written. The problem (lost position) was facilitated by the student's first solo in the area, and his decision to locate 3CK and continue when no airport was spotted. My student indicated he had no plan to follow if 3CK was not found, and he was not as familiar with the area surrounding 3CK as he was with the northwest practice area. The problem was discovered by the pilot when he located schaumberg (06C). He tried to correct the situation by heading northbound and descending. My student has 50.6 dual hours, and 2 hours solo. He will be receiving more dual instruction as to VFR navigation under ord's class B airspace, especially in areas of unfamiliarity. No TA's/conflicts occurred as reported by the area supervisor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STUDENT PLT ON A SOLO FLT ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT AUTH.

Narrative: MY STUDENT DEPARTED PWK AT APPROX XA00 PM LCL ENRTE TO AN AREA 20-25 NM OFF OF THE 320 DEG RADIAL FROM OBK VORTAC. THIS IS CONSIDERED AS THE NW 'PRACTICE AREA' TO OUR FLT SCHOOL, AND MY STUDENT WAS FLYING SOLO. NEAR THE END OF THE HR LONG SOLO LESSON, MY STUDENT DECIDED TO TRY AND LOCATE LAKE IN THE HILLS ARPT (3CK), AND RETURN TO PWK AFTER LOCATING THE ARPT. HE SAID HE HAD DIFFICULTY LOCATING 3CK AND DECIDED TO PROCEED EBOUND AFTER HEADING SBOUND FOR SEVERAL MINS FROM THE NW PRACTICE AREA. HE SAID THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD LOCATED SCHAUMBERG REGIONAL (06C), AND PROCEEDED TO HEAD NBOUND AND DSND FROM HIS ALT OF APPROX 2800 FT MSL. JUST BEFORE LNDG, OUR FLT SCHOOL RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE AREA SUPVR OF THE CHICAGO APCH CTL FACILITY SAYING THAT AN ACFT HAD BEEN TAGGED BY RADAR AT 3200 FT, 7 MI NW OF ORD. THE SUPVR SAID HE HAD CALLED PWK TWR TO VERIFY AN ACFT IDENT. HE (THE SUPVR) SAID THAT HE ONLY WANTED TO INSURE THAT THE PLT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ORD CLASS B AIRSPACE, AND THAT NO VIOLATION WAS WRITTEN. THE PROB (LOST POS) WAS FACILITATED BY THE STUDENT'S FIRST SOLO IN THE AREA, AND HIS DECISION TO LOCATE 3CK AND CONTINUE WHEN NO ARPT WAS SPOTTED. MY STUDENT INDICATED HE HAD NO PLAN TO FOLLOW IF 3CK WAS NOT FOUND, AND HE WAS NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA SURROUNDING 3CK AS HE WAS WITH THE NW PRACTICE AREA. THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED BY THE PLT WHEN HE LOCATED SCHAUMBERG (06C). HE TRIED TO CORRECT THE SIT BY HEADING NBOUND AND DSNDING. MY STUDENT HAS 50.6 DUAL HRS, AND 2 HRS SOLO. HE WILL BE RECEIVING MORE DUAL INSTRUCTION AS TO VFR NAV UNDER ORD'S CLASS B AIRSPACE, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS OF UNFAMILIARITY. NO TA'S/CONFLICTS OCCURRED AS RPTED BY THE AREA SUPVR.

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.