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A CE152 is unsure of his location during a cross country flight, so an FSS requests the pilot to squawk 7700 and let ZFW confirm his position.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 375780 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199707 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : cqy |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 152 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 129 flight time total : 156 flight time type : 129 |
| ASRS Report | 375780 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was on a cross country to college station from tyler. I reached college station and closed my flight plan. I then filed another one from college station to tyler after a standard WX briefing. Everything was just fine until the to/from indication on the VOR started moving and showed navigation and then showed 'to' and kept on fluctuating. At that time I tuned in frankston VOR and cedar creek VOR and got my position. Then I continued on my heading to tyler with the to/from still being unstable. I again tuned the frankston and cedar creek VOR and got my position, but then the receiver started the fluttering of the to/from indication. I decided to call FSS to check if I was on the right track to tyler. I established contact with FSS after about 5-10 mins since there was no reply at first. I told them my estimated position (I told them the radials from frankston and cedar creek), and asked him if I was on the correct heading, since my VOR receiver was unstable. I told him that I had 1 hour 30 mins of fuel. The gentleman from the FSS asked me to squawk 7700 if I thought I was lost and I did it to confirm my position. I was then asked to contact ZFW on 134.25 which I tried, but without success. I then called FSS again and told them of the situation and he contacted ZFW and determined that I was heading correctly towards tyler. I then stayed with him on the same frequency and told him where I was south of athens. He then asked me if I could see the town in front and a beacon. I confirmed this and was told that it was athens. I then headed towards tyler and my VOR receiver stabilized. I closed my flight plan after I had tyler in sight and thanked FSS for their help. I think that my decision to squawk 7700 when I was told to was a mistake, since I was just confirming my position. The presence of the passenger was a big factor since she was really scared and if I were alone, I would probably not have called FSS for some time more and by that time I would have got the receiver stabilized.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A CE152 IS UNSURE OF HIS LOCATION DURING A XCOUNTRY FLT, SO AN FSS REQUESTS THE PLT TO SQUAWK 7700 AND LET ZFW CONFIRM HIS POS.
Narrative: I WAS ON A XCOUNTRY TO COLLEGE STATION FROM TYLER. I REACHED COLLEGE STATION AND CLOSED MY FLT PLAN. I THEN FILED ANOTHER ONE FROM COLLEGE STATION TO TYLER AFTER A STANDARD WX BRIEFING. EVERYTHING WAS JUST FINE UNTIL THE TO/FROM INDICATION ON THE VOR STARTED MOVING AND SHOWED NAV AND THEN SHOWED 'TO' AND KEPT ON FLUCTUATING. AT THAT TIME I TUNED IN FRANKSTON VOR AND CEDAR CREEK VOR AND GOT MY POS. THEN I CONTINUED ON MY HDG TO TYLER WITH THE TO/FROM STILL BEING UNSTABLE. I AGAIN TUNED THE FRANKSTON AND CEDAR CREEK VOR AND GOT MY POS, BUT THEN THE RECEIVER STARTED THE FLUTTERING OF THE TO/FROM INDICATION. I DECIDED TO CALL FSS TO CHK IF I WAS ON THE RIGHT TRACK TO TYLER. I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH FSS AFTER ABOUT 5-10 MINS SINCE THERE WAS NO REPLY AT FIRST. I TOLD THEM MY ESTIMATED POS (I TOLD THEM THE RADIALS FROM FRANKSTON AND CEDAR CREEK), AND ASKED HIM IF I WAS ON THE CORRECT HDG, SINCE MY VOR RECEIVER WAS UNSTABLE. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD 1 HR 30 MINS OF FUEL. THE GENTLEMAN FROM THE FSS ASKED ME TO SQUAWK 7700 IF I THOUGHT I WAS LOST AND I DID IT TO CONFIRM MY POS. I WAS THEN ASKED TO CONTACT ZFW ON 134.25 WHICH I TRIED, BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. I THEN CALLED FSS AGAIN AND TOLD THEM OF THE SIT AND HE CONTACTED ZFW AND DETERMINED THAT I WAS HDG CORRECTLY TOWARDS TYLER. I THEN STAYED WITH HIM ON THE SAME FREQ AND TOLD HIM WHERE I WAS S OF ATHENS. HE THEN ASKED ME IF I COULD SEE THE TOWN IN FRONT AND A BEACON. I CONFIRMED THIS AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS ATHENS. I THEN HEADED TOWARDS TYLER AND MY VOR RECEIVER STABILIZED. I CLOSED MY FLT PLAN AFTER I HAD TYLER IN SIGHT AND THANKED FSS FOR THEIR HELP. I THINK THAT MY DECISION TO SQUAWK 7700 WHEN I WAS TOLD TO WAS A MISTAKE, SINCE I WAS JUST CONFIRMING MY POS. THE PRESENCE OF THE PAX WAS A BIG FACTOR SINCE SHE WAS REALLY SCARED AND IF I WERE ALONE, I WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAVE CALLED FSS FOR SOME TIME MORE AND BY THAT TIME I WOULD HAVE GOT THE RECEIVER STABILIZED.
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.