A commercial helicopter pilot, on a maintenance ferry mission, using a homemade map, gets confused w...

Attributes
ACN	428307
Time
Date	199902
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lft.airport
State Reference	LA
Altitude	agl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	428307
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Received flight following entering laf class C airspace from southeast. Approach instructed me to climb and turn to avoid acadiana's class D airspace. I was flying VFR using the ground references (highway 90) as my primary NAVAID to reach my destination. The radar vectors created confusion as I lost sight of highway 90 then started flying toward the setting sun. Using a home made map to locate this maintenance facility, I circled what I thought to be the correct location several times. I decided to land in the field before I started burning fuel to my reserves. After landing, I realized it was in fact the wrong field. I went across the street to use someone's phone to get better directions. I took off without damage to any property and found my intended point of landing within 5 mins. Contributing factors: homemade map from a secondhand source. (I did not receive the instructions personally.) allowing ATC to vector me away from my primary navigation reference. Not using the GPS as a backup.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL HELI PLT, ON A MAINT FERRY MISSION, USING A HOMEMADE MAP, GETS CONFUSED WHEN HE LOSES SIGHT OF A HWY AND LANDS IN A FIELD TO OBTAIN DIRECTIONS TO THE MAINT FACILITY.

Narrative: RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING ENTERING LAF CLASS C AIRSPACE FROM SE. APCH INSTRUCTED ME TO CLB AND TURN TO AVOID ACADIANA'S CLASS D AIRSPACE. I WAS FLYING VFR USING THE GND REFS (HWY 90) AS MY PRIMARY NAVAID TO REACH MY DEST. THE RADAR VECTORS CREATED CONFUSION AS I LOST SIGHT OF HWY 90 THEN STARTED FLYING TOWARD THE SETTING SUN. USING A HOME MADE MAP TO LOCATE THIS MAINT FACILITY, I CIRCLED WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE THE CORRECT LOCATION SEVERAL TIMES. I DECIDED TO LAND IN THE FIELD BEFORE I STARTED BURNING FUEL TO MY RESERVES. AFTER LNDG, I REALIZED IT WAS IN FACT THE WRONG FIELD. I WENT ACROSS THE STREET TO USE SOMEONE'S PHONE TO GET BETTER DIRECTIONS. I TOOK OFF WITHOUT DAMAGE TO ANY PROPERTY AND FOUND MY INTENDED POINT OF LNDG WITHIN 5 MINS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: HOMEMADE MAP FROM A SECONDHAND SOURCE. (I DID NOT RECEIVE THE INSTRUCTIONS PERSONALLY.) ALLOWING ATC TO VECTOR ME AWAY FROM MY PRIMARY NAV REF. NOT USING THE GPS AS A BACKUP.

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.

A commercial helicopter pilot, on a maintenance ferry mission, using a homemade map, gets confused when he loses sight of a highway and lands in a field to obtain directions to the maintenance facility.