Narrative:

The student pilot was scheduled to fly his final cross country flight to complete the solo requirements for private pilot certification. I checked the preflight planning and preparation prior to signing him off for the 53 mi flight from lawrence, ma, to keene, nh. The planning appeared adequate and accurate for the flight, so I gave the required endorsement. About 45 mins after the student was due to arrive in keene, I received a phone call from the local FSS and was informed that the aircraft had not arrived at its destination. This call was followed by calls from the boston TRACON and manchester approach control. The student, in trying to find his way, had penetrated both the bos class B and the mht class C airspace. He then continued to the destination but did not land. He returned to lawrence with the help of mht approach controllers. An extensive debriefing of the student after the incident revealed the following errors and problems. After takeoff from lawrence, he became so preoccupied with communication, opening his flight plan, and other duties that he lost track of both his position and direction of flight. Discovering that he was inside the bos class B, he made a 180 degree turn to the north. This was done in an attempt to find landmarks and return to the required heading for the flight. In doing so, however, he found that he had overcompensated and ended up in the mht airspace. Compounding the problem was attempting to use the incorrect procedure to contact FSS through the use of the VOR frequencys. After deciding to return to home base, the student solicited the assistance of mht approach and landed without further incident. During the debriefing after the incident, it was discovered that there were several deficiencies in the student's training at the hands of his former instructor that contributed to the problem. These deficiencies are in the process of being corrected through continuing training. Specifically, communication problems incorrect dead reckoning procedures, radio navigation procedures, and the improper use of the flight log were discovered to be incomplete or misunderstood by the student. This incident might have been prevented if I had calculated the courses and times myself with the same information used by the student. In this way, errors may have been detected. Also, a more intensive briefing before departure, including departure procedures, communications and navigation may have prevented the student from becoming lost. As chief pilot at the FBO where the student is training, it is my intent to make it SOP for all instructors to recalculate dead reckoning navigation and thoroughly brief all students on procedures and operations prior to giving any endorsements for cross country flts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SOLO STUDENT PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED AND PENETRATES CLASS B AND CLASS C AIRSPACE. ATC CTLRS PROVIDE ASSISTANCE RESULTING IN SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO DEP STATION.

Narrative: THE STUDENT PLT WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY HIS FINAL XCOUNTRY FLT TO COMPLETE THE SOLO REQUIREMENTS FOR PVT PLT CERTIFICATION. I CHKED THE PREFLT PLANNING AND PREPARATION PRIOR TO SIGNING HIM OFF FOR THE 53 MI FLT FROM LAWRENCE, MA, TO KEENE, NH. THE PLANNING APPEARED ADEQUATE AND ACCURATE FOR THE FLT, SO I GAVE THE REQUIRED ENDORSEMENT. ABOUT 45 MINS AFTER THE STUDENT WAS DUE TO ARRIVE IN KEENE, I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE LCL FSS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ACFT HAD NOT ARRIVED AT ITS DEST. THIS CALL WAS FOLLOWED BY CALLS FROM THE BOSTON TRACON AND MANCHESTER APCH CTL. THE STUDENT, IN TRYING TO FIND HIS WAY, HAD PENETRATED BOTH THE BOS CLASS B AND THE MHT CLASS C AIRSPACE. HE THEN CONTINUED TO THE DEST BUT DID NOT LAND. HE RETURNED TO LAWRENCE WITH THE HELP OF MHT APCH CTLRS. AN EXTENSIVE DEBRIEFING OF THE STUDENT AFTER THE INCIDENT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING ERRORS AND PROBS. AFTER TKOF FROM LAWRENCE, HE BECAME SO PREOCCUPIED WITH COM, OPENING HIS FLT PLAN, AND OTHER DUTIES THAT HE LOST TRACK OF BOTH HIS POS AND DIRECTION OF FLT. DISCOVERING THAT HE WAS INSIDE THE BOS CLASS B, HE MADE A 180 DEG TURN TO THE N. THIS WAS DONE IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIND LANDMARKS AND RETURN TO THE REQUIRED HDG FOR THE FLT. IN DOING SO, HOWEVER, HE FOUND THAT HE HAD OVERCOMPENSATED AND ENDED UP IN THE MHT AIRSPACE. COMPOUNDING THE PROB WAS ATTEMPTING TO USE THE INCORRECT PROC TO CONTACT FSS THROUGH THE USE OF THE VOR FREQS. AFTER DECIDING TO RETURN TO HOME BASE, THE STUDENT SOLICITED THE ASSISTANCE OF MHT APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. DURING THE DEBRIEFING AFTER THE INCIDENT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL DEFICIENCIES IN THE STUDENT'S TRAINING AT THE HANDS OF HIS FORMER INSTRUCTOR THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. THESE DEFICIENCIES ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CORRECTED THROUGH CONTINUING TRAINING. SPECIFICALLY, COM PROBS INCORRECT DEAD RECKONING PROCS, RADIO NAV PROCS, AND THE IMPROPER USE OF THE FLT LOG WERE DISCOVERED TO BE INCOMPLETE OR MISUNDERSTOOD BY THE STUDENT. THIS INCIDENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF I HAD CALCULATED THE COURSES AND TIMES MYSELF WITH THE SAME INFO USED BY THE STUDENT. IN THIS WAY, ERRORS MAY HAVE BEEN DETECTED. ALSO, A MORE INTENSIVE BRIEFING BEFORE DEP, INCLUDING DEP PROCS, COMS AND NAV MAY HAVE PREVENTED THE STUDENT FROM BECOMING LOST. AS CHIEF PLT AT THE FBO WHERE THE STUDENT IS TRAINING, IT IS MY INTENT TO MAKE IT SOP FOR ALL INSTRUCTORS TO RECALCULATE DEAD RECKONING NAV AND THOROUGHLY BRIEF ALL STUDENTS ON PROCS AND OPS PRIOR TO GIVING ANY ENDORSEMENTS FOR XCOUNTRY FLTS.

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.