Narrative:

The reporter (a CFI) endorsed a student pilot for a solo round robin cross country flight from beaumont, tx (bmt), to de ridder, la, via de quincy, la. The student had gotten lost on a previous cross country attempt with a different instructor. As a result, lessons emphasized cross country skills including pilotage, VOR navigation, and dead reckoning. The reporter made the bmt-5r8-dri-bmt cross country on 5 different occasions with the student. The student was drilled on emergency procedures including what to do if she became lost, had engine or equipment problems, or encountered inclement WX. On the day of the solo cross country, the student completed the first 2 legs as planned. But on the third leg from dri to bmt, the student overflew her destination by about 80 mi and penetrated the class B airspace at houston's george bush international airport. Chase planes were launched from beaumont and houston. She was eventually escorted to an uneventful landing at cleveland, tx. When she was questioned later about why she had not followed her lost procedures, she stated she was not lost. If everyone had left her alone, she believed she could have made it back to bmt. When asked what would constitute an emergency, she stated that if she was low on fuel of if the airplane was having mechanical trouble she would have asked for help. It turns out that she misidented iah as bpt airport, and was following I059 north, believing that it was highway 69 in beaumont when she was intercepted. Since this student became so thoroughly lost on multiple occasions and refused to follow procedures to establish communications with ATC, this reporter does not believe this student should be endorsed for any more solo cross country flts. In fact, for her own protection and for the protection of everyone around her, this student should not be endorsed for any type of solo activities in any airplane. A private pilot or even recreational pilot license is not attainable in this case. If she elects to continue flying, it should only be in the company of a qualified pilot or flight instructor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 STUDENT PLT ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT, WHILE OVERFLYING THE DEST ARPT ENTERED IAH CLASS B AIRSPACE, WHERE INTERCEPT ACFT PROVIDED AN ESCORT TO A NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: THE RPTR (A CFI) ENDORSED A STUDENT PLT FOR A SOLO ROUND ROBIN XCOUNTRY FLT FROM BEAUMONT, TX (BMT), TO DE RIDDER, LA, VIA DE QUINCY, LA. THE STUDENT HAD GOTTEN LOST ON A PREVIOUS XCOUNTRY ATTEMPT WITH A DIFFERENT INSTRUCTOR. AS A RESULT, LESSONS EMPHASIZED XCOUNTRY SKILLS INCLUDING PILOTAGE, VOR NAV, AND DEAD RECKONING. THE RPTR MADE THE BMT-5R8-DRI-BMT XCOUNTRY ON 5 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WITH THE STUDENT. THE STUDENT WAS DRILLED ON EMER PROCS INCLUDING WHAT TO DO IF SHE BECAME LOST, HAD ENG OR EQUIP PROBS, OR ENCOUNTERED INCLEMENT WX. ON THE DAY OF THE SOLO XCOUNTRY, THE STUDENT COMPLETED THE FIRST 2 LEGS AS PLANNED. BUT ON THE THIRD LEG FROM DRI TO BMT, THE STUDENT OVERFLEW HER DEST BY ABOUT 80 MI AND PENETRATED THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT HOUSTON'S GEORGE BUSH INTL ARPT. CHASE PLANES WERE LAUNCHED FROM BEAUMONT AND HOUSTON. SHE WAS EVENTUALLY ESCORTED TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT CLEVELAND, TX. WHEN SHE WAS QUESTIONED LATER ABOUT WHY SHE HAD NOT FOLLOWED HER LOST PROCS, SHE STATED SHE WAS NOT LOST. IF EVERYONE HAD LEFT HER ALONE, SHE BELIEVED SHE COULD HAVE MADE IT BACK TO BMT. WHEN ASKED WHAT WOULD CONSTITUTE AN EMER, SHE STATED THAT IF SHE WAS LOW ON FUEL OF IF THE AIRPLANE WAS HAVING MECHANICAL TROUBLE SHE WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR HELP. IT TURNS OUT THAT SHE MISIDENTED IAH AS BPT ARPT, AND WAS FOLLOWING I059 N, BELIEVING THAT IT WAS HWY 69 IN BEAUMONT WHEN SHE WAS INTERCEPTED. SINCE THIS STUDENT BECAME SO THOROUGHLY LOST ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS AND REFUSED TO FOLLOW PROCS TO ESTABLISH COMS WITH ATC, THIS RPTR DOES NOT BELIEVE THIS STUDENT SHOULD BE ENDORSED FOR ANY MORE SOLO XCOUNTRY FLTS. IN FACT, FOR HER OWN PROTECTION AND FOR THE PROTECTION OF EVERYONE AROUND HER, THIS STUDENT SHOULD NOT BE ENDORSED FOR ANY TYPE OF SOLO ACTIVITIES IN ANY AIRPLANE. A PVT PLT OR EVEN RECREATIONAL PLT LICENSE IS NOT ATTAINABLE IN THIS CASE. IF SHE ELECTS TO CONTINUE FLYING, IT SHOULD ONLY BE IN THE COMPANY OF A QUALIFIED PLT OR FLT INSTRUCTOR.

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.