Narrative:

Description of event: student who owns his own plane was on a cross country flight when his radio failed (navigation and communication). He became lost and landed at a military airport. He was later cleared to a nearby airport to have his radio repaired (actually a 'loaner' was installed at that time). He returned to his departure airport (mesquite, tx) without incident. He squawked 7600 on the transponder and rocked his wings on approach, but continued the approach and landed without ever receiving a green light. Military aircraft were active on the surface at the airport. How problem arose: student experienced radio failure after takeoff and became lost in circumnaving class B airspace around dallas/ft worth. The student, not having any other airports in sight, landed at the military station. Contributing factors: student had been briefed and assisted with preflight planning by CFI on sep/thu/03. This included instructions to file a flight plan and obtain flight following (which the student had done on previous dual cross country flts). The flight planning included circumnaving the dfw airspace by flying south to a designated point then west to a designated point and then to eastland where we would refuel. Radio frequencys for the flight and printouts on each airport of intended landing were given to the student. The flight was approved for sep/fri/03, pending good WX. The student was given the instructor's phone number for any questions, change of plan, etc. Appropriate logbook endorsements were done for a student cross country from mesquite, tx, to ft stockton, tx, on sep/fri/03. The student waited until sep/sat/03, to actually make the flight without further contact with the instructor. The student did not file a flight plan. The student did not obtain 'flight following.' although the student did squawk 7600 and rock his wings while approaching to land, he did not pass the tower, circle the field or obtain a green light prior to landing. It is not known whether the student knew of his radio problems prior to or shortly after takeoff and still continued the flight. How it was discovered: the student called the instructor from the military base at ft worth. I talked with the chief on duty who confirmed the radio failure and after confirming that the student had adequate insurance coverage on his plane cleared him to fly for repairs. Corrective actions: student was told by instructor to discontinue the trip to ft stockton and return to mesquite (via lancaster airport to circumnav class B). Student was given instruction in emergency procedures at controled airports. Discussion of condition of magnetic compass arose. Discussion of questionable judgement points were reviewed. Aircraft radio is being repaired. Human performance considerations: perceptions, judgements, decisions: student should not have made trip on day other than was signed off in logbook (even though WX was excellent) without instructor approval. If student had filed a flight plan and obtained flight following the problem would not have occurred. If student continued or initiated flight knowing of radio problems this was a judgement error. It was discovered later that the student felt pressured to make the trip because of business in ft stockton, so this may have influenced him, inappropriately, to continue the flight. Actions or inactions: the student did not contact the flight instructor when the flight was delayed by a day or in the face of equipment problems, but in fact when questioned specifically about the condition of the radios had confirmed everything to be in working order. The student did not follow the instructor's requirements to file a flight plan or obtain flight following. It is not known at what point the radio failure was discovered, but it is questioned if a decision was made to 'push on.' factors affecting quality of human performance: there is a question as to whether the need to be in ft stockton took precedence over the fact that this was a training flight (on the part of the student). Student did not proceed as approved by the instructor. Student in the past had demonstrated responsible actions in his aviation activities as a student with his own airplane by obtaining appropriate instruction and endorsements for solo and cross country flts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 STUDENT PLT HAD VHF RADIO FAILURE AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT A MIL FIELD.

Narrative: DESCRIPTION OF EVENT: STUDENT WHO OWNS HIS OWN PLANE WAS ON A XCOUNTRY FLT WHEN HIS RADIO FAILED (NAV AND COM). HE BECAME LOST AND LANDED AT A MIL ARPT. HE WAS LATER CLRED TO A NEARBY ARPT TO HAVE HIS RADIO REPAIRED (ACTUALLY A 'LOANER' WAS INSTALLED AT THAT TIME). HE RETURNED TO HIS DEP ARPT (MESQUITE, TX) WITHOUT INCIDENT. HE SQUAWKED 7600 ON THE XPONDER AND ROCKED HIS WINGS ON APCH, BUT CONTINUED THE APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT EVER RECEIVING A GREEN LIGHT. MIL ACFT WERE ACTIVE ON THE SURFACE AT THE ARPT. HOW PROB AROSE: STUDENT EXPERIENCED RADIO FAILURE AFTER TKOF AND BECAME LOST IN CIRCUMNAVING CLASS B AIRSPACE AROUND DALLAS/FT WORTH. THE STUDENT, NOT HAVING ANY OTHER ARPTS IN SIGHT, LANDED AT THE MIL STATION. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: STUDENT HAD BEEN BRIEFED AND ASSISTED WITH PREFLT PLANNING BY CFI ON SEP/THU/03. THIS INCLUDED INSTRUCTIONS TO FILE A FLT PLAN AND OBTAIN FLT FOLLOWING (WHICH THE STUDENT HAD DONE ON PREVIOUS DUAL XCOUNTRY FLTS). THE FLT PLANNING INCLUDED CIRCUMNAVING THE DFW AIRSPACE BY FLYING S TO A DESIGNATED POINT THEN W TO A DESIGNATED POINT AND THEN TO EASTLAND WHERE WE WOULD REFUEL. RADIO FREQS FOR THE FLT AND PRINTOUTS ON EACH ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG WERE GIVEN TO THE STUDENT. THE FLT WAS APPROVED FOR SEP/FRI/03, PENDING GOOD WX. THE STUDENT WAS GIVEN THE INSTRUCTOR'S PHONE NUMBER FOR ANY QUESTIONS, CHANGE OF PLAN, ETC. APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENDORSEMENTS WERE DONE FOR A STUDENT XCOUNTRY FROM MESQUITE, TX, TO FT STOCKTON, TX, ON SEP/FRI/03. THE STUDENT WAITED UNTIL SEP/SAT/03, TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE FLT WITHOUT FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE INSTRUCTOR. THE STUDENT DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN. THE STUDENT DID NOT OBTAIN 'FLT FOLLOWING.' ALTHOUGH THE STUDENT DID SQUAWK 7600 AND ROCK HIS WINGS WHILE APCHING TO LAND, HE DID NOT PASS THE TWR, CIRCLE THE FIELD OR OBTAIN A GREEN LIGHT PRIOR TO LNDG. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER THE STUDENT KNEW OF HIS RADIO PROBS PRIOR TO OR SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AND STILL CONTINUED THE FLT. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: THE STUDENT CALLED THE INSTRUCTOR FROM THE MIL BASE AT FT WORTH. I TALKED WITH THE CHIEF ON DUTY WHO CONFIRMED THE RADIO FAILURE AND AFTER CONFIRMING THAT THE STUDENT HAD ADEQUATE INSURANCE COVERAGE ON HIS PLANE CLRED HIM TO FLY FOR REPAIRS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: STUDENT WAS TOLD BY INSTRUCTOR TO DISCONTINUE THE TRIP TO FT STOCKTON AND RETURN TO MESQUITE (VIA LANCASTER ARPT TO CIRCUMNAV CLASS B). STUDENT WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTION IN EMER PROCS AT CTLED ARPTS. DISCUSSION OF CONDITION OF MAGNETIC COMPASS AROSE. DISCUSSION OF QUESTIONABLE JUDGEMENT POINTS WERE REVIEWED. ACFT RADIO IS BEING REPAIRED. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: PERCEPTIONS, JUDGEMENTS, DECISIONS: STUDENT SHOULD NOT HAVE MADE TRIP ON DAY OTHER THAN WAS SIGNED OFF IN LOGBOOK (EVEN THOUGH WX WAS EXCELLENT) WITHOUT INSTRUCTOR APPROVAL. IF STUDENT HAD FILED A FLT PLAN AND OBTAINED FLT FOLLOWING THE PROB WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. IF STUDENT CONTINUED OR INITIATED FLT KNOWING OF RADIO PROBS THIS WAS A JUDGEMENT ERROR. IT WAS DISCOVERED LATER THAT THE STUDENT FELT PRESSURED TO MAKE THE TRIP BECAUSE OF BUSINESS IN FT STOCKTON, SO THIS MAY HAVE INFLUENCED HIM, INAPPROPRIATELY, TO CONTINUE THE FLT. ACTIONS OR INACTIONS: THE STUDENT DID NOT CONTACT THE FLT INSTRUCTOR WHEN THE FLT WAS DELAYED BY A DAY OR IN THE FACE OF EQUIP PROBS, BUT IN FACT WHEN QUESTIONED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE RADIOS HAD CONFIRMED EVERYTHING TO BE IN WORKING ORDER. THE STUDENT DID NOT FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTOR'S REQUIREMENTS TO FILE A FLT PLAN OR OBTAIN FLT FOLLOWING. IT IS NOT KNOWN AT WHAT POINT THE RADIO FAILURE WAS DISCOVERED, BUT IT IS QUESTIONED IF A DECISION WAS MADE TO 'PUSH ON.' FACTORS AFFECTING QUALITY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE: THERE IS A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THE NEED TO BE IN FT STOCKTON TOOK PRECEDENCE OVER THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A TRAINING FLT (ON THE PART OF THE STUDENT). STUDENT DID NOT PROCEED AS APPROVED BY THE INSTRUCTOR. STUDENT IN THE PAST HAD DEMONSTRATED RESPONSIBLE ACTIONS IN HIS AVIATION ACTIVITIES AS A STUDENT WITH HIS OWN AIRPLANE BY OBTAINING APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION AND ENDORSEMENTS FOR SOLO AND 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.