Narrative:

I; a student pilot; was making my second cross country flight. At uin; I closed my flight plan and checked the WX on the FBO computer for any changes. After which; I filed my return plan. The return course was 143 degrees with all corrections calculated and a flight altitude of 5500 ft. The aircraft is equipped with 2 vors that were being used to verify the crossover point of my chkpoints. Though the aircraft does have a GPS; that was turned off for the flight. The first 2 chkpoints were confirmed against the sectional and verified with the vors. On the way to the third chkpoint; there was another landmark about 1/3 of the way that I wanted to locate. At that point; I noticed my vors were no longer receiving a reliable signal and I was unable to locate this other landmark. Without realizing it; I was being blown off course. I later found the winds increased from 20-30 KTS. While maintaining my altitude; started noticing the landscape was changing. I verified my directional gyro with the compass and found them different. I realigned the directional gyro to the compass and before I knew it; I determined I was lost. After unsuccessfully trying to get the vors tuned in to get a fix on my location; I found 2 coal fire powerplants. I dropped down to around 2000 ft after passing over the powerplants to see if I could make out anything that would aid me in locating my position. During this time; I thought I spotted the illinois state capital and turned away from the city. It was at that point I could have encroached on spi's class C airspace. As one last attempt to get a fix; I turned on the GPS and pushed enough buttons that the display showed the nearest airport. I landed and made calls. I explained my situation and was preparing a northwest flight plan back to 3SQ. I called wxbrief for a briefing. I called back to 3SQ and talked to the flight instructor who signed off my original flight plan and got a verbal that the new flight plan was good. There were no office personnel that knew if a facsimile machine was available for the instructor to facsimile authority/authorized to continue the trip home. As a safety measure; I topped the fuel tanks (20.2 gallons) before heading out into the strong headwinds. The plane has 50 gallon capacity. I selected this return course to prevent any possibility of being blown into spi's airspace and there was only 1 course change to be made at taz. With the exception of the sun being in my eyes; the return trip was uneventful. I used the directional gyro to taz and was working with the vors and got them operating again. When I made the turn at tax to 3SQ; I used the GPS to verify the entire leg back with the VOR as backup. The landing was made. There was just enough light I could see the runway as I crossed over the field and the runway lights were just starting to become visible on final. After landing; I contacted wxbrief and informed them of my safe return.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON HIS SECOND SOLO XCOUNTRY GETS LOST AND MAY HAVE ENTERED CLASS C AIRSPACE WHILE DETERMINING HIS POS.

Narrative: I; A STUDENT PLT; WAS MAKING MY SECOND XCOUNTRY FLT. AT UIN; I CLOSED MY FLT PLAN AND CHKED THE WX ON THE FBO COMPUTER FOR ANY CHANGES. AFTER WHICH; I FILED MY RETURN PLAN. THE RETURN COURSE WAS 143 DEGS WITH ALL CORRECTIONS CALCULATED AND A FLT ALT OF 5500 FT. THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH 2 VORS THAT WERE BEING USED TO VERIFY THE CROSSOVER POINT OF MY CHKPOINTS. THOUGH THE ACFT DOES HAVE A GPS; THAT WAS TURNED OFF FOR THE FLT. THE FIRST 2 CHKPOINTS WERE CONFIRMED AGAINST THE SECTIONAL AND VERIFIED WITH THE VORS. ON THE WAY TO THE THIRD CHKPOINT; THERE WAS ANOTHER LANDMARK ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY THAT I WANTED TO LOCATE. AT THAT POINT; I NOTICED MY VORS WERE NO LONGER RECEIVING A RELIABLE SIGNAL AND I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THIS OTHER LANDMARK. WITHOUT REALIZING IT; I WAS BEING BLOWN OFF COURSE. I LATER FOUND THE WINDS INCREASED FROM 20-30 KTS. WHILE MAINTAINING MY ALT; STARTED NOTICING THE LANDSCAPE WAS CHANGING. I VERIFIED MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO WITH THE COMPASS AND FOUND THEM DIFFERENT. I REALIGNED THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO TO THE COMPASS AND BEFORE I KNEW IT; I DETERMINED I WAS LOST. AFTER UNSUCCESSFULLY TRYING TO GET THE VORS TUNED IN TO GET A FIX ON MY LOCATION; I FOUND 2 COAL FIRE POWERPLANTS. I DROPPED DOWN TO AROUND 2000 FT AFTER PASSING OVER THE POWERPLANTS TO SEE IF I COULD MAKE OUT ANYTHING THAT WOULD AID ME IN LOCATING MY POS. DURING THIS TIME; I THOUGHT I SPOTTED THE ILLINOIS STATE CAPITAL AND TURNED AWAY FROM THE CITY. IT WAS AT THAT POINT I COULD HAVE ENCROACHED ON SPI'S CLASS C AIRSPACE. AS ONE LAST ATTEMPT TO GET A FIX; I TURNED ON THE GPS AND PUSHED ENOUGH BUTTONS THAT THE DISPLAY SHOWED THE NEAREST ARPT. I LANDED AND MADE CALLS. I EXPLAINED MY SIT AND WAS PREPARING A NW FLT PLAN BACK TO 3SQ. I CALLED WXBRIEF FOR A BRIEFING. I CALLED BACK TO 3SQ AND TALKED TO THE FLT INSTRUCTOR WHO SIGNED OFF MY ORIGINAL FLT PLAN AND GOT A VERBAL THAT THE NEW FLT PLAN WAS GOOD. THERE WERE NO OFFICE PERSONNEL THAT KNEW IF A FAX MACHINE WAS AVAILABLE FOR THE INSTRUCTOR TO FAX AUTH TO CONTINUE THE TRIP HOME. AS A SAFETY MEASURE; I TOPPED THE FUEL TANKS (20.2 GALLONS) BEFORE HEADING OUT INTO THE STRONG HEADWINDS. THE PLANE HAS 50 GALLON CAPACITY. I SELECTED THIS RETURN COURSE TO PREVENT ANY POSSIBILITY OF BEING BLOWN INTO SPI'S AIRSPACE AND THERE WAS ONLY 1 COURSE CHANGE TO BE MADE AT TAZ. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SUN BEING IN MY EYES; THE RETURN TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. I USED THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO TO TAZ AND WAS WORKING WITH THE VORS AND GOT THEM OPERATING AGAIN. WHEN I MADE THE TURN AT TAX TO 3SQ; I USED THE GPS TO VERIFY THE ENTIRE LEG BACK WITH THE VOR AS BACKUP. THE LNDG WAS MADE. THERE WAS JUST ENOUGH LIGHT I COULD SEE THE RWY AS I CROSSED OVER THE FIELD AND THE RWY LIGHTS WERE JUST STARTING TO BECOME VISIBLE ON FINAL. AFTER LNDG; I CONTACTED WXBRIEF AND INFORMED THEM OF MY SAFE RETURN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.