Narrative:

Aircraft X called the morgan sector; requested VFR flight following to rhv; and said he was unsure of his position. I told pilot to squawk XXXX. No transponder was observed on my display. I asked aircraft X departure airport and current altitude. The pilot said departed mce and now at 4400 ft. I issued rhv altimeter; told pilot to reset transponder; and asked current heading. Pilot said heading 310 degrees. I asked pilot what he saw; and he said a reservoir. An intermittent primary target was on the turlock display near san luis reservoir; which I thought might be aircraft X. I suggested aircraft X fly wbound if able; where there is better radar coverage. I asked the pilot if he saw anything else and he said a bridge. I asked how long since he had departed mce and he said about an hour. Thinking aircraft X might now be north of the bay area; I called C1-1 to see if they had observed an XXXX squawk code in their area. Reply was negative. I then had pilot squawk 7700 and called tmu to see if they saw a 7700 code anywhere. Reply was negative. The pilot then said he saw an airport with runway 29 and runway 30R; which is sjc. Tmu called and said they saw 7700 code 8 mi southeast of sfo near sql. I instructed aircraft X to turn sbound away from sfo finals. I then informed woodside sector about the aircraft and xferred communication to 135.65. Supplemental information from acn 738460: while working the woodside position; I cleared a crj for the tipp toe visual runway 28L approach. After he was cleared; he stated he had traffic under his nose moving to his 10 O'clock position. I asked for the aircraft's altitude and he said about 4000 ft. The target was non-idented/non-transponder at the time of the conflict. After the morgan controller called me and advised me that he had a disoriented aircraft/pilot on his frequency in the sql area; I later idented the aircraft on a sbound heading over the osi VOR at 4500 ft. I directed the aircraft to the rhv airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NCT CTLR DESCRIBED PLTDEV INVOLVING LOST PLT WHO ENTERED SFO CLASS B AND CONFLICTED WITH ACR LNDG SFO.

Narrative: ACFT X CALLED THE MORGAN SECTOR; REQUESTED VFR FLT FOLLOWING TO RHV; AND SAID HE WAS UNSURE OF HIS POS. I TOLD PLT TO SQUAWK XXXX. NO XPONDER WAS OBSERVED ON MY DISPLAY. I ASKED ACFT X DEP ARPT AND CURRENT ALT. THE PLT SAID DEPARTED MCE AND NOW AT 4400 FT. I ISSUED RHV ALTIMETER; TOLD PLT TO RESET XPONDER; AND ASKED CURRENT HDG. PLT SAID HDG 310 DEGS. I ASKED PLT WHAT HE SAW; AND HE SAID A RESERVOIR. AN INTERMITTENT PRIMARY TARGET WAS ON THE TURLOCK DISPLAY NEAR SAN LUIS RESERVOIR; WHICH I THOUGHT MIGHT BE ACFT X. I SUGGESTED ACFT X FLY WBOUND IF ABLE; WHERE THERE IS BETTER RADAR COVERAGE. I ASKED THE PLT IF HE SAW ANYTHING ELSE AND HE SAID A BRIDGE. I ASKED HOW LONG SINCE HE HAD DEPARTED MCE AND HE SAID ABOUT AN HR. THINKING ACFT X MIGHT NOW BE N OF THE BAY AREA; I CALLED C1-1 TO SEE IF THEY HAD OBSERVED AN XXXX SQUAWK CODE IN THEIR AREA. REPLY WAS NEGATIVE. I THEN HAD PLT SQUAWK 7700 AND CALLED TMU TO SEE IF THEY SAW A 7700 CODE ANYWHERE. REPLY WAS NEGATIVE. THE PLT THEN SAID HE SAW AN ARPT WITH RWY 29 AND RWY 30R; WHICH IS SJC. TMU CALLED AND SAID THEY SAW 7700 CODE 8 MI SE OF SFO NEAR SQL. I INSTRUCTED ACFT X TO TURN SBOUND AWAY FROM SFO FINALS. I THEN INFORMED WOODSIDE SECTOR ABOUT THE ACFT AND XFERRED COM TO 135.65. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 738460: WHILE WORKING THE WOODSIDE POS; I CLRED A CRJ FOR THE TIPP TOE VISUAL RWY 28L APCH. AFTER HE WAS CLRED; HE STATED HE HAD TFC UNDER HIS NOSE MOVING TO HIS 10 O'CLOCK POS. I ASKED FOR THE ACFT'S ALT AND HE SAID ABOUT 4000 FT. THE TARGET WAS NON-IDENTED/NON-XPONDER AT THE TIME OF THE CONFLICT. AFTER THE MORGAN CTLR CALLED ME AND ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD A DISORIENTED ACFT/PLT ON HIS FREQ IN THE SQL AREA; I LATER IDENTED THE ACFT ON A SBOUND HDG OVER THE OSI VOR AT 4500 FT. I DIRECTED THE ACFT TO THE RHV ARPT.

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.