Narrative:

I am a student pilot and I have landed at ZZZ airport due to an emergency. I was on my first solo cross country and my flight plan was to include 1 stop. I reached my destination at XA35; refueled the aircraft and left for home. On my way back; I was following my flight plan checking my check points properly till the south end of the lake when suddenly the directional gyro and attitude indicator stopped working. I was maintaining my heading 213 degrees but found myself at an unfamiliar location. I realized that I was lost and trying to locate myself but was unable to do so due to darkness. Then I was looking for an alternate airport to land safely. I then found an airport with 3 runways and I realized that it was a major airport; as I could see a few big aircraft there approaching. I turned back to follow the 4 C's for lost procedures (climb; confess; communication; and confess) as I was not supposed to enter a major airport. I also had an engine failure on turning back and it resumed immediately. Then I realized that it was an emergency and I transmitted 'mayday' and returned back to the airport which I earlier approached. I tried ZZZ approach and it proved to be a failure. Then after a while I heard a voice on the radio guide me and I explained myself to him and as per his instructions; I landed on the nearest runway immediately. I was complying with his instructions. He also monitored my frequency; which I transmitted; and ensured that I landed on the runway available. After I landed I couldn't realize where I landed and later I came to know that I landed at ZZZ. I was assisted by the cops and officials at the airport after my landing. Since I didn't know the txwys; I was asked to leave the aircraft and they took me to the police station. I was then 'intervened' about the details of my flight and I explained myself to them; including the details of my passport and the school I am flying with. I was made to wait in the security vehicle till an instructor from my school arrived. Later I was taken again to the airport police station. After all formalities were completed; I was let go with my instructor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON-CITIZEN STUDENT PLT IS LOST ON SOLO CROSS COUNTRY. EQUIPMENT FAILURES PROMPT EMERGENCY DECLARATION AND LANDING AT MAJOR ARPT.

Narrative: I AM A STUDENT PLT AND I HAVE LANDED AT ZZZ ARPT DUE TO AN EMER. I WAS ON MY FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY AND MY FLT PLAN WAS TO INCLUDE 1 STOP. I REACHED MY DEST AT XA35; REFUELED THE ACFT AND LEFT FOR HOME. ON MY WAY BACK; I WAS FOLLOWING MY FLT PLAN CHKING MY CHK POINTS PROPERLY TILL THE S END OF THE LAKE WHEN SUDDENLY THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AND ATTITUDE INDICATOR STOPPED WORKING. I WAS MAINTAINING MY HDG 213 DEGS BUT FOUND MYSELF AT AN UNFAMILIAR LOCATION. I REALIZED THAT I WAS LOST AND TRYING TO LOCATE MYSELF BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO DUE TO DARKNESS. THEN I WAS LOOKING FOR AN ALTERNATE ARPT TO LAND SAFELY. I THEN FOUND AN ARPT WITH 3 RWYS AND I REALIZED THAT IT WAS A MAJOR ARPT; AS I COULD SEE A FEW BIG ACFT THERE APCHING. I TURNED BACK TO FOLLOW THE 4 C'S FOR LOST PROCS (CLB; CONFESS; COM; AND CONFESS) AS I WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO ENTER A MAJOR ARPT. I ALSO HAD AN ENG FAILURE ON TURNING BACK AND IT RESUMED IMMEDIATELY. THEN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS AN EMER AND I XMITTED 'MAYDAY' AND RETURNED BACK TO THE ARPT WHICH I EARLIER APCHED. I TRIED ZZZ APCH AND IT PROVED TO BE A FAILURE. THEN AFTER A WHILE I HEARD A VOICE ON THE RADIO GUIDE ME AND I EXPLAINED MYSELF TO HIM AND AS PER HIS INSTRUCTIONS; I LANDED ON THE NEAREST RWY IMMEDIATELY. I WAS COMPLYING WITH HIS INSTRUCTIONS. HE ALSO MONITORED MY FREQ; WHICH I XMITTED; AND ENSURED THAT I LANDED ON THE RWY AVAILABLE. AFTER I LANDED I COULDN'T REALIZE WHERE I LANDED AND LATER I CAME TO KNOW THAT I LANDED AT ZZZ. I WAS ASSISTED BY THE COPS AND OFFICIALS AT THE ARPT AFTER MY LNDG. SINCE I DIDN'T KNOW THE TXWYS; I WAS ASKED TO LEAVE THE ACFT AND THEY TOOK ME TO THE POLICE STATION. I WAS THEN 'INTERVENED' ABOUT THE DETAILS OF MY FLT AND I EXPLAINED MYSELF TO THEM; INCLUDING THE DETAILS OF MY PASSPORT AND THE SCHOOL I AM FLYING WITH. I WAS MADE TO WAIT IN THE SECURITY VEHICLE TILL AN INSTRUCTOR FROM MY SCHOOL ARRIVED. LATER I WAS TAKEN AGAIN TO THE ARPT POLICE STATION. AFTER ALL FORMALITIES WERE COMPLETED; I WAS LET GO WITH MY INSTRUCTOR.

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.