Narrative:

I departed ZZZ and tower told me to follow a heading of 110 degrees; even though my heading to go back home was 119 degrees. My first couple of chkpoints seemed to go smoothly. I crossed them on time with the radials from the abc VOR. Originally I thought nothing of the 110 degree heading. I figured they were sending me 9 degrees off because they were diverting me from traffic. Yet they never re-corrected my heading; and that is when I think I started to get lost. I had been cruising for about 20 mins now; and I began to realize that I couldn't find or recognize any of my distant chkpoints. I tried xchking with VOR's and contacting ZZZ1 and ZZZ2. Nothing was working though because I later realized I was too far away to come in contact with any of them. So as I was trying to figure out where I was; I all of a sudden came upon a big city. I immediately recognized it to be xyz city because of all the lakes around it. Immediately I contacted ZZZ3 approach and asked for a heading to get back home. They told me 55 degrees; and I turned in the direction; but my heading still seemed off. Approach contacted me and told me I was flying a heading of 120 degrees instead of 55 degrees. My heading indicator was off by 65 degrees; and this is what was ultimately throwing me off course. I hadn't checked the heading indicator for precession for at least 30 mins; but I didn't think to. This was mainly due to the fact that on the first and second legs the heading indicator had barely precessed at all. I then changed my heading and got back to ZZZ2 with the magnetic compass only. I couldn't go all the way back home because of a couple of reasons. First; I was close to exceeding the limit of 1 hour of fuel left day or night according to the SOP's at the flight school. I landed at ZZZ2 with 8.5 gallons of fuel left. Secondly; I didn't have a night solo endorsement; and it was a few mins before it was actually considered nighttime when I landed at ZZZ2. After landing; I taxied over to the FBO and waited for my flight instructor to pick me up and take me back home. There were a few problems I had encountered at ZZZ; and I believe they added no help to the situation to begin with. After I landed at ZZZ (my destination on the second leg of my cross country) and gotten fuel; I contacted tower like they had requested after I had gotten there. Tower told me to taxi to runway 7 by B-9 and they also told me to contact departure. I thought that to be weird since tower has to give the clearance to takeoff/land not departure. Yet; as soon as I contacted departure; they got irritated and told me to back to tower. They obviously had communication problems; and it was all very confusing. Also; my push-to-talk button barely worked on my yoke. I had to click it 5 or 6 times just to give an understandable response to the tl tower. These things I believe didn't help the situation at all. Overall; I feel I could've done a few things better to help prevent me from getting lost. In the first place; I should've checked the heading indicator every 15 mins for precession like I have been instructed to. Instead; I relied on the fact that the first 2 legs it had barely precessed at all; which wasn't a very smart thing to do. Also; when I had gotten lost; I could've contacted flight watch; or climbed higher to better get my bearings. I did do a few things right though. I was aware of the fact that I didn't have a solo night endorsement so I made sure that I wouldn't break a regulation by getting on the ground before it turned to nighttime. I also crosschecked with VOR's and tried contacting controled airports. These were good lost procedures that I followed to help me find where I was. Getting lost was a learning experience; and I hope to never make the same mistakes again that I made on my last flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILURE TO MONITOR PRECESSION ON HER DG LEADS STUDENT PLT OF C152 ASTRAY.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ZZZ AND TWR TOLD ME TO FOLLOW A HDG OF 110 DEGS; EVEN THOUGH MY HDG TO GO BACK HOME WAS 119 DEGS. MY FIRST COUPLE OF CHKPOINTS SEEMED TO GO SMOOTHLY. I CROSSED THEM ON TIME WITH THE RADIALS FROM THE ABC VOR. ORIGINALLY I THOUGHT NOTHING OF THE 110 DEG HDG. I FIGURED THEY WERE SENDING ME 9 DEGS OFF BECAUSE THEY WERE DIVERTING ME FROM TFC. YET THEY NEVER RE-CORRECTED MY HDG; AND THAT IS WHEN I THINK I STARTED TO GET LOST. I HAD BEEN CRUISING FOR ABOUT 20 MINS NOW; AND I BEGAN TO REALIZE THAT I COULDN'T FIND OR RECOGNIZE ANY OF MY DISTANT CHKPOINTS. I TRIED XCHKING WITH VOR'S AND CONTACTING ZZZ1 AND ZZZ2. NOTHING WAS WORKING THOUGH BECAUSE I LATER REALIZED I WAS TOO FAR AWAY TO COME IN CONTACT WITH ANY OF THEM. SO AS I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE I WAS; I ALL OF A SUDDEN CAME UPON A BIG CITY. I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED IT TO BE XYZ CITY BECAUSE OF ALL THE LAKES AROUND IT. IMMEDIATELY I CONTACTED ZZZ3 APCH AND ASKED FOR A HDG TO GET BACK HOME. THEY TOLD ME 55 DEGS; AND I TURNED IN THE DIRECTION; BUT MY HDG STILL SEEMED OFF. APCH CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME I WAS FLYING A HDG OF 120 DEGS INSTEAD OF 55 DEGS. MY HDG INDICATOR WAS OFF BY 65 DEGS; AND THIS IS WHAT WAS ULTIMATELY THROWING ME OFF COURSE. I HADN'T CHKED THE HDG INDICATOR FOR PRECESSION FOR AT LEAST 30 MINS; BUT I DIDN'T THINK TO. THIS WAS MAINLY DUE TO THE FACT THAT ON THE FIRST AND SECOND LEGS THE HDG INDICATOR HAD BARELY PRECESSED AT ALL. I THEN CHANGED MY HDG AND GOT BACK TO ZZZ2 WITH THE MAGNETIC COMPASS ONLY. I COULDN'T GO ALL THE WAY BACK HOME BECAUSE OF A COUPLE OF REASONS. FIRST; I WAS CLOSE TO EXCEEDING THE LIMIT OF 1 HR OF FUEL LEFT DAY OR NIGHT ACCORDING TO THE SOP'S AT THE FLT SCHOOL. I LANDED AT ZZZ2 WITH 8.5 GALLONS OF FUEL LEFT. SECONDLY; I DIDN'T HAVE A NIGHT SOLO ENDORSEMENT; AND IT WAS A FEW MINS BEFORE IT WAS ACTUALLY CONSIDERED NIGHTTIME WHEN I LANDED AT ZZZ2. AFTER LNDG; I TAXIED OVER TO THE FBO AND WAITED FOR MY FLT INSTRUCTOR TO PICK ME UP AND TAKE ME BACK HOME. THERE WERE A FEW PROBS I HAD ENCOUNTERED AT ZZZ; AND I BELIEVE THEY ADDED NO HELP TO THE SITUATION TO BEGIN WITH. AFTER I LANDED AT ZZZ (MY DEST ON THE SECOND LEG OF MY XCOUNTRY) AND GOTTEN FUEL; I CONTACTED TWR LIKE THEY HAD REQUESTED AFTER I HAD GOTTEN THERE. TWR TOLD ME TO TAXI TO RWY 7 BY B-9 AND THEY ALSO TOLD ME TO CONTACT DEP. I THOUGHT THAT TO BE WEIRD SINCE TWR HAS TO GIVE THE CLRNC TO TKOF/LAND NOT DEP. YET; AS SOON AS I CONTACTED DEP; THEY GOT IRRITATED AND TOLD ME TO BACK TO TWR. THEY OBVIOUSLY HAD COM PROBS; AND IT WAS ALL VERY CONFUSING. ALSO; MY PUSH-TO-TALK BUTTON BARELY WORKED ON MY YOKE. I HAD TO CLICK IT 5 OR 6 TIMES JUST TO GIVE AN UNDERSTANDABLE RESPONSE TO THE TL TWR. THESE THINGS I BELIEVE DIDN'T HELP THE SITUATION AT ALL. OVERALL; I FEEL I COULD'VE DONE A FEW THINGS BETTER TO HELP PREVENT ME FROM GETTING LOST. IN THE FIRST PLACE; I SHOULD'VE CHKED THE HDG INDICATOR EVERY 15 MINS FOR PRECESSION LIKE I HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO. INSTEAD; I RELIED ON THE FACT THAT THE FIRST 2 LEGS IT HAD BARELY PRECESSED AT ALL; WHICH WASN'T A VERY SMART THING TO DO. ALSO; WHEN I HAD GOTTEN LOST; I COULD'VE CONTACTED FLT WATCH; OR CLBED HIGHER TO BETTER GET MY BEARINGS. I DID DO A FEW THINGS RIGHT THOUGH. I WAS AWARE OF THE FACT THAT I DIDN'T HAVE A SOLO NIGHT ENDORSEMENT SO I MADE SURE THAT I WOULDN'T BREAK A REG BY GETTING ON THE GND BEFORE IT TURNED TO NIGHTTIME. I ALSO XCHKED WITH VOR'S AND TRIED CONTACTING CTLED ARPTS. THESE WERE GOOD LOST PROCS THAT I FOLLOWED TO HELP ME FIND WHERE I WAS. GETTING LOST WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE; AND I HOPE TO NEVER MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES AGAIN THAT I MADE ON MY LAST FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.