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Student pilot on a cross country gets lost. Eventually follows highway back to the vicinity of his home airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 814198 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200811 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl single value : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | other |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Amateur (Home) Built |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 18.5 flight time total : 74.3 flight time type : 3.7 |
| ASRS Report | 814198 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
The flight was from ZZZ to ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 then back to ZZZ. I did not make the whole flight. That day the WX advisory said there was a 10 SM visibility; but there was a haze when I was flying. The map I was using had multiple lines drawn over landmarks from previous flts. I could not find any familiar landmarks on the map and was off course before my third chkpoint. I considered myself lost. I went through the lost procedures; but still had no familiar landmarks. I tried contacting ZZZ radio service but there was no signal. At that time; I spotted a large highway going east; although I did not know what highway I was flying over -- on the map all hwys going east led to or within a few mi from ZZZ airport. I flew above the highway until I was close enough to communicate with ZZZ radio. I told them I had been lost for a while. They told me to squawk 7700; but immediately I knew where I was. I was in my training area. I communicated to radio that I needed no further assistance. I was then told to switch back to 1200. About 10 mins later; I had landed at ZZZ.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: STUDENT PILOT ON A CROSS COUNTRY GETS LOST. EVENTUALLY FOLLOWS HIGHWAY BACK TO THE VICINITY OF HIS HOME AIRPORT.
Narrative: THE FLT WAS FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 THEN BACK TO ZZZ. I DID NOT MAKE THE WHOLE FLT. THAT DAY THE WX ADVISORY SAID THERE WAS A 10 SM VISIBILITY; BUT THERE WAS A HAZE WHEN I WAS FLYING. THE MAP I WAS USING HAD MULTIPLE LINES DRAWN OVER LANDMARKS FROM PREVIOUS FLTS. I COULD NOT FIND ANY FAMILIAR LANDMARKS ON THE MAP AND WAS OFF COURSE BEFORE MY THIRD CHKPOINT. I CONSIDERED MYSELF LOST. I WENT THROUGH THE LOST PROCS; BUT STILL HAD NO FAMILIAR LANDMARKS. I TRIED CONTACTING ZZZ RADIO SVC BUT THERE WAS NO SIGNAL. AT THAT TIME; I SPOTTED A LARGE HWY GOING E; ALTHOUGH I DID NOT KNOW WHAT HWY I WAS FLYING OVER -- ON THE MAP ALL HWYS GOING E LED TO OR WITHIN A FEW MI FROM ZZZ ARPT. I FLEW ABOVE THE HWY UNTIL I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO COMMUNICATE WITH ZZZ RADIO. I TOLD THEM I HAD BEEN LOST FOR A WHILE. THEY TOLD ME TO SQUAWK 7700; BUT IMMEDIATELY I KNEW WHERE I WAS. I WAS IN MY TRAINING AREA. I COMMUNICATED TO RADIO THAT I NEEDED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. I WAS THEN TOLD TO SWITCH BACK TO 1200. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER; I HAD LANDED AT ZZZ.
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.