Student pilot on crosscountry with CFI on board gets lost and requests flight assist.

Attributes
ACN	97924
Time
Date	198811
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mad
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1300 msl bound upper : 1300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bdl
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 970
ASRS Report	97924
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on a cross country training flight my student flew off course and was not sure of her position. She then contacted bdl approach and said she was lost and asked for vectors to her destination. The approach controller instructed her to squawk 7700 and then told her of her position and gave her a heading to the destination airport. When ATC found out that a flight instrument was on board they asked me to call the tower. When I did they said they would make a report and submit it to GADO. We never declared an emergency and were never asked by ATC if an emergency situation existed and if ATC was going to treat a lost pilot as an emergency situation, they should at least ask how much fuel is on board, which they never did. This incident would have never happened if the controller did not use 7700 as a squawk code for a position fix and confirmed that the lost pilot was indeed in distress and wanted priority treatment.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON CROSSCOUNTRY WITH CFI ON BOARD GETS LOST AND REQUESTS FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: WHILE ON A XCOUNTRY TRNING FLT MY STUDENT FLEW OFF COURSE AND WAS NOT SURE OF HER POS. SHE THEN CONTACTED BDL APCH AND SAID SHE WAS LOST AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO HER DEST. THE APCH CTLR INSTRUCTED HER TO SQUAWK 7700 AND THEN TOLD HER OF HER POS AND GAVE HER A HDG TO THE DEST ARPT. WHEN ATC FOUND OUT THAT A FLT INSTR WAS ON BOARD THEY ASKED ME TO CALL THE TWR. WHEN I DID THEY SAID THEY WOULD MAKE A RPT AND SUBMIT IT TO GADO. WE NEVER DECLARED AN EMER AND WERE NEVER ASKED BY ATC IF AN EMER SITUATION EXISTED AND IF ATC WAS GOING TO TREAT A LOST PLT AS AN EMER SITUATION, THEY SHOULD AT LEAST ASK HOW MUCH FUEL IS ON BOARD, WHICH THEY NEVER DID. THIS INCIDENT WOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED IF THE CTLR DID NOT USE 7700 AS A SQUAWK CODE FOR A POS FIX AND CONFIRMED THAT THE LOST PLT WAS INDEED IN DISTRESS AND WANTED PRIORITY TREATMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.