STUDENT PLT ON XCOUNTRY FLT BECAME DISORIENTED AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A TCA.

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THE RPTR OF THIS EVENT IS A COMMERCIAL STUDENT PLT ENROLLED AT SCHOOL OF AVIATION; TRAINING FOR HIS COMMERCIAL CERTIFICATE. THIS TRAINING RTE (HYW-ISO-CHO- GSP-HYW) WAS HIS SEVENTH SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. THE ISSUE WAS/IS THAT THE STUDENT DID NOT KNOW THAT HE WAS LOST UNTIL HE CONTACTED THE CLT APCH. THE STUDENT PLANNED TO CONTACT GREER (GSP) APCH APPROX 20 NM FROM THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT; AND THE FACT THAT HE GOT THROUGH; MADE HIM BELIEVE THAT HE STILL WAS ON THE RIGHT COURSE. THE GSP APCH GAVE THE STUDENT A SQUAWK CODE; BUT DID NOT COME BACK WITH FURTHER CLRNCS. IN THAT EVENT THE STUDENT KEPT ON CIRCLING AWAITING THE CTLR TO COME BACK. AFTER THE STUDENT HAD TRIED FOR SEVERAL TIMES TO GET IN TOUCH WITH GSP APCH; HE WAS CONTACTED BY ANOTHER ACFT (IDENT UNKNOWN); AND WAS ADVISED TO CALL UP CLT APCH. THE STUDENT COMPLIED; CALLED UP THE CLT CTLR; AND FROM THAT HE LEARNED THAT HE WAS LOST INSIDE THE TCA. THE CLT APCH CALCULATED THAT THE STUDENT HAD BEEN FLYING FOR 4 HRS; WHEN HE ACTUALLY HAD BEEN FLYING FOR 3 HRS. THE STUDENT INFORMED THE CTLR ABOUT HIS DEST; AND THE CTLR CAME BACK ADVISING THE STUDENT TO LAND AT SHELBY; AN ARPT WHICH IS CLOSER. AT THAT TIME THE STUDENT HAD REALIZED THAT HE WAS IN THE TCA; AND FROM THAT WANTED TO CORRECT THE SITUATION BY LNDG AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE PLANE HAD 30 GALLONS OF FUEL LEFT AGAINST THE 8 GALLONS THE CTLR CALCULATED WITH. THE STUDENT LANDED AT SHELBY. THE LEG FROM THERE BACK TO HYW WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHAT MAY HAVE CAUSED THE STUDENT TO LOOSE TRACK OF HIS COURSE IS STILL AFFECTED BY SOME DEG OF CONFUSION. THE STUDENT BELIEVES THAT WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURB ALONG THE LEG BZM-GSP; THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO FAILED TO SHOW CORRECT HDGS ACCORDING TO THE COMPASS. THE STUDENT IS WELL AWARE THAT HE IS SUPPOSED TO CHK THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO AGAINST THE COMPASS FOR PROPER ALIGNMENT AT LEAST EVERY 15 MINS. SO HE DID; BUT THE TURB PROBLEMIZED CORRECT READINGS. THE STUDENT IS AWARE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE VIOLATION; AND FROM THAT WILL ENSURE THAT CORRECTIVE ACTION WILL BE TAKEN TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.