SPI BECOMES DISORIENTED ON SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. LANDS AT UNKNOWN ARPT.

Date: 1995-10 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer

Anomalies: deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-landing-without-clearance|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SPI BECOMES DISORIENTED ON SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. LANDS AT UNKNOWN ARPT.

Narrative

THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY; N99 TO HZL TO N99 TO BE CONDUCTED BY PILOTAGE. FIRST LEG N99 TO HZL WAS UNEVENTFUL; HOWEVER UNFORECASTED WIND AT 3000 FT CAUSED E DRIFT CLOSE TO ALLENTOWN AIRSPACE. SECOND LEG BEGAN ACCORDING TO FLT PLAN BUT HAZE LAYER FORMED AT 3500 FT MSL RESULTING IN VISIBILITY PROBS. DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE EXPERIENCED SOME DRIFT AND WIND CAUSED SIGNIFICANT GND TRACK ERROR. ATTEMPTED TO TUNE MXE VOR ON 113.2 BUT EVIDENTLY DID SOMETHING IN ERROR. VISUALLY SIGHTED LNS ARPT -- BUT COULD NOT IDENT AT THAT TIME. ATTEMPTED TO GET HELP ON 121.5 BUT NO ANSWER WAS FORTHCOMING. I DECIDED THAT A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WAS PRUDENT AND I CHKED THE AIRSPACE FOR ARR/DEPARTING TFC. UPON SEEING NONE; I SUCCESSFULLY LANDED ON RWY 28 AND TURNED OFF AT FIRST TXWY. UPON SEEING A 'LANCASTER' SIGN ON AN ARPT TWR; I LOOKED UP GND AND TWR FREQ IN NE ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY TO MAKE CONTACT AND RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS. I APOLOGIZED FOR THE INCURSION; EXPLAINED MY 'LOST' SIT ON THE SECOND LEG OF MY FIRST XCOUNTRY SOLO; AND RECEIVED DIRECTIONS TO THE FBO WHERE I TELEPHONED MY INSTRUCTOR TO EXPLAIN THE SIT. ALL TWR AND GND CTL PERSONNEL WERE PROFESSIONAL; COURTEOUS; AND VERY UNDERSTANDING OF MY SIT. I RECEIVED CLRNC TO DEPART LNS TO N99 AND COMPLETED THE FLT UNEVENTFULLY. PLAN OF ACTION TO PREVENT RE-OCCURRENCE: SCHEDULE ANOTHER DUAL LESSON WITH MY INSTRUCTOR TO REVIEW AND PRACTICE VOR NAV AND LOST PROCS; PRIOR TO NEXT SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. LEARN TO RECOGNIZE EXCESSIVE WIND DRIFT AND MISSED PILOTAGE POINTS MUCH EARLIER IN THE FLT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.