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Pilot of helicopter on nighttime EMS mission in sparsely settled area to a destination immediately adjacent to border becomes disoriented and lands without authorization, to confirm position.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 117437 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198907 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 2200 flight time type : 2100 |
| ASRS Report | 117437 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On a night EMS mission I missed my destination and landed for aid in location across the border in ZZZ without prior notice. Primary navigation system (LORAN) continuously gave erroneous data, terrain and location do not permit any other navigation than dead reckoning. Inexperience in night flying, unfamiliarity with region, lack of LORAN navigation, and emergency surgery on wife just prior and during flight with subsequent pilot preoccupation contributed to uncertainty of position. Upon discovering error, contact with ZZZ and united states customs allowed return to base within hours. Aircraft or passenger were never endangered, this being my primary consideration as PIC. Fuel quantity and reserves for return trip made landing at first available place necessary upon discovery of disorientation. My conceived ability to concentrate on navigation task in spite of outside factors was overestimated. If a similar situation arises again I will remove myself from flying status in spite of perceived pressure to fulfill duty, until preoccupations have been eliminated.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF HELICOPTER ON NIGHTTIME EMS MISSION IN SPARSELY SETTLED AREA TO A DESTINATION IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO BORDER BECOMES DISORIENTED AND LANDS WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION, TO CONFIRM POSITION.
Narrative: ON A NIGHT EMS MISSION I MISSED MY DEST AND LANDED FOR AID IN LOCATION ACROSS THE BORDER IN ZZZ WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. PRIMARY NAV SYSTEM (LORAN) CONTINUOUSLY GAVE ERRONEOUS DATA, TERRAIN AND LOCATION DO NOT PERMIT ANY OTHER NAV THAN DEAD RECKONING. INEXPERIENCE IN NIGHT FLYING, UNFAMILIARITY WITH REGION, LACK OF LORAN NAV, AND EMER SURGERY ON WIFE JUST PRIOR AND DURING FLT WITH SUBSEQUENT PLT PREOCCUPATION CONTRIBUTED TO UNCERTAINTY OF POSITION. UPON DISCOVERING ERROR, CONTACT WITH ZZZ AND UNITED STATES CUSTOMS ALLOWED RETURN TO BASE WITHIN HOURS. ACFT OR PAX WERE NEVER ENDANGERED, THIS BEING MY PRIMARY CONSIDERATION AS PIC. FUEL QUANTITY AND RESERVES FOR RETURN TRIP MADE LNDG AT FIRST AVAILABLE PLACE NECESSARY UPON DISCOVERY OF DISORIENTATION. MY CONCEIVED ABILITY TO CONCENTRATE ON NAV TASK IN SPITE OF OUTSIDE FACTORS WAS OVERESTIMATED. IF A SIMILAR SITUATION ARISES AGAIN I WILL REMOVE MYSELF FROM FLYING STATUS IN SPITE OF PERCEIVED PRESSURE TO FULFILL DUTY, UNTIL PREOCCUPATIONS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED.
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.