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Private pilot on training flight becomes disoriented. Approachs military base while communicating with different tower. Near midair collision with military aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 147948 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199006 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : nqx |
| State Reference | FL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 800 agl bound upper : 800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : nqx |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent : approach other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Fighter |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 193 flight time type : 193 |
| ASRS Report | 147948 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 100 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was on a VFR solo x-country from daytona beach to marathon. I am a student enrolled in a flight course. Part of the flight course includes getting 40 hours solo x-country time with 1 x-country over 250 NM with 3 stops. This was that flight. When I got down into the mia TCA they vectored me all around. By the time I got in the other side of the TCA, I wasn't sure where I was. I got down to the coastline but couldn't find the us 1 bridge I had planned ot take across to the keys. I was only at about 1500' due to clouds. I tried to contact mia again but they were too busy. Finally, they got me across and onto the keys. I thought they'd taken me across near the us 1 bridge. As soon as they let me go I saw an airport. I thought I must be further east than I actually was and the airport was ocean reef club. Actually, I was further west and the airport was marathon, my destination. I continued to follow the keys down and when I got to NAS key west I thought I was at marathon. I called marathon and asked for an airport advisory. They told me they were using runway 7. The airport seemed too big to be marathon, but I couldn't overfly due to low clouds. I looked on the sectional and there were no airports between ocean reef club and marathon, so I couldn't figure out what other airport it could be. I didn't think I could possible be past marathon. I entered traffic pattern on a 45 degree entry leg and called it on the marathon unicom 122.8. I observed a plane on crosswind turning downwind, but figured I would be well ahead of him. I didn't realize how fast he was going and the next thing I knew he was practically on top of me. Rather than turning downwind, I went up and to the outside. He passed below me. I continued on a wide downwind base and final, calling everything on 122.8. By this time I knew something was terribly wrong, but I couldn't figure out where I had gone wrong, so I figured the best thing to do was to go ahead and land.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PVT PLT ON TRAINING FLT BECOMES DISORIENTED. APCHS MIL BASE WHILE COMMUNICATING WITH DIFFERENT TWR. NMAC WITH MIL ACFT.
Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR SOLO X-COUNTRY FROM DAYTONA BEACH TO MARATHON. I AM A STUDENT ENROLLED IN A FLT COURSE. PART OF THE FLT COURSE INCLUDES GETTING 40 HRS SOLO X-COUNTRY TIME WITH 1 X-COUNTRY OVER 250 NM WITH 3 STOPS. THIS WAS THAT FLT. WHEN I GOT DOWN INTO THE MIA TCA THEY VECTORED ME ALL AROUND. BY THE TIME I GOT IN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TCA, I WASN'T SURE WHERE I WAS. I GOT DOWN TO THE COASTLINE BUT COULDN'T FIND THE U.S. 1 BRIDGE I HAD PLANNED OT TAKE ACROSS TO THE KEYS. I WAS ONLY AT ABOUT 1500' DUE TO CLOUDS. I TRIED TO CONTACT MIA AGAIN BUT THEY WERE TOO BUSY. FINALLY, THEY GOT ME ACROSS AND ONTO THE KEYS. I THOUGHT THEY'D TAKEN ME ACROSS NEAR THE U.S. 1 BRIDGE. AS SOON AS THEY LET ME GO I SAW AN ARPT. I THOUGHT I MUST BE FURTHER E THAN I ACTUALLY WAS AND THE ARPT WAS OCEAN REEF CLUB. ACTUALLY, I WAS FURTHER W AND THE ARPT WAS MARATHON, MY DEST. I CONTINUED TO FOLLOW THE KEYS DOWN AND WHEN I GOT TO NAS KEY W I THOUGHT I WAS AT MARATHON. I CALLED MARATHON AND ASKED FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY. THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE USING RWY 7. THE ARPT SEEMED TOO BIG TO BE MARATHON, BUT I COULDN'T OVERFLY DUE TO LOW CLOUDS. I LOOKED ON THE SECTIONAL AND THERE WERE NO ARPTS BTWN OCEAN REEF CLUB AND MARATHON, SO I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT OTHER ARPT IT COULD BE. I DIDN'T THINK I COULD POSSIBLE BE PAST MARATHON. I ENTERED TFC PATTERN ON A 45 DEG ENTRY LEG AND CALLED IT ON THE MARATHON UNICOM 122.8. I OBSERVED A PLANE ON XWIND TURNING DOWNWIND, BUT FIGURED I WOULD BE WELL AHEAD OF HIM. I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW FAST HE WAS GOING AND THE NEXT THING I KNEW HE WAS PRACTICALLY ON TOP OF ME. RATHER THAN TURNING DOWNWIND, I WENT UP AND TO THE OUTSIDE. HE PASSED BELOW ME. I CONTINUED ON A WIDE DOWNWIND BASE AND FINAL, CALLING EVERYTHING ON 122.8. BY THIS TIME I KNEW SOMETHING WAS TERRIBLY WRONG, BUT I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHERE I HAD GONE WRONG, SO I FIGURED THE BEST THING TO DO WAS TO GO AHEAD AND LAND.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.