Narrative:

I signed one of my students, off for a x-country flight from benton, ar, to greenville, ms, to texarkana, ar, and back to benton, ar. I got a call from him informing me about what transpired on his flight. Somewhere between benton, ar, and greenville, ms, he missed his check points and became disoriented. He said he tried to call flight service at little rock and flight watch at memphis and recieved no answer. For worth center called him and asked if they could help. During a conversation with fort worth center, he was told to squawk 7700, and he did. Fort worth vectored him to texarkana, ar, for landing. Upon landing he was informed by phone from FSDO at little rock to leave the aircraft on the ground. I personally went to texarkana, ar, on july 90, and flew the aircraft back to benton, ar. On this flight I discovered that the VOR malfunctioned and the magnetic compass was erratic. I feel that these two problems contributed to him missing his first check point, and then his becoming disoriented. I informed spi that his aircraft is grounded until these problems are corrected and he had additional training. I feel that he got involved with checking radio and completely lost track of his position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR REPORTS THAT STUDENT ON CROSS-COUNTRY GETS LOST, DECLARES EMERGENCY. FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I SIGNED ONE OF MY STUDENTS, OFF FOR A X-COUNTRY FLT FROM BENTON, AR, TO GREENVILLE, MS, TO TEXARKANA, AR, AND BACK TO BENTON, AR. I GOT A CALL FROM HIM INFORMING ME ABOUT WHAT TRANSPIRED ON HIS FLT. SOMEWHERE BTWN BENTON, AR, AND GREENVILLE, MS, HE MISSED HIS CHK POINTS AND BECAME DISORIENTED. HE SAID HE TRIED TO CALL FLT SVC AT LITTLE ROCK AND FLT WATCH AT MEMPHIS AND RECIEVED NO ANSWER. FOR WORTH CTR CALLED HIM AND ASKED IF THEY COULD HELP. DURING A CONVERSATION WITH FORT WORTH CTR, HE WAS TOLD TO SQUAWK 7700, AND HE DID. FORT WORTH VECTORED HIM TO TEXARKANA, AR, FOR LNDG. UPON LNDG HE WAS INFORMED BY PHONE FROM FSDO AT LITTLE ROCK TO LEAVE THE ACFT ON THE GND. I PERSONALLY WENT TO TEXARKANA, AR, ON JULY 90, AND FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO BENTON, AR. ON THIS FLT I DISCOVERED THAT THE VOR MALFUNCTIONED AND THE MAGNETIC COMPASS WAS ERRATIC. I FEEL THAT THESE TWO PROBS CONTRIBUTED TO HIM MISSING HIS FIRST CHK POINT, AND THEN HIS BECOMING DISORIENTED. I INFORMED SPI THAT HIS ACFT IS GNDED UNTIL THESE PROBS ARE CORRECTED AND HE HAD ADDITIONAL TRNING. I FEEL THAT HE GOT INVOLVED WITH CHKING RADIO AND COMPLETELY LOST TRACK OF HIS POS.

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.