Student pilot became disoriented on a solo cross country and inadvertently entered an air force base...

Attributes
ACN	265888
Time
Date	199403
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gus airport : i76
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : gus
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 82 flight time type : 8
ASRS Report	265888
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Short cross country VFR conditions. My destination was peru. I did not make it to that airport. My plans were to fly to logansport then to peru, land and return to eagle creek. I reviewed my flight plan with my instructor and he signed me off to go. WX was good other than some turbulence around 2500 ft. Winds aloft 220/16. My heading was 350 degrees to logansport. I changed the directional gyro several times because I felt my heading was off. I began to have difficulty finding the next chkpoint which was electric wires, 37 KM north of eagle creek. Then I started flying much too close to kokomo so I tried to correct my heading by turning northwest. I began looking for the logansport airport when I turned and looked down and my right wing was directed towards a huge airport, which I realized was grissom AFB. I believe my altitude was between 2900-3000 ft. It scared me because I was probably about 4 mi away and I thought a fighter might takeoff and fly directly into me. Or I thought I was in deep trouble for not getting permission to fly in a control zone. I flew north of the airport and circled around so I could think. I was too concerned about being so close to grissom to care if I flew and landed at peru. All I wanted to do was go home. I talked to grissom approach and explained I was a student pilot and I had gotten disoriented. I asked for a heading to eagle creek. The controller was very calming and direct, his speedy courteous attention was helpful in getting me back on course to eagle creek. I was very disappointed in myself for not completing my cross country and for flying into a control zone/air traffic area unannounced. For a brief moment I thought about giving up on working towards my private license but I love to fly too much for that to happen. I cried my eyes out after I tied down the plane, then I had to confess my doings to my instructor and pilot husband. I realized my learning was just beginning. This was a frightening, but important lesson.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT BECAME DISORIENTED ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERED AN AIR FORCE BASE ATA.

Narrative: SHORT XCOUNTRY VFR CONDITIONS. MY DEST WAS PERU. I DID NOT MAKE IT TO THAT ARPT. MY PLANS WERE TO FLY TO LOGANSPORT THEN TO PERU, LAND AND RETURN TO EAGLE CREEK. I REVIEWED MY FLT PLAN WITH MY INSTRUCTOR AND HE SIGNED ME OFF TO GO. WX WAS GOOD OTHER THAN SOME TURB AROUND 2500 FT. WINDS ALOFT 220/16. MY HDG WAS 350 DEGS TO LOGANSPORT. I CHANGED THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE I FELT MY HDG WAS OFF. I BEGAN TO HAVE DIFFICULTY FINDING THE NEXT CHKPOINT WHICH WAS ELECTRIC WIRES, 37 KM N OF EAGLE CREEK. THEN I STARTED FLYING MUCH TOO CLOSE TO KOKOMO SO I TRIED TO CORRECT MY HDG BY TURNING NW. I BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE LOGANSPORT ARPT WHEN I TURNED AND LOOKED DOWN AND MY R WING WAS DIRECTED TOWARDS A HUGE ARPT, WHICH I REALIZED WAS GRISSOM AFB. I BELIEVE MY ALT WAS BTWN 2900-3000 FT. IT SCARED ME BECAUSE I WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 4 MI AWAY AND I THOUGHT A FIGHTER MIGHT TKOF AND FLY DIRECTLY INTO ME. OR I THOUGHT I WAS IN DEEP TROUBLE FOR NOT GETTING PERMISSION TO FLY IN A CTL ZONE. I FLEW N OF THE ARPT AND CIRCLED AROUND SO I COULD THINK. I WAS TOO CONCERNED ABOUT BEING SO CLOSE TO GRISSOM TO CARE IF I FLEW AND LANDED AT PERU. ALL I WANTED TO DO WAS GO HOME. I TALKED TO GRISSOM APCH AND EXPLAINED I WAS A STUDENT PLT AND I HAD GOTTEN DISORIENTED. I ASKED FOR A HDG TO EAGLE CREEK. THE CTLR WAS VERY CALMING AND DIRECT, HIS SPEEDY COURTEOUS ATTN WAS HELPFUL IN GETTING ME BACK ON COURSE TO EAGLE CREEK. I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF FOR NOT COMPLETING MY XCOUNTRY AND FOR FLYING INTO A CTL ZONE/ATA UNANNOUNCED. FOR A BRIEF MOMENT I THOUGHT ABOUT GIVING UP ON WORKING TOWARDS MY PVT LICENSE BUT I LOVE TO FLY TOO MUCH FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. I CRIED MY EYES OUT AFTER I TIED DOWN THE PLANE, THEN I HAD TO CONFESS MY DOINGS TO MY INSTRUCTOR AND PLT HUSBAND. I REALIZED MY LEARNING WAS JUST BEGINNING. THIS WAS A FRIGHTENING, BUT IMPORTANT LESSON.

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.

Student pilot became disoriented on a solo cross country and inadvertently entered an air force base air traffic area.