Narrative:

The student departed the redbird airport at XA05 pm on a cross country which would take the student to stephenville, waco and return to redbird. After a good start on the flight log, hitting all the check points till the acton VOR, from acton, the student's course was north of the planned course and he flew by stephenville and believed he was over the town of dublin, tx. After circling the town, the student decided to fly to waco. Once the student realized that he would be overdue at stephenville and that ft worth flight service would be looking for him, he made an unscheduled landing at clifton-eisenhower airport (7f7) and called the FSS. He then called me and I advised him to continue to waco, since it was only 18 NM to the southeast. He made it to waco with no problems and refueled the airplane. At XD00 he departed waco for redbird. After climbing to altitude on course, the trip was going well until he reached hillsboro. At that point, the student started flying on a more easterly course which took him toward the town of ennis. Over ennis he realized he was lost, but failed to proceed with proper lost procedures for which he had been given instruction. At this point, clouds forced the student to descend limiting his visibility. At XE05 local time, I called ft worth FSS to find out if the student was on a VFR flight plan and was informed that at XD06 local time he had received an in-flight WX briefing and was overdue by 18 mins at redbird. I continued to call both redbird tower and ft worth FSS for the next hour. The student continued on a northeast heading during this time and finally got in touch with ft worth flight service. They tried to have him contact ZFW (ARTCC) but, due to his low altitude (2500 ft) he was unable to make contact. He was then instructed to squawk 7700 and contact longview approach on 133.1. Longview instructed him to climb to 4500 ft. The student then reported that a climb to that altitude would place him in the clouds. During the climb, the student spotted the greater morris airport (8f5) in dangerfield, tx. He requested to land there. When I was informed, I instructed ft worth flight service to tell the student to remain on the ground and I would come out and fly him and the airplane home. Some of the contributing factors to this event were winds out of the southwest stronger than forecast, the student failing to remember the proper lost procedures, and failure to obtain radar flight following which I had requested he do after he called me from clifton-eisenhower airport. One suggestion I have is that students on a cross country be given an individual squawk code so it is easier to keep track of where they are during solo xcountries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI LOST OVER CENTRAL TEXAS.

Narrative: THE STUDENT DEPARTED THE REDBIRD ARPT AT XA05 PM ON A XCOUNTRY WHICH WOULD TAKE THE STUDENT TO STEPHENVILLE, WACO AND RETURN TO REDBIRD. AFTER A GOOD START ON THE FLT LOG, HITTING ALL THE CHK POINTS TILL THE ACTON VOR, FROM ACTON, THE STUDENT'S COURSE WAS N OF THE PLANNED COURSE AND HE FLEW BY STEPHENVILLE AND BELIEVED HE WAS OVER THE TOWN OF DUBLIN, TX. AFTER CIRCLING THE TOWN, THE STUDENT DECIDED TO FLY TO WACO. ONCE THE STUDENT REALIZED THAT HE WOULD BE OVERDUE AT STEPHENVILLE AND THAT FT WORTH FLT SVC WOULD BE LOOKING FOR HIM, HE MADE AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG AT CLIFTON-EISENHOWER ARPT (7F7) AND CALLED THE FSS. HE THEN CALLED ME AND I ADVISED HIM TO CONTINUE TO WACO, SINCE IT WAS ONLY 18 NM TO THE SE. HE MADE IT TO WACO WITH NO PROBS AND REFUELED THE AIRPLANE. AT XD00 HE DEPARTED WACO FOR REDBIRD. AFTER CLBING TO ALT ON COURSE, THE TRIP WAS GOING WELL UNTIL HE REACHED HILLSBORO. AT THAT POINT, THE STUDENT STARTED FLYING ON A MORE EASTERLY COURSE WHICH TOOK HIM TOWARD THE TOWN OF ENNIS. OVER ENNIS HE REALIZED HE WAS LOST, BUT FAILED TO PROCEED WITH PROPER LOST PROCS FOR WHICH HE HAD BEEN GIVEN INSTRUCTION. AT THIS POINT, CLOUDS FORCED THE STUDENT TO DSND LIMITING HIS VISIBILITY. AT XE05 LCL TIME, I CALLED FT WORTH FSS TO FIND OUT IF THE STUDENT WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN AND WAS INFORMED THAT AT XD06 LCL TIME HE HAD RECEIVED AN INFLT WX BRIEFING AND WAS OVERDUE BY 18 MINS AT REDBIRD. I CONTINUED TO CALL BOTH REDBIRD TWR AND FT WORTH FSS FOR THE NEXT HR. THE STUDENT CONTINUED ON A NE HDG DURING THIS TIME AND FINALLY GOT IN TOUCH WITH FT WORTH FLT SVC. THEY TRIED TO HAVE HIM CONTACT ZFW (ARTCC) BUT, DUE TO HIS LOW ALT (2500 FT) HE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT. HE WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO SQUAWK 7700 AND CONTACT LONGVIEW APCH ON 133.1. LONGVIEW INSTRUCTED HIM TO CLB TO 4500 FT. THE STUDENT THEN RPTED THAT A CLB TO THAT ALT WOULD PLACE HIM IN THE CLOUDS. DURING THE CLB, THE STUDENT SPOTTED THE GREATER MORRIS ARPT (8F5) IN DANGERFIELD, TX. HE REQUESTED TO LAND THERE. WHEN I WAS INFORMED, I INSTRUCTED FT WORTH FLT SVC TO TELL THE STUDENT TO REMAIN ON THE GND AND I WOULD COME OUT AND FLY HIM AND THE AIRPLANE HOME. SOME OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS EVENT WERE WINDS OUT OF THE SW STRONGER THAN FORECAST, THE STUDENT FAILING TO REMEMBER THE PROPER LOST PROCS, AND FAILURE TO OBTAIN RADAR FLT FOLLOWING WHICH I HAD REQUESTED HE DO AFTER HE CALLED ME FROM CLIFTON-EISENHOWER ARPT. ONE SUGGESTION I HAVE IS THAT STUDENTS ON A XCOUNTRY BE GIVEN AN INDIVIDUAL SQUAWK CODE SO IT IS EASIER TO KEEP TRACK OF WHERE THEY ARE DURING SOLO XCOUNTRIES.

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.