An elderly private pilot got lost 2 days in a row on a long solo cross country.

Attributes
ACN	278900
Time
Date	199408
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : stl airport : sus
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : stl tower : sus
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 435
ASRS Report	278900
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A 69 yr old private pilot, flying his own cherokee warrior, became lost and/or confused on a solo cross country flight from the bna area to the gfk area. On monday, aug, he became disoriented in the vicinity of stl while flying over clouds. He seemed to be having problems with his vors, but they later checked out perfectly on the ground. The reporter landed at sus, a controled airport, without tower clearance the reporter thinks that he may have entered the stl class 'B' airspace also. On the next day, tues, the reporter became disoriented above clouds again in the vicinity of mcw. He was given too much help, trying to talk to several entities, both on the ground and airborne, that further confused the reporter. This continued until an iowa state trooper took charge and directed the reporter to mkt. The reporter admits that his vors checked out perfectly on the ground and that his map reading technique is poor (he followed e-w highway 70 thinking that he was following n-s highway 55). The reporter promises never again to take such a long trip without some assistance in navigating.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ELDERLY PVT PLT GOT LOST 2 DAYS IN A ROW ON A LONG SOLO CROSS COUNTRY.

Narrative: A 69 YR OLD PVT PLT, FLYING HIS OWN CHEROKEE WARRIOR, BECAME LOST AND/OR CONFUSED ON A SOLO CROSS COUNTRY FLT FROM THE BNA AREA TO THE GFK AREA. ON MONDAY, AUG, HE BECAME DISORIENTED IN THE VICINITY OF STL WHILE FLYING OVER CLOUDS. HE SEEMED TO BE HAVING PROBS WITH HIS VORS, BUT THEY LATER CHKED OUT PERFECTLY ON THE GND. THE RPTR LANDED AT SUS, A CTLED ARPT, WITHOUT TWR CLRNC THE RPTR THINKS THAT HE MAY HAVE ENTERED THE STL CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE ALSO. ON THE NEXT DAY, TUES, THE RPTR BECAME DISORIENTED ABOVE CLOUDS AGAIN IN THE VICINITY OF MCW. HE WAS GIVEN TOO MUCH HELP, TRYING TO TALK TO SEVERAL ENTITIES, BOTH ON THE GND AND AIRBORNE, THAT FURTHER CONFUSED THE RPTR. THIS CONTINUED UNTIL AN IOWA STATE TROOPER TOOK CHARGE AND DIRECTED THE RPTR TO MKT. THE RPTR ADMITS THAT HIS VORS CHKED OUT PERFECTLY ON THE GND AND THAT HIS MAP READING TECHNIQUE IS POOR (HE FOLLOWED E-W HWY 70 THINKING THAT HE WAS FOLLOWING N-S HWY 55). THE RPTR PROMISES NEVER AGAIN TO TAKE SUCH A LONG TRIP WITHOUT SOME ASSISTANCE IN NAVIGATING.

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.