Narrative:

I was flying a VFR solo cross country in a cessna 150 from ffc to scd to hsv to ffc as a student pilot, in order to meet the requirements for a private pilots license (far 61.109). Due to a headwind encountered from hsv to ffc, the sun set sooner than I had anticipated (XA15 pm). I could not locate my next chkpoint, and I became disoriented. I immediately descended from 3500-3200 ft in order to stay out of the 3500 ft class B airspace floor, that I knew I would pass close to, on my planned route of flight. I began using the atlanta VOR to help locate ffc. I knew that ffc was the 200 degree radial from atlanta, so I began following the radials around the atlanta VOR (taking a directional heading of 45 degree more than the 'centered needle' heading of the VOR). As I continued, I began to try to identify local airports by tuning to their frequency and 'keying' the microphone. As I came closer to atlanta, I saw many aircraft at higher altitudes so I descended to 2500 ft, to remain well below them. After a few mins had passed, I noticed a plane approaching towards me, so I began descending to approximately 2000 ft. The plane passed in front and above my aircraft. I continued to watch the aircraft for almost a min until I saw it land. At this point, I assumed that the airplane had landed at hartsfield international airport and that my location was about 7 mi from the touchdown of the airplane. I continued following atlanta VOR radials until I found the 200 degree radial. I turned and followed it away from the atlanta VOR located peachtree city and the rotating beacon at ffc. I landed at ffc at XB00 pm. I was notified that the hartsfield control tower had called and stated that I had entered class B airspace. I immediately called the control tower and talked with the head controller on duty, where I apologized and recounted the previous events. In order to prevent this type of situation from occurring again, I have taken the following measures: 1) reviewed in-flight emergency procedures with my instructor, including ways to contact a flight service station to help determine my aircraft location in the event of becoming lost. 2) learned how to utilize services provided by ATC such as obtaining headings to stay clear of controled airspace and 'flight following.' 3) agreed to not fly over areas at night that I have not previously flown over during the daytime (at approximately the same altitude). Supplemental information from acn 300581: I am a flight instructor who had released a student to go on a long solo cross country. Due to some delays, the student became disoriented toward the end of the flight, when it started to get dark. The student has had all of the required training, but knew that he was not to fly, after dark. If he had completed his flight in daylight conditions he would not have strayed from his course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A STUDENT PLT WAS LATE, ON A 300 MILE SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT, AND BECAME DISORIENTED AFTER NIGHTFALL. ON THE FINAL LEG, THE STUDENT PENETRATED CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A VFR SOLO XCOUNTRY IN A CESSNA 150 FROM FFC TO SCD TO HSV TO FFC AS A STUDENT PLT, IN ORDER TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A PVT PLTS LICENSE (FAR 61.109). DUE TO A HEADWIND ENCOUNTERED FROM HSV TO FFC, THE SUN SET SOONER THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED (XA15 PM). I COULD NOT LOCATE MY NEXT CHKPOINT, AND I BECAME DISORIENTED. I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED FROM 3500-3200 FT IN ORDER TO STAY OUT OF THE 3500 FT CLASS B AIRSPACE FLOOR, THAT I KNEW I WOULD PASS CLOSE TO, ON MY PLANNED RTE OF FLT. I BEGAN USING THE ATLANTA VOR TO HELP LOCATE FFC. I KNEW THAT FFC WAS THE 200 DEG RADIAL FROM ATLANTA, SO I BEGAN FOLLOWING THE RADIALS AROUND THE ATLANTA VOR (TAKING A DIRECTIONAL HDG OF 45 DEG MORE THAN THE 'CTRED NEEDLE' HDG OF THE VOR). AS I CONTINUED, I BEGAN TO TRY TO IDENT LCL ARPTS BY TUNING TO THEIR FREQ AND 'KEYING' THE MIKE. AS I CAME CLOSER TO ATLANTA, I SAW MANY ACFT AT HIGHER ALTS SO I DSNDED TO 2500 FT, TO REMAIN WELL BELOW THEM. AFTER A FEW MINS HAD PASSED, I NOTICED A PLANE APCHING TOWARDS ME, SO I BEGAN DSNDING TO APPROX 2000 FT. THE PLANE PASSED IN FRONT AND ABOVE MY ACFT. I CONTINUED TO WATCH THE ACFT FOR ALMOST A MIN UNTIL I SAW IT LAND. AT THIS POINT, I ASSUMED THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD LANDED AT HARTSFIELD INTL ARPT AND THAT MY LOCATION WAS ABOUT 7 MI FROM THE TOUCHDOWN OF THE AIRPLANE. I CONTINUED FOLLOWING ATLANTA VOR RADIALS UNTIL I FOUND THE 200 DEG RADIAL. I TURNED AND FOLLOWED IT AWAY FROM THE ATLANTA VOR LOCATED PEACHTREE CITY AND THE ROTATING BEACON AT FFC. I LANDED AT FFC AT XB00 PM. I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE HARTSFIELD CTL TWR HAD CALLED AND STATED THAT I HAD ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE CTL TWR AND TALKED WITH THE HEAD CTLR ON DUTY, WHERE I APOLOGIZED AND RECOUNTED THE PREVIOUS EVENTS. IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF SIT FROM OCCURRING AGAIN, I HAVE TAKEN THE FOLLOWING MEASURES: 1) REVIEWED INFLT EMER PROCS WITH MY INSTRUCTOR, INCLUDING WAYS TO CONTACT A FLT SVC STATION TO HELP DETERMINE MY ACFT LOCATION IN THE EVENT OF BECOMING LOST. 2) LEARNED HOW TO UTILIZE SVCS PROVIDED BY ATC SUCH AS OBTAINING HDGS TO STAY CLR OF CTLED AIRSPACE AND 'FLT FOLLOWING.' 3) AGREED TO NOT FLY OVER AREAS AT NIGHT THAT I HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY FLOWN OVER DURING THE DAYTIME (AT APPROX THE SAME ALT). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 300581: I AM A FLT INSTRUCTOR WHO HAD RELEASED A STUDENT TO GO ON A LONG SOLO XCOUNTRY. DUE TO SOME DELAYS, THE STUDENT BECAME DISORIENTED TOWARD THE END OF THE FLT, WHEN IT STARTED TO GET DARK. THE STUDENT HAS HAD ALL OF THE REQUIRED TRAINING, BUT KNEW THAT HE WAS NOT TO FLY, AFTER DARK. IF HE HAD COMPLETED HIS FLT IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS HE WOULD NOT HAVE STRAYED FROM HIS COURSE.

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.