Narrative:

Student pilot made an unauthorized flight from an uncontrolled airport to a controled field at night. Student became disoriented and required assistance from the controller to identify the active runway. Contributing factors: student is from a foreign country and has been in united states of america for 7 yrs. Student owns his own plane. Possible misunderstanding of solo endorsement limitations and eagerness to fly, contributed to poor judgement and decision to make the flight. A corrective letter was sent to the student by registered mail. A repeat violation will result in a recommendation to revoke his student pilot certificate. Comment: one of the challenges of a flight instructor is keeping ambitious, eager student pilots from soloing in conditions that are too challenging for them. When the student owns his own plane the job is very difficult.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSTRUCTOR PLT RPTS THAT HIS STUDENT MADE AN UNAUTH FLT IN HIS OWN SMA AT NIGHT TO A CTLED ARPT WHERE HE REQUIRED A CTLR'S ASSISTANCE IN IDENTING THE ASSIGNED RWY. THE INSTRUCTOR FEELS THAT THE STUDENT, WHO OWNS HIS ACFT, MAY NOT HAVE UNDERSTOOD HIS SOLO ENDORSEMENT.

Narrative: STUDENT PLT MADE AN UNAUTH FLT FROM AN UNCTLED ARPT TO A CTLED FIELD AT NIGHT. STUDENT BECAME DISORIENTED AND REQUIRED ASSISTANCE FROM THE CTLR TO IDENT THE ACTIVE RWY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: STUDENT IS FROM A FOREIGN COUNTRY AND HAS BEEN IN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR 7 YRS. STUDENT OWNS HIS OWN PLANE. POSSIBLE MISUNDERSTANDING OF SOLO ENDORSEMENT LIMITATIONS AND EAGERNESS TO FLY, CONTRIBUTED TO POOR JUDGEMENT AND DECISION TO MAKE THE FLT. A CORRECTIVE LETTER WAS SENT TO THE STUDENT BY REGISTERED MAIL. A REPEAT VIOLATION WILL RESULT IN A RECOMMENDATION TO REVOKE HIS STUDENT PLT CERTIFICATE. COMMENT: ONE OF THE CHALLENGES OF A FLT INSTRUCTOR IS KEEPING AMBITIOUS, EAGER STUDENT PLTS FROM SOLOING IN CONDITIONS THAT ARE TOO CHALLENGING FOR THEM. WHEN THE STUDENT OWNS HIS OWN PLANE THE JOB IS VERY DIFFICULT.

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.