Narrative:

3 C152's departed sjt and picked up advisories for a VFR flight to ftw. Trailed the first two and diverted into bwd before my airspace. Aircraft X and aircraft Y entered my area within 1 mi and 100 ft of each other, radar contact was being lost. Aircraft Y called first. I advised radar contact was lost, explained my coverage, and asked intentions. Rather than climb, he elected to cancel advisories. The pilot had poor to bad english language skills. Aircraft X then checked in with poor to weak english skills. Aircraft X elected to climb back into radar coverage (estimate 5500 ft). At that time, aircraft Y called and advised he too was climbing and wanted advisories. 1 min later, aircraft Y said he was lost and requested radar vectors for bwd. He was out of radar, so I coached the pilot through the use of his 1 navigation to locate himself off 2 vors. However, during this, after tuning in bwd, the pilot of aircraft X spotted a beacon in that direction and made for it, believing it was bwd. I checked his intentions and terminated his radar contact. (We later determined he landed at communication (northeast of bwd.) at that time, aircraft Y advised he was in the clouds. Aircraft Y is equipped for IFR flight, however the pilot advised he was not IFR rated. I coached him into VOR triangulation, after the pilot indicated he was 'ok in the clouds...I have lots of time.' however, during this time, I had to constantly advise aircraft Y of the minimum altitudes in his general area. Aircraft Y was out of radar contact all this time, and was finally located near hamilton, tx, via 7700 squawk and assistance from gray arac. Aircraft Y was switched to gray who vectored him to landing at hamilton. No plan -- no area knowledge -- weak communications skills -- it's a miracle they all get out ok. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter concerned with lack of supervisor participation during the ordeal. Reporter states that supervisor involvement was not evident until approximately 4 hours after the incident began.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZFW CTLR PROVIDES FLT ASSIST WHEN 2 C152'S BECOME LOST AND DISORIENTED IN WX.

Narrative: 3 C152'S DEPARTED SJT AND PICKED UP ADVISORIES FOR A VFR FLT TO FTW. TRAILED THE FIRST TWO AND DIVERTED INTO BWD BEFORE MY AIRSPACE. ACFT X AND ACFT Y ENTERED MY AREA WITHIN 1 MI AND 100 FT OF EACH OTHER, RADAR CONTACT WAS BEING LOST. ACFT Y CALLED FIRST. I ADVISED RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST, EXPLAINED MY COVERAGE, AND ASKED INTENTIONS. RATHER THAN CLB, HE ELECTED TO CANCEL ADVISORIES. THE PLT HAD POOR TO BAD ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS. ACFT X THEN CHKED IN WITH POOR TO WEAK ENGLISH SKILLS. ACFT X ELECTED TO CLB BACK INTO RADAR COVERAGE (ESTIMATE 5500 FT). AT THAT TIME, ACFT Y CALLED AND ADVISED HE TOO WAS CLBING AND WANTED ADVISORIES. 1 MIN LATER, ACFT Y SAID HE WAS LOST AND REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS FOR BWD. HE WAS OUT OF RADAR, SO I COACHED THE PLT THROUGH THE USE OF HIS 1 NAV TO LOCATE HIMSELF OFF 2 VORS. HOWEVER, DURING THIS, AFTER TUNING IN BWD, THE PLT OF ACFT X SPOTTED A BEACON IN THAT DIRECTION AND MADE FOR IT, BELIEVING IT WAS BWD. I CHKED HIS INTENTIONS AND TERMINATED HIS RADAR CONTACT. (WE LATER DETERMINED HE LANDED AT COM (NE OF BWD.) AT THAT TIME, ACFT Y ADVISED HE WAS IN THE CLOUDS. ACFT Y IS EQUIPPED FOR IFR FLT, HOWEVER THE PLT ADVISED HE WAS NOT IFR RATED. I COACHED HIM INTO VOR TRIANGULATION, AFTER THE PLT INDICATED HE WAS 'OK IN THE CLOUDS...I HAVE LOTS OF TIME.' HOWEVER, DURING THIS TIME, I HAD TO CONSTANTLY ADVISE ACFT Y OF THE MINIMUM ALTS IN HIS GENERAL AREA. ACFT Y WAS OUT OF RADAR CONTACT ALL THIS TIME, AND WAS FINALLY LOCATED NEAR HAMILTON, TX, VIA 7700 SQUAWK AND ASSISTANCE FROM GRAY ARAC. ACFT Y WAS SWITCHED TO GRAY WHO VECTORED HIM TO LNDG AT HAMILTON. NO PLAN -- NO AREA KNOWLEDGE -- WEAK COMS SKILLS -- IT'S A MIRACLE THEY ALL GET OUT OK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CONCERNED WITH LACK OF SUPVR PARTICIPATION DURING THE ORDEAL. RPTR STATES THAT SUPVR INVOLVEMENT WAS NOT EVIDENT UNTIL APPROX 4 HRS AFTER THE INCIDENT BEGAN.

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.