Narrative:

I am a flight instructor at a flight school and am currently teaching private pilot applicants. I endorsed one of my students for his initial solo cross country flight to melbourne, tn, and the return back to sanford (sfb) on dec/sat/01. The WX was good with 10 mi visibility and 4000 ft scattered ceilings. The trip to mlb and tix were uneventful. However, on the return to sanford, an unforecasted layer of clouds came in from the northeast at low atl (broken to overcast layer from about 900-1400 ft). My student lost ground contact and decided to turn around but the clouds were behind him as well. He tried to triangulate his position using the orl VOR and mlb VOR but was unable to get an exact location. He decided to contact orl approach to ask for help and did so. When he made his initial broadcast they (approach) informed him that he was in class B airspace without a clearance. He proceeded to tell them that he was a student pilot on his initial cross country and would appreciate vectors to sanford. They issued a squawk code and vectors were provided to sanford. No phone number was given to the student to see what action, if any, would be taken. Perhaps I should advise my students to turn around at the very first indication of low lying cloud cover to avoid this happening in the future. It seems student pilots are often fearful of landing at another airport and being stranded at that unfamiliar location because of WX. I believe that it would be better to be stranded than to go through the scenario described above.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 STUDENT PLT, ON INITIAL SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT, ENLISTED THE HELP OF ATC WHEN CLOUDS OBSCURED HIS RTE OF FLT.

Narrative: I AM A FLT INSTRUCTOR AT A FLT SCHOOL AND AM CURRENTLY TEACHING PVT PLT APPLICANTS. I ENDORSED ONE OF MY STUDENTS FOR HIS INITIAL SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT TO MELBOURNE, TN, AND THE RETURN BACK TO SANFORD (SFB) ON DEC/SAT/01. THE WX WAS GOOD WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY AND 4000 FT SCATTERED CEILINGS. THE TRIP TO MLB AND TIX WERE UNEVENTFUL. HOWEVER, ON THE RETURN TO SANFORD, AN UNFORECASTED LAYER OF CLOUDS CAME IN FROM THE NE AT LOW ATL (BROKEN TO OVCST LAYER FROM ABOUT 900-1400 FT). MY STUDENT LOST GND CONTACT AND DECIDED TO TURN AROUND BUT THE CLOUDS WERE BEHIND HIM AS WELL. HE TRIED TO TRIANGULATE HIS POS USING THE ORL VOR AND MLB VOR BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET AN EXACT LOCATION. HE DECIDED TO CONTACT ORL APCH TO ASK FOR HELP AND DID SO. WHEN HE MADE HIS INITIAL BROADCAST THEY (APCH) INFORMED HIM THAT HE WAS IN CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. HE PROCEEDED TO TELL THEM THAT HE WAS A STUDENT PLT ON HIS INITIAL XCOUNTRY AND WOULD APPRECIATE VECTORS TO SANFORD. THEY ISSUED A SQUAWK CODE AND VECTORS WERE PROVIDED TO SANFORD. NO PHONE NUMBER WAS GIVEN TO THE STUDENT TO SEE WHAT ACTION, IF ANY, WOULD BE TAKEN. PERHAPS I SHOULD ADVISE MY STUDENTS TO TURN AROUND AT THE VERY FIRST INDICATION OF LOW LYING CLOUD COVER TO AVOID THIS HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. IT SEEMS STUDENT PLTS ARE OFTEN FEARFUL OF LNDG AT ANOTHER ARPT AND BEING STRANDED AT THAT UNFAMILIAR LOCATION BECAUSE OF WX. I BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO BE STRANDED THAN TO GO THROUGH THE SCENARIO DESCRIBED ABOVE.

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.