C152 student pilot enters class B airspace.

Attributes
ACN	557511
Time
Date	200208
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw.airport
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : yip.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 152
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 500 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	557511
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time total : 40
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe airspace violation : entry non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : #2 student plt
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I sent my student on his first solo cross country. He had 35-40 hours and was found proficient to fly solo cross country by myself. I signed him off, and he was on his way. He forgot to set his directional gyro to his magnetic compass, and proceeded on his way. He should have been en route, instead he ended up in detroit metropolitan's class B airspace. Once he realized he was in the class B airspace, he descended and got out of it. He was then confused where he was, so he found an airport (willow run) and started circling. He was not sure of the airport, so he did not have the frequency, so he squawked 7700 and received light gun signals from the tower. Once he got down, he got his bearings and returned to his home base via a flight plan he followed at willow run. The problem arose when he was on the right heading on the directional gyro, but the wrong heading on his magnetic compass. He realized this when he found himself getting close to some large jet aircraft. Some contributing factors were his chkpoints, his first 2 chkpoints were very similar to the ones he chose, but they turned out to be the wrong ones, even though he thought they were right. I believe that once he realized he was in class B airspace, his actions were mostly correct -- he got himself down!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 STUDENT PLT ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I SENT MY STUDENT ON HIS FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY. HE HAD 35-40 HRS AND WAS FOUND PROFICIENT TO FLY SOLO XCOUNTRY BY MYSELF. I SIGNED HIM OFF, AND HE WAS ON HIS WAY. HE FORGOT TO SET HIS DIRECTIONAL GYRO TO HIS MAGNETIC COMPASS, AND PROCEEDED ON HIS WAY. HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENRTE, INSTEAD HE ENDED UP IN DETROIT METRO'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. ONCE HE REALIZED HE WAS IN THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, HE DSNDED AND GOT OUT OF IT. HE WAS THEN CONFUSED WHERE HE WAS, SO HE FOUND AN ARPT (WILLOW RUN) AND STARTED CIRCLING. HE WAS NOT SURE OF THE ARPT, SO HE DID NOT HAVE THE FREQ, SO HE SQUAWKED 7700 AND RECEIVED LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. ONCE HE GOT DOWN, HE GOT HIS BEARINGS AND RETURNED TO HIS HOME BASE VIA A FLT PLAN HE FOLLOWED AT WILLOW RUN. THE PROB AROSE WHEN HE WAS ON THE RIGHT HDG ON THE DIRECTIONAL GYRO, BUT THE WRONG HDG ON HIS MAGNETIC COMPASS. HE REALIZED THIS WHEN HE FOUND HIMSELF GETTING CLOSE TO SOME LARGE JET ACFT. SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE HIS CHKPOINTS, HIS FIRST 2 CHKPOINTS WERE VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONES HE CHOSE, BUT THEY TURNED OUT TO BE THE WRONG ONES, EVEN THOUGH HE THOUGHT THEY WERE RIGHT. I BELIEVE THAT ONCE HE REALIZED HE WAS IN CLASS B AIRSPACE, HIS ACTIONS WERE MOSTLY CORRECT -- HE GOT HIMSELF DOWN!

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.