Narrative:

On the afternoon of nov/tue/04, as a flight of 2, we were cruising VFR on top under RA's from pensacola, fl. My wingman had less experienced than I had determined. Although we were on top with over 10 mi visibility, he experienced radio difficulties and subsequently experienced vertigo problems in spite of the reference to the horizon, clouds and my aircraft. The #2 aircraft departed the formation without clearance and descended to a landing at ZZZ. Approach control indicated that they were tracking him on radar and were clearing any other traffic. He had already switched to 121.5 and declared an emergency. After his landing, I was able to determine his location and circled above him while he departed and returned to base at destin, fl. On the return I kept him in the lead position and flew aft to assist him in any unusual attitudes by initiating which direction to turn to stay clear of restr airspace and arrive at the departure point. After landing we discussed the situation and I accepted responsibility as the senior flight leader for his actions. I also did not interview him prior to the flight to sufficiently ascertain his actual recent pilot skills. This incident was a direct violation of my personal conditions for training and travel with a new pilot. It was done with my acceptance but only after several attempts to xfer this aircraft and train this pilot at a local airport had failed. In the future, all conditions must be favorable for chkout/familiarization training including familiar territory and clearly VFR conditions prior to travel cross country.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WITH 2 EXPERIMENTAL ACFT IN FORMATION, THE WINGMAN BREAKS OFF UNEXPECTEDLY AFTER A RADIO AND VERTIGO PROB, LNDG AT A FIELD NEAR NPA.

Narrative: ON THE AFTERNOON OF NOV/TUE/04, AS A FLT OF 2, WE WERE CRUISING VFR ON TOP UNDER RA'S FROM PENSACOLA, FL. MY WINGMAN HAD LESS EXPERIENCED THAN I HAD DETERMINED. ALTHOUGH WE WERE ON TOP WITH OVER 10 MI VISIBILITY, HE EXPERIENCED RADIO DIFFICULTIES AND SUBSEQUENTLY EXPERIENCED VERTIGO PROBS IN SPITE OF THE REF TO THE HORIZON, CLOUDS AND MY ACFT. THE #2 ACFT DEPARTED THE FORMATION WITHOUT CLRNC AND DSNDED TO A LNDG AT ZZZ. APCH CTL INDICATED THAT THEY WERE TRACKING HIM ON RADAR AND WERE CLRING ANY OTHER TFC. HE HAD ALREADY SWITCHED TO 121.5 AND DECLARED AN EMER. AFTER HIS LNDG, I WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE HIS LOCATION AND CIRCLED ABOVE HIM WHILE HE DEPARTED AND RETURNED TO BASE AT DESTIN, FL. ON THE RETURN I KEPT HIM IN THE LEAD POS AND FLEW AFT TO ASSIST HIM IN ANY UNUSUAL ATTITUDES BY INITIATING WHICH DIRECTION TO TURN TO STAY CLR OF RESTR AIRSPACE AND ARRIVE AT THE DEP POINT. AFTER LNDG WE DISCUSSED THE SIT AND I ACCEPTED RESPONSIBILITY AS THE SENIOR FLT LEADER FOR HIS ACTIONS. I ALSO DID NOT INTERVIEW HIM PRIOR TO THE FLT TO SUFFICIENTLY ASCERTAIN HIS ACTUAL RECENT PLT SKILLS. THIS INCIDENT WAS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF MY PERSONAL CONDITIONS FOR TRAINING AND TRAVEL WITH A NEW PLT. IT WAS DONE WITH MY ACCEPTANCE BUT ONLY AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO XFER THIS ACFT AND TRAIN THIS PLT AT A LCL ARPT HAD FAILED. IN THE FUTURE, ALL CONDITIONS MUST BE FAVORABLE FOR CHKOUT/FAMILIARIZATION TRAINING INCLUDING FAMILIAR TERRITORY AND CLRLY VFR CONDITIONS PRIOR TO TRAVEL XCOUNTRY.

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.