Narrative:

We had departed destin, fl, early afternoon in a flight of 2, with aircraft Y as lead and aircraft X (with myself as pilot) in the #2 position. I am a relatively junior pilot with some 600 hours experience, but it was mostly 20 yrs ago. I had just purchased aircraft X last october and my experience with type was limited to a type chkout at sebring and the cross country to destin on oct/sun/04. I was also unfamiliar with united states procedures, particularly around restr areas, which is why we planned to fly in a flight of 2 under mr X's direction. We planned to fly west towards mobile or gulfport attempting to get around bad WX, then turn north towards our destination of little rock. Had followed lead west, then north. Lead was climbing above cloud. I experienced 3 or 4 incidents of vertigo. At first I thought this was twisting turbulence versus usual bumps, unique to the type or conditions near the cumulus cloud, but never before experienced by myself and I had found it disconcerting. I advised lead that I did not hold a VFR on top rating, but it appears this is only a requirement in canada. When it appeared we would not get over the broken layer, and recognizing my discomfort, lead turned back south. At this point, I experienced communications problem being unable to contact lead. When we had formed up again I had asked if he heard me and he waggled his wings that he could so my problem was only receiving. But I was sufficiently disoriented that I did not realize lead intended to continue west to get around the WX system. Still at 4000 ft or so, I had a clear view of a coast. I announced to lead that I was descending to find an airport to land. I was speaking to him on 123.45 but he advised he did not get my report, likely because he had changed back to 119.0 to talk to ATC. Losing sight of lead and believing I had a communications failure, I tuned 121.5 and broadcast an emergency 'pan, pan, pan.' my call was answered by an air carrier flight and I presumed he would have notified auths. I also attempted to set 7600 on my transponder but it seemed to go from 6 to 0 on the setting with no 7 position (it seems there was, but I was unfamiliar with the instrument having been flying only on 1200 or as #2 with it on standby). I continued descent towards the land and when at 2000 ft used the 'nearest' function on the GPS to find an airport. Was able to regain contact with pns and thought I was landing there. It turned out to be an old airfield being used for hurricane damage clean-up. Was told by construction workers on the ground that it was 'holley,' an old satellite training field. Shortly after, lead appeared overhead and was able to make contact. I took off and followed him back to destin. Lead subsequently advised me that it was a serious infraction to break formation and that ATC had to vector aircraft from my path. However, I felt I had a real emergency, between disorientation, lost position and communications, sufficiently serious to broadcast 'pan, pan, pan.' and that I took all steps possible to make contact with ATC and keep advised of my situation and intentions. My actions were taken as a PIC in an emergency and the lead pilot had no means to control my actions.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TL ULTRALIGHT PLT FLYING FORMATION WITH ANOTHER ULTRALIGHT EXPERIENCED VERTIGO, LOST SIGHT OF THE LEAD ACFT AFTER BROADCASTING 'PAN, PAN, PAN' AND ULTIMATELY LANDED AT AN ABANDONED FIELD.

Narrative: WE HAD DEPARTED DESTIN, FL, EARLY AFTERNOON IN A FLT OF 2, WITH ACFT Y AS LEAD AND ACFT X (WITH MYSELF AS PLT) IN THE #2 POS. I AM A RELATIVELY JUNIOR PLT WITH SOME 600 HRS EXPERIENCE, BUT IT WAS MOSTLY 20 YRS AGO. I HAD JUST PURCHASED ACFT X LAST OCTOBER AND MY EXPERIENCE WITH TYPE WAS LIMITED TO A TYPE CHKOUT AT SEBRING AND THE XCOUNTRY TO DESTIN ON OCT/SUN/04. I WAS ALSO UNFAMILIAR WITH UNITED STATES PROCS, PARTICULARLY AROUND RESTR AREAS, WHICH IS WHY WE PLANNED TO FLY IN A FLT OF 2 UNDER MR X'S DIRECTION. WE PLANNED TO FLY W TOWARDS MOBILE OR GULFPORT ATTEMPTING TO GET AROUND BAD WX, THEN TURN N TOWARDS OUR DEST OF LITTLE ROCK. HAD FOLLOWED LEAD W, THEN N. LEAD WAS CLBING ABOVE CLOUD. I EXPERIENCED 3 OR 4 INCIDENTS OF VERTIGO. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THIS WAS TWISTING TURB VERSUS USUAL BUMPS, UNIQUE TO THE TYPE OR CONDITIONS NEAR THE CUMULUS CLOUD, BUT NEVER BEFORE EXPERIENCED BY MYSELF AND I HAD FOUND IT DISCONCERTING. I ADVISED LEAD THAT I DID NOT HOLD A VFR ON TOP RATING, BUT IT APPEARS THIS IS ONLY A REQUIREMENT IN CANADA. WHEN IT APPEARED WE WOULD NOT GET OVER THE BROKEN LAYER, AND RECOGNIZING MY DISCOMFORT, LEAD TURNED BACK S. AT THIS POINT, I EXPERIENCED COMS PROB BEING UNABLE TO CONTACT LEAD. WHEN WE HAD FORMED UP AGAIN I HAD ASKED IF HE HEARD ME AND HE WAGGLED HIS WINGS THAT HE COULD SO MY PROB WAS ONLY RECEIVING. BUT I WAS SUFFICIENTLY DISORIENTED THAT I DID NOT REALIZE LEAD INTENDED TO CONTINUE W TO GET AROUND THE WX SYS. STILL AT 4000 FT OR SO, I HAD A CLR VIEW OF A COAST. I ANNOUNCED TO LEAD THAT I WAS DSNDING TO FIND AN ARPT TO LAND. I WAS SPEAKING TO HIM ON 123.45 BUT HE ADVISED HE DID NOT GET MY RPT, LIKELY BECAUSE HE HAD CHANGED BACK TO 119.0 TO TALK TO ATC. LOSING SIGHT OF LEAD AND BELIEVING I HAD A COMS FAILURE, I TUNED 121.5 AND BROADCAST AN EMER 'PAN, PAN, PAN.' MY CALL WAS ANSWERED BY AN ACR FLT AND I PRESUMED HE WOULD HAVE NOTIFIED AUTHS. I ALSO ATTEMPTED TO SET 7600 ON MY XPONDER BUT IT SEEMED TO GO FROM 6 TO 0 ON THE SETTING WITH NO 7 POS (IT SEEMS THERE WAS, BUT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE INST HAVING BEEN FLYING ONLY ON 1200 OR AS #2 WITH IT ON STANDBY). I CONTINUED DSCNT TOWARDS THE LAND AND WHEN AT 2000 FT USED THE 'NEAREST' FUNCTION ON THE GPS TO FIND AN ARPT. WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTACT WITH PNS AND THOUGHT I WAS LNDG THERE. IT TURNED OUT TO BE AN OLD AIRFIELD BEING USED FOR HURRICANE DAMAGE CLEAN-UP. WAS TOLD BY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ON THE GND THAT IT WAS 'HOLLEY,' AN OLD SATELLITE TRAINING FIELD. SHORTLY AFTER, LEAD APPEARED OVERHEAD AND WAS ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT. I TOOK OFF AND FOLLOWED HIM BACK TO DESTIN. LEAD SUBSEQUENTLY ADVISED ME THAT IT WAS A SERIOUS INFRACTION TO BREAK FORMATION AND THAT ATC HAD TO VECTOR ACFT FROM MY PATH. HOWEVER, I FELT I HAD A REAL EMER, BTWN DISORIENTATION, LOST POS AND COMS, SUFFICIENTLY SERIOUS TO BROADCAST 'PAN, PAN, PAN.' AND THAT I TOOK ALL STEPS POSSIBLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH ATC AND KEEP ADVISED OF MY SIT AND INTENTIONS. MY ACTIONS WERE TAKEN AS A PIC IN AN EMER AND THE LEAD PLT HAD NO MEANS TO CTL MY ACTIONS.

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.