Five C's:

• Circle:

  • If able, you want to minimize your travel so you can orient to the location without anything changing and not get any further off track

• Confess:

  • Admit that you are lost and need some form of assistance
  • Write down the time you determine you are lost
  • Avoid stressing out and convincing yourself you are lost when maybe you are not

• Climb:

  • "Climb to cope"
  • Ceiling and visibility permitting climb to improve radio reception (comm and NAVAID) and forward visibility
  • Be sure not to fly around aimlessly, circle if required during a climb

• Conserve:

  • Operate the aircraft (when straight and level) at maximum endurance power setting
  • When oriented, fly max range
  • Check your fuel state and determine how much time you have

• Communicate:

  • Request assistance on the area working frequency
  • Try to communicate using all available channels and NAVAIDs
  • If unable try calling an approach control frequency with a PAN report and request vectors
  • If unable to receive any reply, switch to guard and deliver a PAN report
  • If required set transponder 7700
  
  
  • If ATC responds then comply with instructions
  
  UHF: "PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, [Callsign], [Situation], [Position], [Intention] PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN, PAN-PAN"
  

• Comply:

  • If you are attempting landing at a strange field, circle it at a safe altitude and locate all obstacles and hazards
  • Determine wind direction and duty runway and get a rough estimate of runway length and width
  • Try to contact the tower on guard prior to landing
  • Use best estimation of pattern altitude
  
  
  • Never fly above overcast layers
  • If stuck above a cloud layer, bailout is an option

C-172 Procedure:

1. Maintain positive aircraft control at all times
2. Remain calm
3. Conserve fuel by leaning the engine for a best economy operation and reduce power as much as practical
4. Maintain situational awareness, using a sectional chart and NAVAIDs as follows:
• Sectional:
• Reset the heading indicator (HI)
• Turn the sectional chart to match your heading
• Watch for prominent landmarks
• Match the landmarks to the sectional chart
• NAVAIDs:
• Reset the heading indicator
• Tune and identify an available VOR and/or NDB station
• Locate the aircraft position using radials / bearings
• Plot a course to proceed direct to the destination or to intercept the planned course as appropriate
• Use the GPS:
• Use NRST to locate the nearest airport or VOR, or
• Use the moving map
• Obtain assistance from ATC or FSS
• If unable to establish contact with anyone, squawk 7700 and transmit "in the blind" on 121.50 MHz to obtain assistance
• Carefully monitor the amount of fuel and make a precautionary landing, preferably at an airport, before exhausting the fuel supply

Common Errors:

• Not conserving fuel
• Unaware of fuel
• Improper calculations
• Not turning toward an airport

References:

• CFI Notebook.net - Emergency Voice Reports
• Practical Test Standards/Airman Certification Standards (Task D) Lost Procedures (ASEL and ASES)

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