While attempting to remain in VMC reporter entered a TCA without clearance. He then obtained clearan...

Attributes
ACN	106912
Time
Date	198903
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : iah airport : dwh
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5500 msl bound upper : 5500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : iah
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 320 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	106912
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On the evening 3/xx/89, I was flying to houston from harlingen, tx. Destination airport was david wayne hooks airport in tomball, tx. The sky in harlingen at takeoff (xa local) was clear. I climbed to 5500' MSL after departure. As I got closer to houston clouds began to build at about 1500-2500' broken. Over palacious, tx, I got a WX report from montgomery county FSS calling for ceilings at destination airport to be 1000-2000' broken. As I got about 50 mi from destination I listened to the ATIS report at david wayne hooks. It called for ceilings 600' broken. At this time I decided that when I got closer to houston I would find a hole in the cloud cover and go down through it. I waited too long to do this and I flew into the houston TCA by accident. I was on about the 234 degree right 16 DME from iah VORTAC at 5000' when I realized where I was. At this time I turned to the northwest to exit the TCA and began a descent to get below the outer layer of the TCA. About 5 mins later I decided that the cloud cover was too thick to descend through safely so I called iah approach to get an IFR clearance to destination. At this time I was about 15 mi wnw of destination. I was cleared to the destination airport by iah approach via radar vectors to the localizer/DME 17R approach to a safe landing at david wayne hooks. The actual ceiling at time of landing at david wane hooks was about 1500' broken (xb local). I felt that getting an IFR clearance to my destination was safer than just descending through the clouds west/O telling anybody what I was doing and west/O knowing where other traffic was. I know that I made a mistake. I hope that I will shortly have the instrument rating. I have been taking instrument flying lessons with a qualified instrument flight instrument. I have about 40 hours of simulated instrument (hood) time with this instrument and with qualified safety pilots. I have made about 50 simulated approachs with instrs and safety pilots. I have also made 4 cross country flts under instrument flight rules with an instrument instrument, including the long cross country required to take the instrument check ride.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMAIN IN VMC REPORTER ENTERED A TCA WITHOUT CLRNC. HE THEN OBTAINED CLRNC OF IFR AND CONDUCTED AN APCH IN IMC WITHOUT AN INSTRUMENT RATING.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING 3/XX/89, I WAS FLYING TO HOUSTON FROM HARLINGEN, TX. DEST ARPT WAS DAVID WAYNE HOOKS ARPT IN TOMBALL, TX. THE SKY IN HARLINGEN AT TKOF (XA LCL) WAS CLR. I CLBED TO 5500' MSL AFTER DEP. AS I GOT CLOSER TO HOUSTON CLOUDS BEGAN TO BUILD AT ABOUT 1500-2500' BROKEN. OVER PALACIOUS, TX, I GOT A WX RPT FROM MONTGOMERY COUNTY FSS CALLING FOR CEILINGS AT DEST ARPT TO BE 1000-2000' BROKEN. AS I GOT ABOUT 50 MI FROM DEST I LISTENED TO THE ATIS RPT AT DAVID WAYNE HOOKS. IT CALLED FOR CEILINGS 600' BROKEN. AT THIS TIME I DECIDED THAT WHEN I GOT CLOSER TO HOUSTON I WOULD FIND A HOLE IN THE CLOUD COVER AND GO DOWN THROUGH IT. I WAITED TOO LONG TO DO THIS AND I FLEW INTO THE HOUSTON TCA BY ACCIDENT. I WAS ON ABOUT THE 234 DEG R 16 DME FROM IAH VORTAC AT 5000' WHEN I REALIZED WHERE I WAS. AT THIS TIME I TURNED TO THE NW TO EXIT THE TCA AND BEGAN A DSCNT TO GET BELOW THE OUTER LAYER OF THE TCA. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER I DECIDED THAT THE CLOUD COVER WAS TOO THICK TO DSND THROUGH SAFELY SO I CALLED IAH APCH TO GET AN IFR CLRNC TO DEST. AT THIS TIME I WAS ABOUT 15 MI WNW OF DEST. I WAS CLRED TO THE DEST ARPT BY IAH APCH VIA RADAR VECTORS TO THE LOC/DME 17R APCH TO A SAFE LNDG AT DAVID WAYNE HOOKS. THE ACTUAL CEILING AT TIME OF LNDG AT DAVID WANE HOOKS WAS ABOUT 1500' BROKEN (XB LCL). I FELT THAT GETTING AN IFR CLRNC TO MY DEST WAS SAFER THAN JUST DSNDING THROUGH THE CLOUDS W/O TELLING ANYBODY WHAT I WAS DOING AND W/O KNOWING WHERE OTHER TFC WAS. I KNOW THAT I MADE A MISTAKE. I HOPE THAT I WILL SHORTLY HAVE THE INSTRUMENT RATING. I HAVE BEEN TAKING INSTRUMENT FLYING LESSONS WITH A QUALIFIED INSTRUMENT FLT INSTR. I HAVE ABOUT 40 HRS OF SIMULATED INSTRUMENT (HOOD) TIME WITH THIS INSTR AND WITH QUALIFIED SAFETY PLTS. I HAVE MADE ABOUT 50 SIMULATED APCHS WITH INSTRS AND SAFETY PLTS. I HAVE ALSO MADE 4 CROSS COUNTRY FLTS UNDER INSTRUMENT FLT RULES WITH AN INSTRUMENT INSTR, INCLUDING THE LONG CROSS COUNTRY REQUIRED TO TAKE THE INSTRUMENT CHK RIDE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

While attempting to remain in VMC reporter entered a TCA without clearance. He then obtained clearance of IFR and conducted an approach in IMC without an instrument rating.