Narrative:

Planning a flight from NK03 to W05, I obtained a computerized briefing via 'compuserve' at XW10. That briefing included a forecast of chance of thunderstorm activity along proposed route of flight from syracuse area to south of binghamton, ny. At XX30 I watched the 'WX channel' on cable tv to apprise myself of the overall WX picture along proposed route, plus the northeastern united states. The tv WX indicated potential heavy rain and convective activity moving eastward from the buffalo, ny area. At xyoo I called utica FSS for a complete WX briefing. The briefer was somewhat terse when asked for NOTAMS. He responded that he'd given me the relevant ones. Actually he gave none. I noted forecast of thunderstorms from compuserve and WX channel. I replied that radar was not painting any cells along my route of flight. I then filed an IFR flight plan and decided the proposed flight could be accomplished safety. Shortly after takeoff at XZ00, syracuse ATC began assigning holds to commercial traffic using R-180 of ggt VOR due to imminent thunderstorm activity at syracuse. I was assigned 6000' MSL to pass over ggt, with holding traffic above and below my altitude. I knew that with a thunderstorm moving into syracuse, my return to NK03 would be unsafe, so I elected to continue southbound, thinking that I would soon be away from what was apparently a localized/isolated thunderstorm. While passing over ggt, I encountered moderate turbulence in heavy rain. It was difficult to maintain altitude and I was concerned about striking holding traffic, since my aircraft was rapidly gaining and losing altitude. I contacted syracuse ATC and informed them of my WX situation and asked for advice on WX south of my position. Several commercial pilots then began to report heavy WX south of ggt VOR, along my route of flight. These reports were rather stressful, since my escape route seemed closed. When syracuse ATC handed me off to binghamton ATC, I asked binghamton about the WX between my position and bgm VOR. I was informed that no cells were present, but some were forming south of bgm VOR. I elected to continue my flight toward bgm VOR, because the air was smoothing out and I needed a moment to think out an alternate plan. Very shortly I decided that a landing at binghamton was the only viable option. I was given radar vectors for a visual approach to runway 28K but because of increasing rain I could not see the airport until about 3/4 mi from it. Binghamton approach turned me over to tower, when I reported the field in sight, and I was cleared for landing on runway 16. Tower permitted a left 360 degree turn to lose altitude (from 3000 MSL) and an uneventful landing followed. However, while taxiing to the FBO, binghamton ATC issued a severe WX alert to all aircraft concerning thunderstorms both north and south of the airport. I later visited the NWS facility at binghamton tower (about xx local) and was informed that they reported a line of rapidly moving thunderstorms from buffalo on through rochester for several hours through the afternoon. Thus, it seems incredible that the flight service briefer at utica would have minimized the impact of these storms on my proposed flight. Because the information from compuserve WX sequences and WX channel suggested only a chance of severe WX, I relied too heavily on the FSS briefer for up-to-date and actual WX conditions. Perhaps I should have pressed him further about potential thunderstorm activity. Nonetheless, pilots should be able to count on the professionalism of briefers to provide all the necessary data concerning WX and flight conditions, especially the presence of hazardous WX moving toward the line of proposed flight! Had I been informed about these storms by an FSS briefer, no flight would have been attempted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE LOW TIME INSTRUMENT PLT ON IFR PLAN ENCOUNTERED HEAVY WX. FEELS FSS BRIEFING WAS INADEQUATE.

Narrative: PLANNING A FLT FROM NK03 TO W05, I OBTAINED A COMPUTERIZED BRIEFING VIA 'COMPUSERVE' AT XW10. THAT BRIEFING INCLUDED A FORECAST OF CHANCE OF TSTM ACTIVITY ALONG PROPOSED ROUTE OF FLT FROM SYRACUSE AREA TO S OF BINGHAMTON, NY. AT XX30 I WATCHED THE 'WX CHANNEL' ON CABLE TV TO APPRISE MYSELF OF THE OVERALL WX PICTURE ALONG PROPOSED ROUTE, PLUS THE NORTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. THE TV WX INDICATED POTENTIAL HEAVY RAIN AND CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY MOVING EASTWARD FROM THE BUFFALO, NY AREA. AT XYOO I CALLED UTICA FSS FOR A COMPLETE WX BRIEFING. THE BRIEFER WAS SOMEWHAT TERSE WHEN ASKED FOR NOTAMS. HE RESPONDED THAT HE'D GIVEN ME THE RELEVANT ONES. ACTUALLY HE GAVE NONE. I NOTED FORECAST OF TSTMS FROM COMPUSERVE AND WX CHANNEL. I REPLIED THAT RADAR WAS NOT PAINTING ANY CELLS ALONG MY ROUTE OF FLT. I THEN FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AND DECIDED THE PROPOSED FLT COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED SAFETY. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AT XZ00, SYRACUSE ATC BEGAN ASSIGNING HOLDS TO COMMERCIAL TFC USING R-180 OF GGT VOR DUE TO IMMINENT TSTM ACTIVITY AT SYRACUSE. I WAS ASSIGNED 6000' MSL TO PASS OVER GGT, WITH HOLDING TFC ABOVE AND BELOW MY ALT. I KNEW THAT WITH A TSTM MOVING INTO SYRACUSE, MY RETURN TO NK03 WOULD BE UNSAFE, SO I ELECTED TO CONTINUE SBND, THINKING THAT I WOULD SOON BE AWAY FROM WHAT WAS APPARENTLY A LOCALIZED/ISOLATED TSTM. WHILE PASSING OVER GGT, I ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURBULENCE IN HEAVY RAIN. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN ALT AND I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT STRIKING HOLDING TFC, SINCE MY ACFT WAS RAPIDLY GAINING AND LOSING ALT. I CONTACTED SYRACUSE ATC AND INFORMED THEM OF MY WX SITUATION AND ASKED FOR ADVICE ON WX S OF MY POSITION. SEVERAL COMMERCIAL PLTS THEN BEGAN TO REPORT HEAVY WX S OF GGT VOR, ALONG MY ROUTE OF FLT. THESE REPORTS WERE RATHER STRESSFUL, SINCE MY ESCAPE ROUTE SEEMED CLOSED. WHEN SYRACUSE ATC HANDED ME OFF TO BINGHAMTON ATC, I ASKED BINGHAMTON ABOUT THE WX BETWEEN MY POSITION AND BGM VOR. I WAS INFORMED THAT NO CELLS WERE PRESENT, BUT SOME WERE FORMING S OF BGM VOR. I ELECTED TO CONTINUE MY FLT TOWARD BGM VOR, BECAUSE THE AIR WAS SMOOTHING OUT AND I NEEDED A MOMENT TO THINK OUT AN ALTERNATE PLAN. VERY SHORTLY I DECIDED THAT A LNDG AT BINGHAMTON WAS THE ONLY VIABLE OPTION. I WAS GIVEN RADAR VECTORS FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28K BUT BECAUSE OF INCREASING RAIN I COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT UNTIL ABOUT 3/4 MI FROM IT. BINGHAMTON APCH TURNED ME OVER TO TWR, WHEN I REPORTED THE FIELD IN SIGHT, AND I WAS CLRED FOR LNDG ON RWY 16. TWR PERMITTED A LEFT 360 DEG TURN TO LOSE ALT (FROM 3000 MSL) AND AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG FOLLOWED. HOWEVER, WHILE TAXIING TO THE FBO, BINGHAMTON ATC ISSUED A SEVERE WX ALERT TO ALL ACFT CONCERNING TSTMS BOTH N AND S OF THE ARPT. I LATER VISITED THE NWS FAC AT BINGHAMTON TWR (ABOUT XX LOCAL) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY REPORTED A LINE OF RAPIDLY MOVING TSTMS FROM BUFFALO ON THROUGH ROCHESTER FOR SEVERAL HOURS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THUS, IT SEEMS INCREDIBLE THAT THE FLT SERVICE BRIEFER AT UTICA WOULD HAVE MINIMIZED THE IMPACT OF THESE STORMS ON MY PROPOSED FLT. BECAUSE THE INFO FROM COMPUSERVE WX SEQUENCES AND WX CHANNEL SUGGESTED ONLY A CHANCE OF SEVERE WX, I RELIED TOO HEAVILY ON THE FSS BRIEFER FOR UP-TO-DATE AND ACTUAL WX CONDITIONS. PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE PRESSED HIM FURTHER ABOUT POTENTIAL TSTM ACTIVITY. NONETHELESS, PLTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO COUNT ON THE PROFESSIONALISM OF BRIEFERS TO PROVIDE ALL THE NECESSARY DATA CONCERNING WX AND FLT CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY THE PRESENCE OF HAZARDOUS WX MOVING TOWARD THE LINE OF PROPOSED FLT! HAD I BEEN INFORMED ABOUT THESE STORMS BY AN FSS BRIEFER, NO FLT WOULD HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED.

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.