Restricted area entered when trying to avoid severe WX.

Attributes
ACN	122338
Time
Date	198909
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tpl airport : act
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw tracon : grk
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : v17
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 595 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	122338
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed austin, mueller VFR with departure control on tower frequency and joined V-17 north. Approximately 10 mi south of the tpl VOR, encountered rain and heavy turbulence and received 2 hail strikes on windshield. Thunderstorm with lightning was visible to northeast of airway. Austin departure at this point had never terminated my radar service but I was unable to reach departure controller by radio and changed my squawk. I knew that approximately 15 north of my position were tower obstructions 1 mi west of airway that rise to 2519 MSL. I was unable to see the tower obstructions due to rain and for safety reasons began to deviate west around the WX I had encountered. Departure had not provided frequency for flight following and I was unable to look up frequency until approximately 10 west of course due to rain and turbulence. When able to look up sector frequency I contacted approach and advised I was 15 DME off tpl on the 270 radial and requested radar service. I was at 3000 MSL as I had been throughout the flight. Radar contact was confirmed and I was advised that I was over restr airspace and fly heading 360 degree to exit restr airspace. I was handed off to ft worth center for advisories into dfw area. When over the waco VOR I called center and advised them that I wished to terminate radar service and land at waco to 'wait out the WX'. I made 3 passes over the waco madison cooper airport and was unable to see runway 01 or turn runway lights on for runway 01. No lighted windsock was available that I could see so I announced my intentions to land on wy 32 on the CTAF. Runway 32 was the only suitable lighted runway. On the ground I was advised by security that runway 01 was under construction and was not lighted for that reason.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RESTRICTED AREA ENTERED WHEN TRYING TO AVOID SEVERE WX.

Narrative: DEPARTED AUSTIN, MUELLER VFR WITH DEP CTL ON TWR FREQ AND JOINED V-17 N. APPROX 10 MI S OF THE TPL VOR, ENCOUNTERED RAIN AND HEAVY TURBULENCE AND RECEIVED 2 HAIL STRIKES ON WINDSHIELD. TSTM WITH LIGHTNING WAS VISIBLE TO NE OF AIRWAY. AUSTIN DEP AT THIS POINT HAD NEVER TERMINATED MY RADAR SERVICE BUT I WAS UNABLE TO REACH DEP CTLR BY RADIO AND CHANGED MY SQUAWK. I KNEW THAT APPROX 15 N OF MY POSITION WERE TWR OBSTRUCTIONS 1 MI W OF AIRWAY THAT RISE TO 2519 MSL. I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE TWR OBSTRUCTIONS DUE TO RAIN AND FOR SAFETY REASONS BEGAN TO DEVIATE W AROUND THE WX I HAD ENCOUNTERED. DEP HAD NOT PROVIDED FREQ FOR FLT FOLLOWING AND I WAS UNABLE TO LOOK UP FREQ UNTIL APPROX 10 W OF COURSE DUE TO RAIN AND TURBULENCE. WHEN ABLE TO LOOK UP SECTOR FREQ I CONTACTED APCH AND ADVISED I WAS 15 DME OFF TPL ON THE 270 RADIAL AND REQUESTED RADAR SERVICE. I WAS AT 3000 MSL AS I HAD BEEN THROUGHOUT THE FLT. RADAR CONTACT WAS CONFIRMED AND I WAS ADVISED THAT I WAS OVER RESTR AIRSPACE AND FLY HDG 360 DEG TO EXIT RESTR AIRSPACE. I WAS HANDED OFF TO FT WORTH CENTER FOR ADVISORIES INTO DFW AREA. WHEN OVER THE WACO VOR I CALLED CENTER AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WISHED TO TERMINATE RADAR SERVICE AND LAND AT WACO TO 'WAIT OUT THE WX'. I MADE 3 PASSES OVER THE WACO MADISON COOPER ARPT AND WAS UNABLE TO SEE RWY 01 OR TURN RWY LIGHTS ON FOR RWY 01. NO LIGHTED WINDSOCK WAS AVAILABLE THAT I COULD SEE SO I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO LAND ON WY 32 ON THE CTAF. RWY 32 WAS THE ONLY SUITABLE LIGHTED RWY. ON THE GND I WAS ADVISED BY SECURITY THAT RWY 01 WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND WAS NOT LIGHTED FOR THAT REASON.

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.