Narrative:

Clearance was FL190. V101 estus V85 den direct apa. As I approached estus, I became concerned about buildups across the route. I called den flight watch to determine WX ahead in order to make a decision whether to divert to a different destination or continue. Flight watch advised that no radar returns were directly ahead but several both north and south, advised that if I could proceed east until clear of the mountains, I probably could descend to below the bases and visually navigate around cells to apa. I decided to continue to apa. I may have failed to change the VOR from che to gll. Returned to den ARTCC who requested descent to 16,000. I responded with a request to climb to FL200 to remain clear of WX. Request approved. Center asked if I intended to fly V85. I responded that my DME showed 5 mi to run until estus and it looked like I could turn on V85. They informed me that I was already 5 NM past estus and 8 mi north of course, and that I could not fly just anywhere without clearance to deviate, and that there was other traffic to consider. I became very concerned about my ability to handle the situation as I had been unaware that I had deviated. I think I began to use visible clouds to navigate, lost my scan and became directionally disorientated. My altitude at times was 300' low. I could see the ground several miles ahead between cumulus clouds. I told center that it looked like I could go direct to gll, descend and get below the clouds. ARTCC turned me over to another controller who cleared me direct to gll and to descend to a lower altitude. The controller asked me to confirm that the heading to gll was about 120 degree. I concurred. I took a VOR fix on gll, 120 degree heading was more than 20 degree right of where I thought gll was before ATC asked for confirmation. After turning to 120 degree the passenger, also a private pilot, became visibly agitated and vocal about flying into the cumulus cloud we were headed for, and asked several times if I was going to enter it. I advised I could see the ground and asked if I could spiral down at my present location until I could get below the bases. So cleared and report on course to gll. Descended to about 11,000 in a spiral (scan still bad, descent rate varied from 100-2000 FPM) and assumed course direct to gll, still in a descent. Entered a stratus layer and while in the clouds was given clearance direct gll V356 wiggi den direct apa. Still had not regained my composure, and could not get the clearance straight nor read back correctly in 3 tries (figured out what it was on the ground). ARTCC changed the clearance to direct gll V81 den direct apa. I correctly copied that one. Came out of the stratus at 8000 and everything smoothed out. Primary reasons for difficulty was not maintaining instrument scan and losing composure. Loss of composure aggravated by trying to get ARTCC to let me do what I felt needed to be done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA DEVIATED FROM CLRNC ROUTE. EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT DURING WX DEVIATION.

Narrative: CLRNC WAS FL190. V101 ESTUS V85 DEN DIRECT APA. AS I APCHED ESTUS, I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT BUILDUPS ACROSS THE ROUTE. I CALLED DEN FLT WATCH TO DETERMINE WX AHEAD IN ORDER TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER TO DIVERT TO A DIFFERENT DEST OR CONTINUE. FLT WATCH ADVISED THAT NO RADAR RETURNS WERE DIRECTLY AHEAD BUT SEVERAL BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH, ADVISED THAT IF I COULD PROCEED E UNTIL CLEAR OF THE MOUNTAINS, I PROBABLY COULD DSND TO BELOW THE BASES AND VISUALLY NAVIGATE AROUND CELLS TO APA. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO APA. I MAY HAVE FAILED TO CHANGE THE VOR FROM CHE TO GLL. RETURNED TO DEN ARTCC WHO REQUESTED DSCNT TO 16,000. I RESPONDED WITH A REQUEST TO CLIMB TO FL200 TO REMAIN CLEAR OF WX. REQUEST APPROVED. CENTER ASKED IF I INTENDED TO FLY V85. I RESPONDED THAT MY DME SHOWED 5 MI TO RUN UNTIL ESTUS AND IT LOOKED LIKE I COULD TURN ON V85. THEY INFORMED ME THAT I WAS ALREADY 5 NM PAST ESTUS AND 8 MI N OF COURSE, AND THAT I COULD NOT FLY JUST ANYWHERE WITHOUT CLRNC TO DEVIATE, AND THAT THERE WAS OTHER TFC TO CONSIDER. I BECAME VERY CONCERNED ABOUT MY ABILITY TO HANDLE THE SITUATION AS I HAD BEEN UNAWARE THAT I HAD DEVIATED. I THINK I BEGAN TO USE VISIBLE CLOUDS TO NAVIGATE, LOST MY SCAN AND BECAME DIRECTIONALLY DISORIENTATED. MY ALT AT TIMES WAS 300' LOW. I COULD SEE THE GND SEVERAL MILES AHEAD BETWEEN CUMULUS CLOUDS. I TOLD CENTER THAT IT LOOKED LIKE I COULD GO DIRECT TO GLL, DSND AND GET BELOW THE CLOUDS. ARTCC TURNED ME OVER TO ANOTHER CTLR WHO CLRED ME DIRECT TO GLL AND TO DSND TO A LOWER ALT. THE CTLR ASKED ME TO CONFIRM THAT THE HDG TO GLL WAS ABOUT 120 DEG. I CONCURRED. I TOOK A VOR FIX ON GLL, 120 DEG HDG WAS MORE THAN 20 DEG RIGHT OF WHERE I THOUGHT GLL WAS BEFORE ATC ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION. AFTER TURNING TO 120 DEG THE PAX, ALSO A PRIVATE PLT, BECAME VISIBLY AGITATED AND VOCAL ABOUT FLYING INTO THE CUMULUS CLOUD WE WERE HEADED FOR, AND ASKED SEVERAL TIMES IF I WAS GOING TO ENTER IT. I ADVISED I COULD SEE THE GND AND ASKED IF I COULD SPIRAL DOWN AT MY PRESENT LOCATION UNTIL I COULD GET BELOW THE BASES. SO CLRED AND REPORT ON COURSE TO GLL. DESCENDED TO ABOUT 11,000 IN A SPIRAL (SCAN STILL BAD, DSCNT RATE VARIED FROM 100-2000 FPM) AND ASSUMED COURSE DIRECT TO GLL, STILL IN A DSCNT. ENTERED A STRATUS LAYER AND WHILE IN THE CLOUDS WAS GIVEN CLRNC DIRECT GLL V356 WIGGI DEN DIRECT APA. STILL HAD NOT REGAINED MY COMPOSURE, AND COULD NOT GET THE CLRNC STRAIGHT NOR READ BACK CORRECTLY IN 3 TRIES (FIGURED OUT WHAT IT WAS ON THE GND). ARTCC CHANGED THE CLRNC TO DIRECT GLL V81 DEN DIRECT APA. I CORRECTLY COPIED THAT ONE. CAME OUT OF THE STRATUS AT 8000 AND EVERYTHING SMOOTHED OUT. PRIMARY REASONS FOR DIFFICULTY WAS NOT MAINTAINING INSTRUMENT SCAN AND LOSING COMPOSURE. LOSS OF COMPOSURE AGGRAVATED BY TRYING TO GET ARTCC TO LET ME DO WHAT I FELT NEEDED TO BE DONE.

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.