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GA small aircraft encountered deteriorating WX during VFR flight. Requested flight assist descending through clouds.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 124103 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198909 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sbn |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5700 msl bound upper : 12500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sbn tower : huf |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 104 |
| ASRS Report | 124103 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Departed mgc en route to jvy. VFR conditions existed and forecast for mgc and jvy. At ind, WX ahead looked dark and bad. Contacted terre haute flight watch (thfw) to get updated WX for route of flight. Thfw indicated IFR conditions ahead and I decided to turn around and return to mgc. Informed thfw of my intentions. Climbed to 7500 and talked to ind approach for flight following. VFR conditions remained but encountered strong headwind. 30 mi south of mgc began to encounter more cloud cover beneath me. Once again contacted thfw. They advised sbn, in, reported 4000 broken and could land VFR there. En route to sbn encountered higher cloud tops requiring me to climb to 10,500 to maintain VFR. Contacted sbn approach during climb to report. Sbn advised kalamazoo, mi, reported 8000 broken and suggested flying east to find hole. Encountered more clouds en route climbing to 11,500. Reported no holes and sbn suggested gyy, in, who reported 4000 broken. Turned west toward gyy encountered more clouds climbing to 12,500 to maintain VFR. Told sbn no improvement and suggested I would rather go through clouds now than in gary since I had been in air 3 hours with 4:45 min of fuel. Sbn inquired if I wanted to declare an emergency. I said yes and descended on autoplt at controled 500 FPM only going off autoplt to change heading. Sbn telling me what heading to fly and I only used 10 degree of bank to change heading. Broke out of clouds at 5700' and landed safely.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: GA SMA ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WX DURING VFR FLT. REQUESTED FLT ASSIST DESCENDING THROUGH CLOUDS.
Narrative: DEPARTED MGC ENRTE TO JVY. VFR CONDITIONS EXISTED AND FORECAST FOR MGC AND JVY. AT IND, WX AHEAD LOOKED DARK AND BAD. CONTACTED TERRE HAUTE FLT WATCH (THFW) TO GET UPDATED WX FOR ROUTE OF FLT. THFW INDICATED IFR CONDITIONS AHEAD AND I DECIDED TO TURN AROUND AND RETURN TO MGC. INFORMED THFW OF MY INTENTIONS. CLIMBED TO 7500 AND TALKED TO IND APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING. VFR CONDITIONS REMAINED BUT ENCOUNTERED STRONG HEADWIND. 30 MI S OF MGC BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER MORE CLOUD COVER BENEATH ME. ONCE AGAIN CONTACTED THFW. THEY ADVISED SBN, IN, REPORTED 4000 BKN AND COULD LAND VFR THERE. ENRTE TO SBN ENCOUNTERED HIGHER CLOUD TOPS REQUIRING ME TO CLIMB TO 10,500 TO MAINTAIN VFR. CONTACTED SBN APCH DURING CLIMB TO REPORT. SBN ADVISED KALAMAZOO, MI, REPORTED 8000 BKN AND SUGGESTED FLYING EAST TO FIND HOLE. ENCOUNTERED MORE CLOUDS ENRTE CLIMBING TO 11,500. REPORTED NO HOLES AND SBN SUGGESTED GYY, IN, WHO REPORTED 4000 BKN. TURNED W TOWARD GYY ENCOUNTERED MORE CLOUDS CLIMBING TO 12,500 TO MAINTAIN VFR. TOLD SBN NO IMPROVEMENT AND SUGGESTED I WOULD RATHER GO THROUGH CLOUDS NOW THAN IN GARY SINCE I HAD BEEN IN AIR 3 HRS WITH 4:45 MIN OF FUEL. SBN INQUIRED IF I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I SAID YES AND DESCENDED ON AUTOPLT AT CTLED 500 FPM ONLY GOING OFF AUTOPLT TO CHANGE HDG. SBN TELLING ME WHAT HDG TO FLY AND I ONLY USED 10 DEG OF BANK TO CHANGE HDG. BROKE OUT OF CLOUDS AT 5700' AND LANDED SAFELY.
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.