A non instrument rated commercial pilot in an small aircraft on a pipeline patrol encounters in in-f...

Attributes
ACN	131028
Time
Date	198912
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cou airport : jef
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 411 msl bound lower : 889 msl bound upper : 1300
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cou tower : cou
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	131028
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On 12/thur/89 at approximately am hours, I was flying pipeline patrol. I was about 30 mi east of kc, mo, southbound. At highway I70 I encountered snow showers blocking my path. I contacted columbia, mo flight watch and was informed radar indicated lesser snow activity east of sedalia, mo. I flew to jefferson city, mo, west/O finding any opening to the south. I landed and fueled up. I contacted FSS at columbia and was told conditions appeared somewhat better toward st louis. I departed jefferson city and continued east for approximately 20 mins. Conditions were beginning to deteriorate and I decided to return to jefferson city to land. I tuned in jefferson city VOR and contacted the tower. The operator informed me the VOR was located at columbia, mo. Conditions were growing worse rapidly and I was forced down to about 1300' MSL in order to maintain visibility contact with the ground. I contacted columbia approach and informed them I was having difficulty with visibility and asked if they could give me a downfield steer to the field. I was given a squawk and asked to identify. I was about 3 or 4 mins from the VOR at this time. Approach instructed em to contact ZKC on 124.1. I called ZKC but received no reply. I returned to columbia approach and informed them I was unable to raise ZKC, probably due to low altitude, and requested directions (vectors) to the field. I was told to try ZKC again. I called ZKC twice with no results. At about this time I had visibility contact with an airport with strobe lights and informed approach that I intended to land on runway 20. Upon landing I was requested to contact tower as soon as possible, which I did. Human performance considerations: my perception of the rate of change in the snow storm was poor. I think the appropriate action on my part should have been to slow the aircraft to 90 KTS at the VOR and request SVFR clearance to land. I did not feel I was getting the assistance I requested, ie, vectors to the airport. Perhaps there was not adequate time to provide this assistance!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NON INSTRUMENT RATED COMMERCIAL PLT IN AN SMA ON A PIPELINE PATROL ENCOUNTERS IN INFLT SNOW CONDITIONS. GOES IMC AND ENDS UP LNDG WITHOUT COORDINATION OR CLRNC AT COU. WHILE ENRTE HE FLEW UNDER 500' AGL TO MAINTAIN GND CONTACT.

Narrative: ON 12/THUR/89 AT APPROX AM HRS, I WAS FLYING PIPELINE PATROL. I WAS ABOUT 30 MI E OF KC, MO, SBND. AT HWY I70 I ENCOUNTERED SNOW SHOWERS BLOCKING MY PATH. I CONTACTED COLUMBIA, MO FLT WATCH AND WAS INFORMED RADAR INDICATED LESSER SNOW ACTIVITY E OF SEDALIA, MO. I FLEW TO JEFFERSON CITY, MO, W/O FINDING ANY OPENING TO THE S. I LANDED AND FUELED UP. I CONTACTED FSS AT COLUMBIA AND WAS TOLD CONDITIONS APPEARED SOMEWHAT BETTER TOWARD ST LOUIS. I DEPARTED JEFFERSON CITY AND CONTINUED E FOR APPROX 20 MINS. CONDITIONS WERE BEGINNING TO DETERIORATE AND I DECIDED TO RETURN TO JEFFERSON CITY TO LAND. I TUNED IN JEFFERSON CITY VOR AND CONTACTED THE TWR. THE OPERATOR INFORMED ME THE VOR WAS LOCATED AT COLUMBIA, MO. CONDITIONS WERE GROWING WORSE RAPIDLY AND I WAS FORCED DOWN TO ABOUT 1300' MSL IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VIS CONTACT WITH THE GND. I CONTACTED COLUMBIA APCH AND INFORMED THEM I WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH VISIBILITY AND ASKED IF THEY COULD GIVE ME A DOWNFIELD STEER TO THE FIELD. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK AND ASKED TO IDENT. I WAS ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINS FROM THE VOR AT THIS TIME. APCH INSTRUCTED EM TO CONTACT ZKC ON 124.1. I CALLED ZKC BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY. I RETURNED TO COLUMBIA APCH AND INFORMED THEM I WAS UNABLE TO RAISE ZKC, PROBABLY DUE TO LOW ALT, AND REQUESTED DIRECTIONS (VECTORS) TO THE FIELD. I WAS TOLD TO TRY ZKC AGAIN. I CALLED ZKC TWICE WITH NO RESULTS. AT ABOUT THIS TIME I HAD VIS CONTACT WITH AN ARPT WITH STROBE LIGHTS AND INFORMED APCH THAT I INTENDED TO LAND ON RWY 20. UPON LNDG I WAS REQUESTED TO CONTACT TWR ASAP, WHICH I DID. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: MY PERCEPTION OF THE RATE OF CHANGE IN THE SNOW STORM WAS POOR. I THINK THE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON MY PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO SLOW THE ACFT TO 90 KTS AT THE VOR AND REQUEST SVFR CLRNC TO LAND. I DID NOT FEEL I WAS GETTING THE ASSISTANCE I REQUESTED, IE, VECTORS TO THE ARPT. PERHAPS THERE WAS NOT ADEQUATE TIME TO PROVIDE THIS ASSISTANCE!

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.

A non instrument rated commercial pilot in an small aircraft on a pipeline patrol encounters in in-flight snow conditions. Goes IMC and ends up landing without coordination or clearance at cou. While en route he flew under 500' AGL to maintain ground contact.