Non IFR rated small aircraft pilot gets into clouds in WX cloud avoidance and gets a flight assist f...

Attributes
ACN	135436
Time
Date	199001
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : crp
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 300 msl bound upper : 6500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : crp
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
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 : 1190
ASRS Report	135436
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	other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Left brownsville, tx at PM25, climbed to 1500', called corpus christi approach control and gave them my intent to fly the gulf beach past corpus christi then cut across land to T97. The controller asked if I would like flight following. I said yes. About 45 mins out, I hit some clouds, called approach control that I was climbing to higher altitude level at 2500'. Then after a few miles of flying I hit clouds at that altitude. Called approach control that I was going to the deck. At 300' I could just make out the beach and water. Called approach control again that I was going to climb out of it, got to 6500', still in clouds. Called again and another plane found out the tops were 12,400'. Asked approach control what to do next. He said we had to do something quick because I would be out of radar range before long. He said he would bring me into corpus christi and asked if I was IFR rated. I said no. This was my first time to get into clouds as a pilot. The controller was very nice and knew how to handle the situation. He started talking to me very calm to keep me calm and started bringing me down. At about 500' I saw ground. By the time I was in the open, I was heading downwind straight to the runway. The WX did not get better so we rented a car and came home.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON IFR RATED SMA PLT GETS INTO CLOUDS IN WX CLOUD AVOIDANCE AND GETS A FLT ASSIST FROM A HELPFUL TRACON CTLR. USES THE AVIS BUDGET HERTZ APCH TO GET HOME.

Narrative: LEFT BROWNSVILLE, TX AT PM25, CLIMBED TO 1500', CALLED CORPUS CHRISTI APCH CTL AND GAVE THEM MY INTENT TO FLY THE GULF BEACH PAST CORPUS CHRISTI THEN CUT ACROSS LAND TO T97. THE CTLR ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE FLT FOLLOWING. I SAID YES. ABOUT 45 MINS OUT, I HIT SOME CLOUDS, CALLED APCH CTL THAT I WAS CLIMBING TO HIGHER ALT LEVEL AT 2500'. THEN AFTER A FEW MILES OF FLYING I HIT CLOUDS AT THAT ALT. CALLED APCH CTL THAT I WAS GOING TO THE DECK. AT 300' I COULD JUST MAKE OUT THE BEACH AND WATER. CALLED APCH CTL AGAIN THAT I WAS GOING TO CLIMB OUT OF IT, GOT TO 6500', STILL IN CLOUDS. CALLED AGAIN AND ANOTHER PLANE FOUND OUT THE TOPS WERE 12,400'. ASKED APCH CTL WHAT TO DO NEXT. HE SAID WE HAD TO DO SOMETHING QUICK BECAUSE I WOULD BE OUT OF RADAR RANGE BEFORE LONG. HE SAID HE WOULD BRING ME INTO CORPUS CHRISTI AND ASKED IF I WAS IFR RATED. I SAID NO. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME TO GET INTO CLOUDS AS A PLT. THE CTLR WAS VERY NICE AND KNEW HOW TO HANDLE THE SITUATION. HE STARTED TALKING TO ME VERY CALM TO KEEP ME CALM AND STARTED BRINGING ME DOWN. AT ABOUT 500' I SAW GND. BY THE TIME I WAS IN THE OPEN, I WAS HDG DOWNWIND STRAIGHT TO THE RWY. THE WX DID NOT GET BETTER SO WE RENTED A CAR AND CAME HOME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.

Non IFR rated small aircraft pilot gets into clouds in WX cloud avoidance and gets a flight assist from a helpful TRACON controller. Uses the avis budget hertz approach to get home.