Small aircraft, VFR with non INS rated pilot, caught over mountainous terrain by rapidly rising tops...

Narrative:

After a detailed briefing with tus FSS, I departed on a VFR flight plan from tus to aspen. Filed for 15500' MSL but soon found that 17500' was required for WX avoidance. I had to deviate north of flight plan in order to maintain VFR. Also tried both under cloud and over cloud flight and burned additional fuel en route. Reached cortez, NM. Called gjt FSS to amend flight plan and check current aspen WX. There were good breaks in the overcast throughout the entire flight and 17500' was adequate altitude to maintain proper VFR cloud sep. I had adequate O2 and enough fuel to reach my destination, plus an additional 1 1/2-3 hours. Good VFR was reported at eagle, grand junction, rifle, glenwood springs and aspen. As I passed over blue mesa VOR I was only 25 mi from aspen and still had good breaks in the cloud cover. I proceeded direct aspen at 17500' and thought that I had a good path to the airport area and sufficient height above the clouds to find break and land aspen. As I approached aspen, however, the cloud tops began to increase and I became concerned about remaining VFR. I then made a 180 degree turn in order to return to the broken area and land at gunnison, if necessary. As I turned I realized that the tops had changed rapidly and I no longer had a clear path to the blue mesa VOR. I have flown into aspen for many yrs under similar conditions and had never seen the clouds close in so rapidly. I realized that it was going to be very difficult to remain VFR at 17500'. I was faced with the decision as to enter a couple of clouds or to use the system and request clearance over 18000'. I made the decision that it was safer for all air traffic in the area if I was under ZDV control rather than VFR in the clouds. I called center on 127.8, explained my position and condition and asked for clearance over 18000'. Center told me to call on 128.5, which I did, and made the same request. This time center told me to contact aspen approach and gave me a transponder code. By this time I was climbing to avoid the clouds, and by the time that aspen approach acknowledged my situation, I was at 18800'. The lady working approach told me to keep climbing and remain VFR. I had advised all 3 controllers that I was not IFR rated. I climbed to around 21000' and was handed off to ZDV again. Center advised that eagle was good VFR and that he would vector me to a VFR landing at eagle. He ended up putting me into the clouds and vectored me to good VFR over carbondale, where I decided to land at glenwood springs airport, since I was now with about a 1 hour fuel reserve. The landing at glenwood was routine. In retrospect, I still feel that my decision to contact center for higher altitude in order to stay out of the clouds was the proper decision. On future flts in this area with similar conditions, I would execute my 180 degree turn sooner and not let the clouds build around me. This was a learning experience that I shall not forget. I plan to finish my INS rating this spring.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA, VFR WITH NON INS RATED PLT, CAUGHT OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN BY RAPIDLY RISING TOPS, DOES 180 DEGREE TURN TOO LATE AND IS ASSISTED BY ATC TO SAFE LNDG.

Narrative: AFTER A DETAILED BRIEFING WITH TUS FSS, I DEPARTED ON A VFR FLT PLAN FROM TUS TO ASPEN. FILED FOR 15500' MSL BUT SOON FOUND THAT 17500' WAS REQUIRED FOR WX AVOIDANCE. I HAD TO DEVIATE N OF FLT PLAN IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VFR. ALSO TRIED BOTH UNDER CLOUD AND OVER CLOUD FLT AND BURNED ADDITIONAL FUEL ENRTE. REACHED CORTEZ, NM. CALLED GJT FSS TO AMEND FLT PLAN AND CHK CURRENT ASPEN WX. THERE WERE GOOD BREAKS IN THE OVCST THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLT AND 17500' WAS ADEQUATE ALT TO MAINTAIN PROPER VFR CLOUD SEP. I HAD ADEQUATE O2 AND ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH MY DEST, PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 1 1/2-3 HRS. GOOD VFR WAS RPTED AT EAGLE, GRAND JUNCTION, RIFLE, GLENWOOD SPRINGS AND ASPEN. AS I PASSED OVER BLUE MESA VOR I WAS ONLY 25 MI FROM ASPEN AND STILL HAD GOOD BREAKS IN THE CLOUD COVER. I PROCEEDED DIRECT ASPEN AT 17500' AND THOUGHT THAT I HAD A GOOD PATH TO THE ARPT AREA AND SUFFICIENT HEIGHT ABOVE THE CLOUDS TO FIND BREAK AND LAND ASPEN. AS I APCHED ASPEN, HOWEVER, THE CLOUD TOPS BEGAN TO INCREASE AND I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT REMAINING VFR. I THEN MADE A 180 DEG TURN IN ORDER TO RETURN TO THE BROKEN AREA AND LAND AT GUNNISON, IF NECESSARY. AS I TURNED I REALIZED THAT THE TOPS HAD CHANGED RAPIDLY AND I NO LONGER HAD A CLEAR PATH TO THE BLUE MESA VOR. I HAVE FLOWN INTO ASPEN FOR MANY YRS UNDER SIMILAR CONDITIONS AND HAD NEVER SEEN THE CLOUDS CLOSE IN SO RAPIDLY. I REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO REMAIN VFR AT 17500'. I WAS FACED WITH THE DECISION AS TO ENTER A COUPLE OF CLOUDS OR TO USE THE SYS AND REQUEST CLRNC OVER 18000'. I MADE THE DECISION THAT IT WAS SAFER FOR ALL AIR TFC IN THE AREA IF I WAS UNDER ZDV CTL RATHER THAN VFR IN THE CLOUDS. I CALLED CENTER ON 127.8, EXPLAINED MY POS AND CONDITION AND ASKED FOR CLRNC OVER 18000'. CENTER TOLD ME TO CALL ON 128.5, WHICH I DID, AND MADE THE SAME REQUEST. THIS TIME CENTER TOLD ME TO CONTACT ASPEN APCH AND GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE. BY THIS TIME I WAS CLBING TO AVOID THE CLOUDS, AND BY THE TIME THAT ASPEN APCH ACKNOWLEDGED MY SITUATION, I WAS AT 18800'. THE LADY WORKING APCH TOLD ME TO KEEP CLBING AND REMAIN VFR. I HAD ADVISED ALL 3 CTLRS THAT I WAS NOT IFR RATED. I CLBED TO AROUND 21000' AND WAS HANDED OFF TO ZDV AGAIN. CENTER ADVISED THAT EAGLE WAS GOOD VFR AND THAT HE WOULD VECTOR ME TO A VFR LNDG AT EAGLE. HE ENDED UP PUTTING ME INTO THE CLOUDS AND VECTORED ME TO GOOD VFR OVER CARBONDALE, WHERE I DECIDED TO LAND AT GLENWOOD SPRINGS ARPT, SINCE I WAS NOW WITH ABOUT A 1 HR FUEL RESERVE. THE LNDG AT GLENWOOD WAS ROUTINE. IN RETROSPECT, I STILL FEEL THAT MY DECISION TO CONTACT CENTER FOR HIGHER ALT IN ORDER TO STAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS WAS THE PROPER DECISION. ON FUTURE FLTS IN THIS AREA WITH SIMILAR CONDITIONS, I WOULD EXECUTE MY 180 DEG TURN SOONER AND NOT LET THE CLOUDS BUILD AROUND ME. THIS WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAT I SHALL NOT FORGET. I PLAN TO FINISH MY INS RATING THIS SPRING.

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.

Attributes
ACN	138563
Time
Date	199002
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dbl
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 18800 msl bound upper : 21000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other other
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 : 650 flight time type : 570
ASRS Report	138563
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Small aircraft, VFR with non INS rated pilot, caught over mountainous terrain by rapidly rising tops, does 180 degree turn too late and is assisted by ATC to safe landing.