Narrative:

I was scheduled to fly from hains to juneau. The current WX conditions along the entire route first officer flight had 2-3000' ceilings and 20-30 mi visibility. The WX was great until I reached XXXX bay which is 10 mi out from juneau. There was an isolated snow shower of unknown intensity south of my route and another one about 5 mi in front of me. As I approached closer to the cell, I knew that the intensity of it would not allow me to maintain VFR. My decision then was to turn 180 degree and head back to haines. As I was headed back, the snow shower that was south of my course had moved in behind me. I was losing sight of land fast due to the intensity of these snow showers. The only thing I could do to maintain VFR was to fly over to portland island and circle and hope that these cells would blow over. Well, they didn't and by this time the shower was so intense I lost sight of the island. Everything was white and I was in IMC. The only thing I could do was to keep circling and stay in the clear of any mountains. I was in an air traffic area and was in contact with the tower. The tower called and wanted to know my position and asked if I was IMC. I told him yes and asked if he could give me a DF stear to a proper radial from sisters VOR which would enable me to stay clear of crashing into a mountain side. The tower cleared me to climb and turn to a heading of 240 degree to intercept the 210 degree radial to sisters. I established myself on the radial and broke out into VFR conditions 5 min later. I feel that this was an act of god and the WX positioned itself to trap me unexpectedly. Pilots in alaska should be extra careful when dealing with WX because it moves faster than any other place in the world.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMA VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: I WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY FROM HAINS TO JUNEAU. THE CURRENT WX CONDITIONS ALONG THE ENTIRE ROUTE FO FLT HAD 2-3000' CEILINGS AND 20-30 MI VISIBILITY. THE WX WAS GREAT UNTIL I REACHED XXXX BAY WHICH IS 10 MI OUT FROM JUNEAU. THERE WAS AN ISOLATED SNOW SHOWER OF UNKNOWN INTENSITY S OF MY ROUTE AND ANOTHER ONE ABOUT 5 MI IN FRONT OF ME. AS I APCHED CLOSER TO THE CELL, I KNEW THAT THE INTENSITY OF IT WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO MAINTAIN VFR. MY DECISION THEN WAS TO TURN 180 DEG AND HEAD BACK TO HAINES. AS I WAS HEADED BACK, THE SNOW SHOWER THAT WAS S OF MY COURSE HAD MOVED IN BEHIND ME. I WAS LOSING SIGHT OF LAND FAST DUE TO THE INTENSITY OF THESE SNOW SHOWERS. THE ONLY THING I COULD DO TO MAINTAIN VFR WAS TO FLY OVER TO PORTLAND ISLAND AND CIRCLE AND HOPE THAT THESE CELLS WOULD BLOW OVER. WELL, THEY DIDN'T AND BY THIS TIME THE SHOWER WAS SO INTENSE I LOST SIGHT OF THE ISLAND. EVERYTHING WAS WHITE AND I WAS IN IMC. THE ONLY THING I COULD DO WAS TO KEEP CIRCLING AND STAY IN THE CLEAR OF ANY MOUNTAINS. I WAS IN AN ATA AND WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE TWR. THE TWR CALLED AND WANTED TO KNOW MY POSITION AND ASKED IF I WAS IMC. I TOLD HIM YES AND ASKED IF HE COULD GIVE ME A DF STEAR TO A PROPER RADIAL FROM SISTERS VOR WHICH WOULD ENABLE ME TO STAY CLEAR OF CRASHING INTO A MOUNTAIN SIDE. THE TWR CLRED ME TO CLIMB AND TURN TO A HDG OF 240 DEG TO INTERCEPT THE 210 DEG RADIAL TO SISTERS. I ESTABLISHED MYSELF ON THE RADIAL AND BROKE OUT INTO VFR CONDITIONS 5 MIN LATER. I FEEL THAT THIS WAS AN ACT OF GOD AND THE WX POSITIONED ITSELF TO TRAP ME UNEXPECTEDLY. PLTS IN ALASKA SHOULD BE EXTRA CAREFUL WHEN DEALING WITH WX BECAUSE IT MOVES FASTER THAN ANY OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD.

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.