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Reporter postflt realized he had experienced hypoxia while flying at 12500' MSL for approximately 30 minutes and entered restricted area.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 140658 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199003 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : toa |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12500 msl bound upper : 12500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 496 |
| ASRS Report | 140658 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I suffered hypoxia under far legal altitude and time restrictions. My performance degraded significantly and I made numerous navigation, procedural, and communication errors. I was not aware of some of these errors until hours later! I was returning to torrance airport from tucson. WX was clear on V64 until just east of thermal at my cruising altitude of 10500'. To remain VFR on top I was forced to climb to 12500' over the mountains west of thermal for about 20-30 minutes. Since I was not IFR current I became preoccupied with avoiding seal beach/el toro arsas, the la TCA, and yet get below the cloud cover which was lowering tops and changing from broken to scattered. From that point I made the following judgemental/procedural errors: 1) I tried to hand fly the aircraft with electric trim while the autoplt was in pitch trim mode. I thought the electric trim had failed and turned it and autoplt off. Didn't understand until later. 2) preoccupation with arsas caused me to veer so far south I may have violated R2507. I considered it, but never even thought to verify position. 3) thought I had communication failure. Tried to use unplugged microphone. Had used headset at tucson and forgot microphone was unplugged. 4) forgot to open cowl flaps on landing. Even though oxygen was not legally required I was definitely 'out of it' and probably would not have survived a real emergency. I am buying an oxygen bottle!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: REPORTER POSTFLT REALIZED HE HAD EXPERIENCED HYPOXIA WHILE FLYING AT 12500' MSL FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES AND ENTERED RESTRICTED AREA.
Narrative: I SUFFERED HYPOXIA UNDER FAR LEGAL ALT AND TIME RESTRICTIONS. MY PERFORMANCE DEGRADED SIGNIFICANTLY AND I MADE NUMEROUS NAVIGATION, PROCEDURAL, AND COM ERRORS. I WAS NOT AWARE OF SOME OF THESE ERRORS UNTIL HOURS LATER! I WAS RETURNING TO TORRANCE ARPT FROM TUCSON. WX WAS CLEAR ON V64 UNTIL JUST E OF THERMAL AT MY CRUISING ALT OF 10500'. TO REMAIN VFR ON TOP I WAS FORCED TO CLIMB TO 12500' OVER THE MOUNTAINS W OF THERMAL FOR ABOUT 20-30 MINUTES. SINCE I WAS NOT IFR CURRENT I BECAME PREOCCUPIED WITH AVOIDING SEAL BEACH/EL TORO ARSAS, THE LA TCA, AND YET GET BELOW THE CLOUD COVER WHICH WAS LOWERING TOPS AND CHANGING FROM BROKEN TO SCATTERED. FROM THAT POINT I MADE THE FOLLOWING JUDGEMENTAL/PROCEDURAL ERRORS: 1) I TRIED TO HAND FLY THE ACFT WITH ELECTRIC TRIM WHILE THE AUTOPLT WAS IN PITCH TRIM MODE. I THOUGHT THE ELECTRIC TRIM HAD FAILED AND TURNED IT AND AUTOPLT OFF. DIDN'T UNDERSTAND UNTIL LATER. 2) PREOCCUPATION WITH ARSAS CAUSED ME TO VEER SO FAR S I MAY HAVE VIOLATED R2507. I CONSIDERED IT, BUT NEVER EVEN THOUGHT TO VERIFY POSITION. 3) THOUGHT I HAD COM FAILURE. TRIED TO USE UNPLUGGED MICROPHONE. HAD USED HEADSET AT TUCSON AND FORGOT MICROPHONE WAS UNPLUGGED. 4) FORGOT TO OPEN COWL FLAPS ON LNDG. EVEN THOUGH OXYGEN WAS NOT LEGALLY REQUIRED I WAS DEFINITELY 'OUT OF IT' AND PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED A REAL EMER. I AM BUYING AN OXYGEN BOTTLE!
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.