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3 balloon pilots report drifting over a broken to scattered cloud layer and having to descend through a hole in conditions that did not meet VFR minimums.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 145107 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199005 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : apc |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 1700 agl bound upper : 1700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 3400 |
| ASRS Report | 145107 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2700 |
| ASRS Report | 145348 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
After launch (30 mins) drift line took me over a band of broken low clouds. The ground was never completely obscured; however, in order to land I had to penetrate the cloud layer in less than VFR conditions. The evasive or mitigating action I took was to extend my flight until I could line up on a spot where a hole in clouds was over an appropriate place to land. Further, because I could see through to the ground, my only concern was that no other aircraft was in the area. In order to prevent the situation: in this particular case I really don't think I would do anything differently. I believe the level of safety stayed solid because I had double the fuel required for the planned flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: 3 BALLOON PLTS REPORT DRIFTING OVER A BROKEN TO SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER AND HAVING TO DESCEND THROUGH A HOLE IN CONDITIONS THAT DID NOT MEET VFR MINIMUMS.
Narrative: AFTER LAUNCH (30 MINS) DRIFT LINE TOOK ME OVER A BAND OF BROKEN LOW CLOUDS. THE GND WAS NEVER COMPLETELY OBSCURED; HOWEVER, IN ORDER TO LAND I HAD TO PENETRATE THE CLOUD LAYER IN LESS THAN VFR CONDITIONS. THE EVASIVE OR MITIGATING ACTION I TOOK WAS TO EXTEND MY FLT UNTIL I COULD LINE UP ON A SPOT WHERE A HOLE IN CLOUDS WAS OVER AN APPROPRIATE PLACE TO LAND. FURTHER, BECAUSE I COULD SEE THROUGH TO THE GND, MY ONLY CONCERN WAS THAT NO OTHER ACFT WAS IN THE AREA. IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE SITUATION: IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE I REALLY DON'T THINK I WOULD DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY. I BELIEVE THE LEVEL OF SAFETY STAYED SOLID BECAUSE I HAD DOUBLE THE FUEL REQUIRED FOR THE PLANNED FLT.
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.