Narrative:

I entered positive control airspace above 18000' west/O an IFR clearance. I called kansas city center to tell them about the situation. After calling center I leveled off at 19500' and asked for an IFR clearance. I evaded cumulus build-ups but no evasive action to avoid another aircraft was required. WX briefing. A WX briefing at xy:30Z showed there was a dominant high and no fronts along the route and no airmets or sigmets. No subsequent in-flight WX briefing was attempted. Late start. We departed shouts later rather than the planned 4 hours later due to a problem getting fuel at the departure airport. Ada west and ada east moas active. Just north of hays VOR I called wichita radio and found out that the ada west and ada east moas were active. Our route was to take us through the middle of the moas. At about this same time I noticed a cumulus cloud build-up south of our present direction of flight. Our onboard radar indicated his build-up was located about over salina, ks. A route to the north of the MOA was briefly considered and it appeared free of cloud build-ups, however, we became, for some reason, preoccupied with the southerly route. My copilot/passenger was a licensed pilot but had not flown himself for several yrs. As we discusssed the routing, he became emphatic about avoiding MOA and lead me to some degree to think that we could work around the build-up. R-3601A proximity. We did not want to fly through the R-3601A restr area just to the south and west of salina, ks, so that consideration kept us close to salina. Cumulus cloud build-up. From a distance it appeared we could easily circumnav the cloud build-up as it appeared to just be a local one or two cell condition and that we could deviate around the build-up to the so. The onboard radar seemed to confirm that. However, after we got to within about 20 mi it was quite apparent that our altitude of 15500' was not going to allow us to deviate around the build-up and avoid the restr area. After reaching 17500', I realized this altitude was not going to make it either. At about this time I realized that this build-up was not a one or two cell condition, but quite a bit larger. As we plunged ahead we soon became surrounded by build-ups and it seemed the only way out was up. At about this time, I found the center frequency and called for an IFR clearance. I eventually leveled off at 19500'. We got a clearance and descended to 19000'. Why do you believe the situation occurred: I believe the situation occurred due to several factors. I was inexperienced in high altitude flight conditions, the use of the onboard radar, and the type of aircraft. In addition, I was too influenced by the pilot/passenger. This was my first personal flight experienced in encountering high altitude WX, and I had about a total of 20 hours in the aircraft type, an small transport. A group of 5 private operators, including myself, had purchased he aircraft last october. Previous high altitude experience was about 8 WX-free hours in an older small transport about 15 yrs ago. I had no previous radar experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNCOORD AND UNAUTH PENETRATION OF PCA.

Narrative: I ENTERED POSITIVE CTL AIRSPACE ABOVE 18000' W/O AN IFR CLRNC. I CALLED KANSAS CITY CTR TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE SITUATION. AFTER CALLING CTR I LEVELED OFF AT 19500' AND ASKED FOR AN IFR CLRNC. I EVADED CUMULUS BUILD-UPS BUT NO EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID ANOTHER ACFT WAS REQUIRED. WX BRIEFING. A WX BRIEFING AT XY:30Z SHOWED THERE WAS A DOMINANT HIGH AND NO FRONTS ALONG THE RTE AND NO AIRMETS OR SIGMETS. NO SUBSEQUENT INFLT WX BRIEFING WAS ATTEMPTED. LATE START. WE DEPARTED SHOUTS LATER RATHER THAN THE PLANNED 4 HRS LATER DUE TO A PROB GETTING FUEL AT THE DEP ARPT. ADA W AND ADA E MOAS ACTIVE. JUST N OF HAYS VOR I CALLED WICHITA RADIO AND FOUND OUT THAT THE ADA W AND ADA E MOAS WERE ACTIVE. OUR RTE WAS TO TAKE US THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE MOAS. AT ABOUT THIS SAME TIME I NOTICED A CUMULUS CLOUD BUILD-UP S OF OUR PRESENT DIRECTION OF FLT. OUR ONBOARD RADAR INDICATED HIS BUILD-UP WAS LOCATED ABOUT OVER SALINA, KS. A RTE TO THE N OF THE MOA WAS BRIEFLY CONSIDERED AND IT APPEARED FREE OF CLOUD BUILD-UPS, HOWEVER, WE BECAME, FOR SOME REASON, PREOCCUPIED WITH THE SOUTHERLY RTE. MY COPLT/PAX WAS A LICENSED PLT BUT HAD NOT FLOWN HIMSELF FOR SEVERAL YRS. AS WE DISCUSSSED THE ROUTING, HE BECAME EMPHATIC ABOUT AVOIDING MOA AND LEAD ME TO SOME DEG TO THINK THAT WE COULD WORK AROUND THE BUILD-UP. R-3601A PROX. WE DID NOT WANT TO FLY THROUGH THE R-3601A RESTR AREA JUST TO THE S AND W OF SALINA, KS, SO THAT CONSIDERATION KEPT US CLOSE TO SALINA. CUMULUS CLOUD BUILD-UP. FROM A DISTANCE IT APPEARED WE COULD EASILY CIRCUMNAV THE CLOUD BUILD-UP AS IT APPEARED TO JUST BE A LCL ONE OR TWO CELL CONDITION AND THAT WE COULD DEVIATE AROUND THE BUILD-UP TO THE SO. THE ONBOARD RADAR SEEMED TO CONFIRM THAT. HOWEVER, AFTER WE GOT TO WITHIN ABOUT 20 MI IT WAS QUITE APPARENT THAT OUR ALT OF 15500' WAS NOT GOING TO ALLOW US TO DEVIATE AROUND THE BUILD-UP AND AVOID THE RESTR AREA. AFTER REACHING 17500', I REALIZED THIS ALT WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE IT EITHER. AT ABOUT THIS TIME I REALIZED THAT THIS BUILD-UP WAS NOT A ONE OR TWO CELL CONDITION, BUT QUITE A BIT LARGER. AS WE PLUNGED AHEAD WE SOON BECAME SURROUNDED BY BUILD-UPS AND IT SEEMED THE ONLY WAY OUT WAS UP. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, I FOUND THE CTR FREQ AND CALLED FOR AN IFR CLRNC. I EVENTUALLY LEVELED OFF AT 19500'. WE GOT A CLRNC AND DSNDED TO 19000'. WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THE SITUATION OCCURRED: I BELIEVE THE SITUATION OCCURRED DUE TO SEVERAL FACTORS. I WAS INEXPERIENCED IN HIGH ALT FLT CONDITIONS, THE USE OF THE ONBOARD RADAR, AND THE TYPE OF ACFT. IN ADDITION, I WAS TOO INFLUENCED BY THE PLT/PAX. THIS WAS MY FIRST PERSONAL FLT EXPERIENCED IN ENCOUNTERING HIGH ALT WX, AND I HAD ABOUT A TOTAL OF 20 HRS IN THE ACFT TYPE, AN SMT. A GROUP OF 5 PVT OPERATORS, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAD PURCHASED HE ACFT LAST OCTOBER. PREVIOUS HIGH ALT EXPERIENCE WAS ABOUT 8 WX-FREE HRS IN AN OLDER SMT ABOUT 15 YRS AGO. I HAD NO PREVIOUS RADAR EXPERIENCE.

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.