Narrative:

X:20 am, I placed a call to jackson FSS and requested a briefing for a VFR flight at 2500' MSL from mem to hro. I received a right hand turn out to 270 degree, maintain 2000'. Within seconds, handoff to approach and clearance to 2500', resume own navigation. I continued my climb to 2500' and turned to 290 degree. A few mins later I had to descend to 2000' to maintain clearance for some local clouds. I called jbr FSS and asked if there was any significant WX on the radar. I was told that there was nothing but light showers that I should be able to see and go around if I wanted to. Also, that hro was currently reporting 1100 broken. I told him that I was heading towards hro. He told me he would try to find a VFR airport. A period of time went by. The controller asked me if I wanted to continue west that it was unlikely that he could find a VFR airport there and that conditions were much better to the east. I replied that I would rather play it safe and head east. He gave me a heading for jbr and 108.6 for jbr VOR. I continued to climb went up through an opening and popped out into the clear. I told the controller my track was going to have to vary since it was turbulent near these tops. I was at 8000' and had some columns that must have gone to 10000' or 12000' to go around. I answered several questions about who I was, experience, the aircraft equipment and aircraft IFR certification. I told the controller that I could go down 1000' if it would help, (I was at the wrong altitude for my heading). He told me that if I didn't need to, he would prefer to keep me there because of coverage of his radar in my area. I was given another frequency in case I lost voice contact. I commented that I was looking forward to conditions improving at hro, (which is what was forecast in my briefing earlier). I did not receive a new ft for hro. I had cleared the local clouds and climbed back up to 2500'. I had 123.6 in setup. I stabbed the transfer button and called hro FSS, asked for mem center frequency for my area. I think I said I was 35 mi southwest of batesville. I set up 126.85 and xferred to active. I realized I had lost contact with the ground and that I would have to bite the bullet but first, get assistance. Mem center came right back to me. I told the controller that I had gotten trapped and was in the 'soup'. I would need assistance. He gave me a squawk, asked my intentions and I think he asked my position. I was approaching a large buildup that I was either going to have to climb over or go around. I told center about it and asked if they concurred that I should go around to the north. Center said yes in fact, suggested that I go direct to arg. I headed for arg. As I approached arg there was talk from center about various airports to the east. I was asked if I felt I could go another 51 mins to blytheville. I became uneasy with the notion of continuing on top for that long. I remember at some point that I told center that in effect that I would rather take my chances going down through a layer with 4000' ceiling (reported), than run out of fuel, I don't remember getting an answer. I remember saying something like this again and that time was reassured that there were several alternates on my trek east from arg. I reported reaching arg and was given the alternatives by center. I believe I told center I would go to jbr. It was not long at all after setting out on this track that I flew on to this giant hole. I informed center that I had found a hole that you could drop a house through, and that I was going down. Center said something to me but I wasn't hearing it. I flew to arg and reported my down time to center.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR PLT CONTINUES INTO MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS. CLIMBS TO CLEAR CLOUDS ENDS UP BETWEEN LAYERS. FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: X:20 AM, I PLACED A CALL TO JACKSON FSS AND REQUESTED A BRIEFING FOR A VFR FLT AT 2500' MSL FROM MEM TO HRO. I RECEIVED A R HAND TURN OUT TO 270 DEG, MAINTAIN 2000'. WITHIN SECS, HDOF TO APCH AND CLRNC TO 2500', RESUME OWN NAV. I CONTINUED MY CLB TO 2500' AND TURNED TO 290 DEG. A FEW MINS LATER I HAD TO DSND TO 2000' TO MAINTAIN CLRNC FOR SOME LCL CLOUDS. I CALLED JBR FSS AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY SIGNIFICANT WX ON THE RADAR. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING BUT LIGHT SHOWERS THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE AND GO AROUND IF I WANTED TO. ALSO, THAT HRO WAS CURRENTLY RPTING 1100 BKN. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS HDG TOWARDS HRO. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD TRY TO FIND A VFR ARPT. A PERIOD OF TIME WENT BY. THE CTLR ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO CONTINUE W THAT IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT HE COULD FIND A VFR ARPT THERE AND THAT CONDITIONS WERE MUCH BETTER TO THE E. I REPLIED THAT I WOULD RATHER PLAY IT SAFE AND HEAD E. HE GAVE ME A HDG FOR JBR AND 108.6 FOR JBR VOR. I CONTINUED TO CLB WENT UP THROUGH AN OPENING AND POPPED OUT INTO THE CLR. I TOLD THE CTLR MY TRACK WAS GOING TO HAVE TO VARY SINCE IT WAS TURBULENT NEAR THESE TOPS. I WAS AT 8000' AND HAD SOME COLUMNS THAT MUST HAVE GONE TO 10000' OR 12000' TO GO AROUND. I ANSWERED SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO I WAS, EXPERIENCE, THE ACFT EQUIP AND ACFT IFR CERTIFICATION. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I COULD GO DOWN 1000' IF IT WOULD HELP, (I WAS AT THE WRONG ALT FOR MY HDG). HE TOLD ME THAT IF I DIDN'T NEED TO, HE WOULD PREFER TO KEEP ME THERE BECAUSE OF COVERAGE OF HIS RADAR IN MY AREA. I WAS GIVEN ANOTHER FREQ IN CASE I LOST VOICE CONTACT. I COMMENTED THAT I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO CONDITIONS IMPROVING AT HRO, (WHICH IS WHAT WAS FORECAST IN MY BRIEFING EARLIER). I DID NOT RECEIVE A NEW FT FOR HRO. I HAD CLRED THE LCL CLOUDS AND CLBED BACK UP TO 2500'. I HAD 123.6 IN SETUP. I STABBED THE TRANSFER BUTTON AND CALLED HRO FSS, ASKED FOR MEM CTR FREQ FOR MY AREA. I THINK I SAID I WAS 35 MI SW OF BATESVILLE. I SET UP 126.85 AND XFERRED TO ACTIVE. I REALIZED I HAD LOST CONTACT WITH THE GND AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO BITE THE BULLET BUT FIRST, GET ASSISTANCE. MEM CTR CAME RIGHT BACK TO ME. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I HAD GOTTEN TRAPPED AND WAS IN THE 'SOUP'. I WOULD NEED ASSISTANCE. HE GAVE ME A SQUAWK, ASKED MY INTENTIONS AND I THINK HE ASKED MY POS. I WAS APCHING A LARGE BUILDUP THAT I WAS EITHER GOING TO HAVE TO CLB OVER OR GO AROUND. I TOLD CTR ABOUT IT AND ASKED IF THEY CONCURRED THAT I SHOULD GO AROUND TO THE N. CTR SAID YES IN FACT, SUGGESTED THAT I GO DIRECT TO ARG. I HEADED FOR ARG. AS I APCHED ARG THERE WAS TALK FROM CTR ABOUT VARIOUS ARPTS TO THE E. I WAS ASKED IF I FELT I COULD GO ANOTHER 51 MINS TO BLYTHEVILLE. I BECAME UNEASY WITH THE NOTION OF CONTINUING ON TOP FOR THAT LONG. I REMEMBER AT SOME POINT THAT I TOLD CTR THAT IN EFFECT THAT I WOULD RATHER TAKE MY CHANCES GOING DOWN THROUGH A LAYER WITH 4000' CEILING (RPTED), THAN RUN OUT OF FUEL, I DON'T REMEMBER GETTING AN ANSWER. I REMEMBER SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN AND THAT TIME WAS REASSURED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL ALTERNATES ON MY TREK E FROM ARG. I RPTED REACHING ARG AND WAS GIVEN THE ALTERNATIVES BY CTR. I BELIEVE I TOLD CTR I WOULD GO TO JBR. IT WAS NOT LONG AT ALL AFTER SETTING OUT ON THIS TRACK THAT I FLEW ON TO THIS GIANT HOLE. I INFORMED CTR THAT I HAD FOUND A HOLE THAT YOU COULD DROP A HOUSE THROUGH, AND THAT I WAS GOING DOWN. CTR SAID SOMETHING TO ME BUT I WASN'T HEARING IT. I FLEW TO ARG AND RPTED MY DOWN TIME TO CTR.

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.