Narrative:

Obtained WX briefing from bangor and filed VFR flight plan from air after departure from ash at X17 EDT. Heavy rain showers did possible trw and hail predicted along flight path direct to B24 and on to final destination D52 (where iac sanctioned aerobatic contest was scheduled for wkend). Climbed to 10500' to get above haze and to be able to see buildups. Maintained ground contact through 5/10 coverage. Positively idented pittsfield, ma and hudson river 20 mi south of direct course. Had to continue south of course to remain clear of buildups and maintain ground contact. Let down into the haze layer (visibility 3 mi) and idented the reservoir that runs northeast from deposit, ny. Determined that sidney, ny would be a suitable landing point and headed there but ran into heavy rain showers and returned to deposit. Then selected white birch (very near hancock VOR) as landing point and headed there up valley from hancock. Ceiling came down to 2000' MSL and since airport elevation was 1860' turned back to hancock. Selected a straight stretch of ny state 17 near exit 87 for a precautionary landing. Flew east along route 17 until I idented a 3000' break in traffic and then followed that back to the previously selected landing section. Made an approach timed to land just after the selected section of highway became completely clear of all traffic. Heavy right crosswind requiring 20 degree crab angle on final but the mountain just north of the highway shaped the landing section just as I anticipated so the roundout, T/D and rollout proceeded west/O difficulty. I had the aircraft positioned on the right side, in the breakdown lane, secured and shut down before the first vehicle after the break in traffic arrived. Several local airmen arrived very quickly and assisted me in getting the aircraft up onto and secured on a slantbed truck. The owner of the hancock golf course offered his 545 yd hole 1 fairway, that he had used for yrs as a strip for his small aircraft, as a takeoff point. Departed the next morning west/O incident to sidney to refuel and on to geneseo. I had 20 mins fuel left when I landed. Refueled with 8 gals (1 hour) before departing on sat. After 37 yrs of flying this is the first off airport landing I've made. I am installing a VFR LORAN and will allow more leeway away from rainshowers in the future. In this case I let down only about 5 mi south of the observed buildups and I think about 20 mi would have prevented this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BIPLANE FLIES INTO KNOWN W CONDITIONS, MAKES OFF ARPT LNDG DUE TO LOWERING CEILING.

Narrative: OBTAINED WX BRIEFING FROM BANGOR AND FILED VFR FLT PLAN FROM AIR AFTER DEP FROM ASH AT X17 EDT. HVY RAIN SHOWERS DID POSSIBLE TRW AND HAIL PREDICTED ALONG FLT PATH DIRECT TO B24 AND ON TO FINAL DEST D52 (WHERE IAC SANCTIONED AEROBATIC CONTEST WAS SCHEDULED FOR WKEND). CLBED TO 10500' TO GET ABOVE HAZE AND TO BE ABLE TO SEE BUILDUPS. MAINTAINED GND CONTACT THROUGH 5/10 COVERAGE. POSITIVELY IDENTED PITTSFIELD, MA AND HUDSON RIVER 20 MI S OF DIRECT COURSE. HAD TO CONTINUE S OF COURSE TO REMAIN CLR OF BUILDUPS AND MAINTAIN GND CONTACT. LET DOWN INTO THE HAZE LAYER (VISIBILITY 3 MI) AND IDENTED THE RESERVOIR THAT RUNS NE FROM DEPOSIT, NY. DETERMINED THAT SIDNEY, NY WOULD BE A SUITABLE LNDG POINT AND HEADED THERE BUT RAN INTO HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS AND RETURNED TO DEPOSIT. THEN SELECTED WHITE BIRCH (VERY NEAR HANCOCK VOR) AS LNDG POINT AND HEADED THERE UP VALLEY FROM HANCOCK. CEILING CAME DOWN TO 2000' MSL AND SINCE ARPT ELEVATION WAS 1860' TURNED BACK TO HANCOCK. SELECTED A STRAIGHT STRETCH OF NY STATE 17 NEAR EXIT 87 FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. FLEW E ALONG ROUTE 17 UNTIL I IDENTED A 3000' BREAK IN TFC AND THEN FOLLOWED THAT BACK TO THE PREVIOUSLY SELECTED LNDG SECTION. MADE AN APCH TIMED TO LAND JUST AFTER THE SELECTED SECTION OF HWY BECAME COMPLETELY CLR OF ALL TFC. HEAVY RIGHT XWIND REQUIRING 20 DEG CRAB ANGLE ON FINAL BUT THE MOUNTAIN JUST N OF THE HWY SHAPED THE LNDG SECTION JUST AS I ANTICIPATED SO THE ROUNDOUT, T/D AND ROLLOUT PROCEEDED W/O DIFFICULTY. I HAD THE ACFT POSITIONED ON THE RIGHT SIDE, IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE, SECURED AND SHUT DOWN BEFORE THE FIRST VEHICLE AFTER THE BREAK IN TFC ARRIVED. SEVERAL LCL AIRMEN ARRIVED VERY QUICKLY AND ASSISTED ME IN GETTING THE ACFT UP ONTO AND SECURED ON A SLANTBED TRUCK. THE OWNER OF THE HANCOCK GOLF COURSE OFFERED HIS 545 YD HOLE 1 FAIRWAY, THAT HE HAD USED FOR YRS AS A STRIP FOR HIS SMA, AS A TKOF POINT. DEPARTED THE NEXT MORNING W/O INCIDENT TO SIDNEY TO REFUEL AND ON TO GENESEO. I HAD 20 MINS FUEL LEFT WHEN I LANDED. REFUELED WITH 8 GALS (1 HR) BEFORE DEPARTING ON SAT. AFTER 37 YRS OF FLYING THIS IS THE FIRST OFF ARPT LNDG I'VE MADE. I AM INSTALLING A VFR LORAN AND WILL ALLOW MORE LEEWAY AWAY FROM RAINSHOWERS IN THE FUTURE. IN THIS CASE I LET DOWN ONLY ABOUT 5 MI S OF THE OBSERVED BUILDUPS AND I THINK ABOUT 20 MI WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS.

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.