Narrative:

On 7/sun/90 I entered into a positive control area west/O clearance. I believe that the conditions at the time warranted my actions. I flew from jerome, identification to ont. I received a flight briefing from the local FSS. Clear WX along the route. The WX in jerome was clear with scattered cumulus in the distance to the south. Upon climb out, the cloud layer appeared to be dark nimbostratus base with well defined cumulus on top. I then filed an IFR flight plan through jackpot rco. I was to pick up my clearance over bullion VOR. Before reaching bullion, I began to encounter turbulence. I was on top of a cloud layer in VFR conditions. The aircraft was recovered from a steep left diving turn. Upon recovery, I was in IFR conditions. I performed a climbing 360 degree turn to find VFR WX. At this time I observed that I had an inoperative vacuum pump on the right engine. The aircraft is a pressurized aircraft that relies on the vacuum pumps for cabin pressurization with 1 vacuum source inoperative the aircraft's presurization system is extremely susceptible to failure. Therefore, I activated the emergency O2 system and put the emergency O2 mask over my face. I realized that it would be necessary to climb above 18000' to remain in VFR WX. I tried to contact jackpot rco but was unable. Soon it was necessary to maintain blue line to keep a positive rate of climb and remain clear of the clouds. I attempted to reactivate the autoplt but it would immediately disconnect. The turbulence and lack of autoplt made if difficult to trouble-shoot the radio problem, navigation and control the aircraft at the same time. Slc approach on 126.1 reported that my xmissions were garbled. I found my radio problem to be within the O2 mask microphone assembly. During the climb out above 18000' I had attempted to squawk 7700 on my transponder, but the turbulence and low speed necessary to make a climb required my full attention to aircraft control. I was squawking 1200 with my altitude reporting function engaged. I could see that I was being picked up by slc and was confident that they knew my position and heading. I leveled off at 29000' above the clouds and turbulence. At this point the aircraft could be trimmed for smooth flight. The radios were operational, I was in contact with ATC, and there was visible clear conditions approximately 80 mi to the west. Upon landing at ont, I was detained by airport police for 20 mins until a rep from the FAA arrived to question me. He implied that if I had squawked 7700 on my transponder during this emergency, I would not be in violation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT F SMT CLIMBED INTO POSITIVE CTL AREA ON VFR FLT PLAN. HAD FILED IFR BUT HAD NOT ACTIVATED THE PLAN. DID NOT COMMUNICATE WITH ZLC BEFORE ENTERING THE PCA.

Narrative: ON 7/SUN/90 I ENTERED INTO A POSITIVE CTL AREA W/O CLRNC. I BELIEVE THAT THE CONDITIONS AT THE TIME WARRANTED MY ACTIONS. I FLEW FROM JEROME, ID TO ONT. I RECEIVED A FLT BRIEFING FROM THE LCL FSS. CLR WX ALONG THE RTE. THE WX IN JEROME WAS CLR WITH SCATTERED CUMULUS IN THE DISTANCE TO THE S. UPON CLBOUT, THE CLOUD LAYER APPEARED TO BE DARK NIMBOSTRATUS BASE WITH WELL DEFINED CUMULUS ON TOP. I THEN FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN THROUGH JACKPOT RCO. I WAS TO PICK UP MY CLRNC OVER BULLION VOR. BEFORE REACHING BULLION, I BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER TURB. I WAS ON TOP OF A CLOUD LAYER IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED FROM A STEEP LEFT DIVING TURN. UPON RECOVERY, I WAS IN IFR CONDITIONS. I PERFORMED A CLBING 360 DEG TURN TO FIND VFR WX. AT THIS TIME I OBSERVED THAT I HAD AN INOP VACUUM PUMP ON THE RIGHT ENG. THE ACFT IS A PRESSURIZED ACFT THAT RELIES ON THE VACUUM PUMPS FOR CABIN PRESSURIZATION WITH 1 VACUUM SOURCE INOP THE ACFT'S PRESURIZATION SYS IS EXTREMELY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FAILURE. THEREFORE, I ACTIVATED THE EMER O2 SYS AND PUT THE EMER O2 MASK OVER MY FACE. I REALIZED THAT IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO CLB ABOVE 18000' TO REMAIN IN VFR WX. I TRIED TO CONTACT JACKPOT RCO BUT WAS UNABLE. SOON IT WAS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN BLUE LINE TO KEEP A POSITIVE RATE OF CLB AND REMAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS. I ATTEMPTED TO REACTIVATE THE AUTOPLT BUT IT WOULD IMMEDIATELY DISCONNECT. THE TURB AND LACK OF AUTOPLT MADE IF DIFFICULT TO TROUBLE-SHOOT THE RADIO PROB, NAV AND CTL THE ACFT AT THE SAME TIME. SLC APCH ON 126.1 RPTED THAT MY XMISSIONS WERE GARBLED. I FOUND MY RADIO PROB TO BE WITHIN THE O2 MASK MIC ASSEMBLY. DURING THE CLBOUT ABOVE 18000' I HAD ATTEMPTED TO SQUAWK 7700 ON MY XPONDER, BUT THE TURB AND LOW SPD NECESSARY TO MAKE A CLB REQUIRED MY FULL ATTN TO ACFT CTL. I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 WITH MY ALT RPTING FUNCTION ENGAGED. I COULD SEE THAT I WAS BEING PICKED UP BY SLC AND WAS CONFIDENT THAT THEY KNEW MY POS AND HDG. I LEVELED OFF AT 29000' ABOVE THE CLOUDS AND TURB. AT THIS POINT THE ACFT COULD BE TRIMMED FOR SMOOTH FLT. THE RADIOS WERE OPERATIONAL, I WAS IN CONTACT WITH ATC, AND THERE WAS VISIBLE CLR CONDITIONS APPROX 80 MI TO THE W. UPON LNDG AT ONT, I WAS DETAINED BY ARPT POLICE FOR 20 MINS UNTIL A REP FROM THE FAA ARRIVED TO QUESTION ME. HE IMPLIED THAT IF I HAD SQUAWKED 7700 ON MY XPONDER DURING THIS EMER, I WOULD NOT BE IN VIOLATION.

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.