Narrative:

I had rented an small aircraft which was to be my first PIC practice flight in a complex aircraft since my recent chkout (5 hours tt in model). I had just the previous week accrued the required 100 total time required to rent this aircraft. Flight service reported conditions generally as 3000 overcast, 10 mi visibility locally, with msn forcasting 3000 scattered with possibilities of thunderstorms. I had decided to go on with the flight, preflted the plane and departed to the north. I did not file a flight plan and my flight planning was minimal. Visibility seemed rather poor to what I have been accustomed to,M definitely lower than flight service had indicated, possibly 2 mi at times. We climbed to 4500' to improve our view of the ground. At this point the horizon was totally obscured and the haze seemed to be getting worse. After awhile visibility seemed to further decay, madison approach was talking to a plane about a special VFR clearance, and I had still been unable to spot anything familiar. At this point I was getting worried about accidentally flying through the madison arsa. We flew on several mins, I was still unable to locate the lake or anything else familiar, visibility was getting worse and then decided to turn around and fly the right back out. Rather than concentrating on instruments to get back, I continued attempting to locating myself via surface features. After a while we encountered what I believe now was lake geneva approximately 40 NM nnw or ord. I jumped to the conclusion that this must be lake koshkonong and verified the mistake. I attempted to verify my position. Convinced that the instruments were wrong I continued sse hoping for a better reading later. At this time the clouds began to thicken quickly below us, and within a couple of mins were solid. At this point I was actually about 40 NM southeast of where I thought I was. Several nervous mins alter, the cover beneath us suddenly vanished. I found myself 4500' over a large airport in a heavy populated area. What appeared to be a large transport climbing out to the east approximately 1000' directly under us scared the daylights out of both of us. I glanced at the sectional at rockford. After a couple of mins I realized this was too big for rockford, then recognized midway followed by the chicago skyline. At this point we were both in a near panic. I thought to call O'hare but was too frightened to take my eyes off of what was going on outside and trying to find a way back. I dialed in 121.5 MHZ but did not feel I could fly, navigation and talk at the same time. Flying west we had to take evasive action to avoid flying through the path of a twin turboprop. I realized later that soon after we turned west the TCA floor had dropped to 1900'. We continued west until I spotted the northwest tollway which I followed to the fox river, then landed at dupage airport. There I spoke to the FAA personnel in the tower and called O'hare to give them my name, address and certificate number. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Callback made to counsel reporter. He has received additional training. Reminded that his minimal preflight preparation was also part of the problem. He agreed. Reminded that WX was forecast marginal prior to departure. He of course thought it would clear. Happened so fast, etc. He had received phone call from FAA. Sent them a statement similar to his report. Expects to have a suspension. Indicates his passenger will probably never go near an airplane again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLYING IN HAZE AND WORSENING WX CONDITIONS, BECOMES TOTALLY DISORIENTED. HAS NMAC WITH LGT AND TURBO TWIN. PENETRATES TCA.

Narrative: I HAD RENTED AN SMA WHICH WAS TO BE MY FIRST PIC PRACTICE FLT IN A COMPLEX ACFT SINCE MY RECENT CHKOUT (5 HRS TT IN MODEL). I HAD JUST THE PREVIOUS WK ACCRUED THE REQUIRED 100 TOTAL TIME REQUIRED TO RENT THIS ACFT. FLT SVC RPTED CONDITIONS GENERALLY AS 3000 OVCST, 10 MI VISIBILITY LOCALLY, WITH MSN FORCASTING 3000 SCATTERED WITH POSSIBILITIES OF TSTMS. I HAD DECIDED TO GO ON WITH THE FLT, PREFLTED THE PLANE AND DEPARTED TO THE N. I DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN AND MY FLT PLANNING WAS MINIMAL. VISIBILITY SEEMED RATHER POOR TO WHAT I HAVE BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO,M DEFINITELY LOWER THAN FLT SVC HAD INDICATED, POSSIBLY 2 MI AT TIMES. WE CLBED TO 4500' TO IMPROVE OUR VIEW OF THE GND. AT THIS POINT THE HORIZON WAS TOTALLY OBSCURED AND THE HAZE SEEMED TO BE GETTING WORSE. AFTER AWHILE VISIBILITY SEEMED TO FURTHER DECAY, MADISON APCH WAS TALKING TO A PLANE ABOUT A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC, AND I HAD STILL BEEN UNABLE TO SPOT ANYTHING FAMILIAR. AT THIS POINT I WAS GETTING WORRIED ABOUT ACCIDENTALLY FLYING THROUGH THE MADISON ARSA. WE FLEW ON SEVERAL MINS, I WAS STILL UNABLE TO LOCATE THE LAKE OR ANYTHING ELSE FAMILIAR, VISIBILITY WAS GETTING WORSE AND THEN DECIDED TO TURN AROUND AND FLY THE R BACK OUT. RATHER THAN CONCENTRATING ON INSTRUMENTS TO GET BACK, I CONTINUED ATTEMPTING TO LOCATING MYSELF VIA SURFACE FEATURES. AFTER A WHILE WE ENCOUNTERED WHAT I BELIEVE NOW WAS LAKE GENEVA APPROX 40 NM NNW OR ORD. I JUMPED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS MUST BE LAKE KOSHKONONG AND VERIFIED THE MISTAKE. I ATTEMPTED TO VERIFY MY POS. CONVINCED THAT THE INSTRUMENTS WERE WRONG I CONTINUED SSE HOPING FOR A BETTER READING LATER. AT THIS TIME THE CLOUDS BEGAN TO THICKEN QUICKLY BELOW US, AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINS WERE SOLID. AT THIS POINT I WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT 40 NM SE OF WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS. SEVERAL NERVOUS MINS ALTER, THE COVER BENEATH US SUDDENLY VANISHED. I FOUND MYSELF 4500' OVER A LARGE ARPT IN A HVY POPULATED AREA. WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LGT CLBING OUT TO THE E APPROX 1000' DIRECTLY UNDER US SCARED THE DAYLIGHTS OUT OF BOTH OF US. I GLANCED AT THE SECTIONAL AT ROCKFORD. AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS I REALIZED THIS WAS TOO BIG FOR ROCKFORD, THEN RECOGNIZED MIDWAY FOLLOWED BY THE CHICAGO SKYLINE. AT THIS POINT WE WERE BOTH IN A NEAR PANIC. I THOUGHT TO CALL O'HARE BUT WAS TOO FRIGHTENED TO TAKE MY EYES OFF OF WHAT WAS GOING ON OUTSIDE AND TRYING TO FIND A WAY BACK. I DIALED IN 121.5 MHZ BUT DID NOT FEEL I COULD FLY, NAV AND TALK AT THE SAME TIME. FLYING W WE HAD TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID FLYING THROUGH THE PATH OF A TWIN TURBOPROP. I REALIZED LATER THAT SOON AFTER WE TURNED W THE TCA FLOOR HAD DROPPED TO 1900'. WE CONTINUED W UNTIL I SPOTTED THE NW TOLLWAY WHICH I FOLLOWED TO THE FOX RIVER, THEN LANDED AT DUPAGE ARPT. THERE I SPOKE TO THE FAA PERSONNEL IN THE TWR AND CALLED O'HARE TO GIVE THEM MY NAME, ADDRESS AND CERTIFICATE NUMBER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CALLBACK MADE TO COUNSEL RPTR. HE HAS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL TRNING. REMINDED THAT HIS MINIMAL PREFLT PREPARATION WAS ALSO PART OF THE PROB. HE AGREED. REMINDED THAT WX WAS FORECAST MARGINAL PRIOR TO DEP. HE OF COURSE THOUGHT IT WOULD CLR. HAPPENED SO FAST, ETC. HE HAD RECEIVED PHONE CALL FROM FAA. SENT THEM A STATEMENT SIMILAR TO HIS RPT. EXPECTS TO HAVE A SUSPENSION. INDICATES HIS PAX WILL PROBABLY NEVER GO NEAR AN AIRPLANE AGAIN.

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.