Narrative:

WX was IFR en route and at destination the radar was showing light to moderate precipitation through south in, ky, east tn and west nc. Turbulence was forecasted to be moderate below 9000' and icing in clouds above 6000' up to louisville, and then was forecasted to raise to 10000' over tri city, tn. I showed an initial altitude of 5000' and a final altitude of 9000' over london, ky. Out of huf there was no turbulence and just some light rain. For the next hour the flight proceeded smoothly, with some occasional moderate rain and light turbulence. After louisville approach handed me over to ZID on 126.65, radio contact was established with ATC. I entered an area of moderate to heavy precipitation with continuous moderate turbulence and some occasional severe jolts. The radio transmission between ZID and the other aircraft started to become broken and sometimes totally blocked by what I thought to be static or just me being too low and too far from the remote transmitter for ZID of that area. DME reception from iiu was lost and I was getting an intermittent flag from my HSI tuned on iiu. During this time I dropped the chart pertaining to my route. I was able to control the aircraft and all my attention was taken by the gauges while I was trying to establish communication with ZID. I finally got ZID's attention. I reported my position and requested to climb to 9000'. He acknowledged my transmission and asked me to make my request to next controller on 125.5. I repeated the frequency, but had no confirmation from the controller. I then dialed the frequency of 125.5 and called in my request. Several attempts to raise ZID were fruitless. By now the turbulence and the rain were factors to be taken into serious consideration, along with the knowledge that I was flying toward a constantly raising terrain with no radar assistance from center. I had no possibility at the moment to check the MEA for my position. I panicked and started to climb. Passing through 6000' I was able to reestablish contact with ZID on 125.65, and requested to repeat the frequency for my sector. I found out that I was transmitting on the wrong frequency. I contacted ZID on 125.25 and reported to the controller that I was climbing to 9000' passing through 6200'. The controller advised me that I was climbing to an altitude west/O clearance. I acknowledged and explained to the controller the circumstances that put me in that position and I apologized if I did cause any problem. The controller informed me that I needed to call ZID upon arrival at my destination. I contacted ZID as requested and explained the incident to the inspector on the line. He was very understanding and suggestion that I get a NASA report to avoid further complication with the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ALT DEVIATION UNAUTH CLIMB WHILE ON AN IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: WX WAS IFR ENRTE AND AT DEST THE RADAR WAS SHOWING LIGHT TO MODERATE PRECIPITATION THROUGH S IN, KY, E TN AND W NC. TURB WAS FORECASTED TO BE MODERATE BELOW 9000' AND ICING IN CLOUDS ABOVE 6000' UP TO LOUISVILLE, AND THEN WAS FORECASTED TO RAISE TO 10000' OVER TRI CITY, TN. I SHOWED AN INITIAL ALT OF 5000' AND A FINAL ALT OF 9000' OVER LONDON, KY. OUT OF HUF THERE WAS NO TURB AND JUST SOME LIGHT RAIN. FOR THE NEXT HR THE FLT PROCEEDED SMOOTHLY, WITH SOME OCCASIONAL MODERATE RAIN AND LIGHT TURB. AFTER LOUISVILLE APCH HANDED ME OVER TO ZID ON 126.65, RADIO CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED WITH ATC. I ENTERED AN AREA OF MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION WITH CONTINUOUS MODERATE TURB AND SOME OCCASIONAL SEVERE JOLTS. THE RADIO XMISSION BTWN ZID AND THE OTHER ACFT STARTED TO BECOME BROKEN AND SOMETIMES TOTALLY BLOCKED BY WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE STATIC OR JUST ME BEING TOO LOW AND TOO FAR FROM THE REMOTE XMITTER FOR ZID OF THAT AREA. DME RECEPTION FROM IIU WAS LOST AND I WAS GETTING AN INTERMITTENT FLAG FROM MY HSI TUNED ON IIU. DURING THIS TIME I DROPPED THE CHART PERTAINING TO MY RTE. I WAS ABLE TO CTL THE ACFT AND ALL MY ATTN WAS TAKEN BY THE GAUGES WHILE I WAS TRYING TO ESTABLISH COM WITH ZID. I FINALLY GOT ZID'S ATTN. I RPTED MY POS AND REQUESTED TO CLB TO 9000'. HE ACKNOWLEDGED MY XMISSION AND ASKED ME TO MAKE MY REQUEST TO NEXT CTLR ON 125.5. I REPEATED THE FREQ, BUT HAD NO CONFIRMATION FROM THE CTLR. I THEN DIALED THE FREQ OF 125.5 AND CALLED IN MY REQUEST. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RAISE ZID WERE FRUITLESS. BY NOW THE TURB AND THE RAIN WERE FACTORS TO BE TAKEN INTO SERIOUS CONSIDERATION, ALONG WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I WAS FLYING TOWARD A CONSTANTLY RAISING TERRAIN WITH NO RADAR ASSISTANCE FROM CENTER. I HAD NO POSSIBILITY AT THE MOMENT TO CHK THE MEA FOR MY POS. I PANICKED AND STARTED TO CLB. PASSING THROUGH 6000' I WAS ABLE TO REESTABLISH CONTACT WITH ZID ON 125.65, AND REQUESTED TO REPEAT THE FREQ FOR MY SECTOR. I FOUND OUT THAT I WAS XMITTING ON THE WRONG FREQ. I CONTACTED ZID ON 125.25 AND RPTED TO THE CTLR THAT I WAS CLBING TO 9000' PASSING THROUGH 6200'. THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT I WAS CLBING TO AN ALT W/O CLRNC. I ACKNOWLEDGED AND EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT PUT ME IN THAT POS AND I APOLOGIZED IF I DID CAUSE ANY PROB. THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED TO CALL ZID UPON ARR AT MY DEST. I CONTACTED ZID AS REQUESTED AND EXPLAINED THE INCIDENT TO THE INSPECTOR ON THE LINE. HE WAS VERY UNDERSTANDING AND SUGGESTION THAT I GET A NASA RPT TO AVOID FURTHER COMPLICATION WITH THE FAA.

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.