Narrative:

The flight began on sunday morning at youngstown municipal and proceeded to crw, where a full stop landing took place. While at crw, the aircraft was topped off and the pilot ot a flight WX briefing from the FSS at the airport and proceeded to the pilot briefing room where all the calculations and WX were done and looked over. Seeing that MVFR was being forecast, we proceeded on with our second stage of the flight, where we were scheduled to land at chs. However, while en route we started to encounter twring cumulus clouds, so the pilot asked tri-city approach for a radar scan, but nothing was picked up. Proceeding on, we were vectored west of our intended route, and finally some time later back on it. Now flying in IFR conditions, we noticed we were not going to make it to chs, so the pilot filed for cae. While en route to cae, the pilot stated that we should land even earlier due to an even more loss in fuel than anticipated. Seeing this, the pilot was going to get vectors to asheville regional, however seeing fuel was receding rather quickly, he chose to land at gsp due to the fact that it was closer, whereupon this time he filed for an emergency and received priority. Now entering final approach, the pilot handled the situation excellently, from my point of view, by keeping the passenger calm and maintaining the G/south. But due to the very low ceilings, we missed the approach due to lower ceilings than estimated, because when we broke out of the clouds, the tree tops were just slightly below us. At this point, the pilot saw the 4 land highway and said he was going to land there, if it wasn't occupied by vehs. Even though it was a highway, the road was quite bare of traffic. Landing the aircraft safely, we stopped just next to the airport grounds, where everyone was safe.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DIVERTS TO ALTERNATE WITH BELOW MINIMUMS WX, SEES A HIGHWAY UPON BREAKING OUT AND LANDS ON THE HIGHWAY.

Narrative: THE FLT BEGAN ON SUNDAY MORNING AT YOUNGSTOWN MUNI AND PROCEEDED TO CRW, WHERE A FULL STOP LNDG TOOK PLACE. WHILE AT CRW, THE ACFT WAS TOPPED OFF AND THE PLT OT A FLT WX BRIEFING FROM THE FSS AT THE ARPT AND PROCEEDED TO THE PLT BRIEFING ROOM WHERE ALL THE CALCULATIONS AND WX WERE DONE AND LOOKED OVER. SEEING THAT MVFR WAS BEING FORECAST, WE PROCEEDED ON WITH OUR SECOND STAGE OF THE FLT, WHERE WE WERE SCHEDULED TO LAND AT CHS. HOWEVER, WHILE ENRTE WE STARTED TO ENCOUNTER TWRING CUMULUS CLOUDS, SO THE PLT ASKED TRI-CITY APCH FOR A RADAR SCAN, BUT NOTHING WAS PICKED UP. PROCEEDING ON, WE WERE VECTORED W OF OUR INTENDED RTE, AND FINALLY SOME TIME LATER BACK ON IT. NOW FLYING IN IFR CONDITIONS, WE NOTICED WE WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO CHS, SO THE PLT FILED FOR CAE. WHILE ENRTE TO CAE, THE PLT STATED THAT WE SHOULD LAND EVEN EARLIER DUE TO AN EVEN MORE LOSS IN FUEL THAN ANTICIPATED. SEEING THIS, THE PLT WAS GOING TO GET VECTORS TO ASHEVILLE REGIONAL, HOWEVER SEEING FUEL WAS RECEDING RATHER QUICKLY, HE CHOSE TO LAND AT GSP DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS CLOSER, WHEREUPON THIS TIME HE FILED FOR AN EMER AND RECEIVED PRIORITY. NOW ENTERING FINAL APCH, THE PLT HANDLED THE SITUATION EXCELLENTLY, FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, BY KEEPING THE PAX CALM AND MAINTAINING THE G/S. BUT DUE TO THE VERY LOW CEILINGS, WE MISSED THE APCH DUE TO LOWER CEILINGS THAN ESTIMATED, BECAUSE WHEN WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS, THE TREE TOPS WERE JUST SLIGHTLY BELOW US. AT THIS POINT, THE PLT SAW THE 4 LAND HWY AND SAID HE WAS GOING TO LAND THERE, IF IT WASN'T OCCUPIED BY VEHS. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A HWY, THE ROAD WAS QUITE BARE OF TFC. LNDG THE ACFT SAFELY, WE STOPPED JUST NEXT TO THE ARPT GNDS, WHERE EVERYONE WAS SAFE.

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.