Narrative:

Departed riverside, ca, for roosevelt, ut, checked WX at riverside FSS, clear throughout route. Checked WX with cedar city FSS while over st george, reported thin scattered with possible ice 12000-18000'. Bryce canyon area low ceilings climbed on top at about 12500', had to keep climbing to stay VFR turned around to land at bryce canyon could not see the ground, tried to contact salt lake center, no answer. Tried to contact cedar city FSS, no answer. Squawked 7700 switched to frequency 121.5 was picked up by air carrier who relayed to salt lake center, was then assigned a squawk and frequency. Center assisted me in finding an opening to descend and land, was instructed to call cedar city FSS upon landing which I did. They didn't know anything about why I had called. The maximum altitude I had to climb to for VFR was 21500'. The aircraft is an small aircraft. The following day, monday, 4/91, the FAA called my office and questioned the office girl as to who was flying the airplane they did not give her any reason why. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he had just checked WX when everything began to close in. Not reported to do so. This was a fast moving system forecast to move in the next day. Within one half hour entire area closed in. Reporter had oxy aboard, had LORAN, never disoriented, only climbing to keep VFR. Knows he was where he should not have been, but felt did not have option due to high terrain in area. Air carrier called den who contacted ZLC by phone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT SURROUNDED BY FAST MOVING WX SYSTEM CLIMBS INTO PCA WITHOUT CLRNC OR INSTRUMENT RATING.

Narrative: DEPARTED RIVERSIDE, CA, FOR ROOSEVELT, UT, CHKED WX AT RIVERSIDE FSS, CLR THROUGHOUT RTE. CHKED WX WITH CEDAR CITY FSS WHILE OVER ST GEORGE, RPTED THIN SCATTERED WITH POSSIBLE ICE 12000-18000'. BRYCE CANYON AREA LOW CEILINGS CLBED ON TOP AT ABOUT 12500', HAD TO KEEP CLBING TO STAY VFR TURNED AROUND TO LAND AT BRYCE CANYON COULD NOT SEE THE GND, TRIED TO CONTACT SALT LAKE CTR, NO ANSWER. TRIED TO CONTACT CEDAR CITY FSS, NO ANSWER. SQUAWKED 7700 SWITCHED TO FREQ 121.5 WAS PICKED UP BY ACR WHO RELAYED TO SALT LAKE CTR, WAS THEN ASSIGNED A SQUAWK AND FREQ. CTR ASSISTED ME IN FINDING AN OPENING TO DSND AND LAND, WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL CEDAR CITY FSS UPON LNDG WHICH I DID. THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT WHY I HAD CALLED. THE MAX ALT I HAD TO CLB TO FOR VFR WAS 21500'. THE ACFT IS AN SMA. THE FOLLOWING DAY, MONDAY, 4/91, THE FAA CALLED MY OFFICE AND QUESTIONED THE OFFICE GIRL AS TO WHO WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE THEY DID NOT GIVE HER ANY REASON WHY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE HAD JUST CHKED WX WHEN EVERYTHING BEGAN TO CLOSE IN. NOT RPTED TO DO SO. THIS WAS A FAST MOVING SYS FORECAST TO MOVE IN THE NEXT DAY. WITHIN ONE HALF HR ENTIRE AREA CLOSED IN. RPTR HAD OXY ABOARD, HAD LORAN, NEVER DISORIENTED, ONLY CLBING TO KEEP VFR. KNOWS HE WAS WHERE HE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN, BUT FELT DID NOT HAVE OPTION DUE TO HIGH TERRAIN IN AREA. ACR CALLED DEN WHO CONTACTED ZLC BY PHONE.

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.