Narrative:

Operating on a new IFR rating (third flight), I departed S88 for rld. I had 2 thorough preflight briefings and expected to be in cloud for the first hour of the 1:50 flight. The flight prediction was for light to moderate turbulence above 12000 or 18000', and rime or mixed ice above the freeze level, which was estimated to be 6500-8500'. I asked about PIREPS on ice and there were none over the route. We departed and entered cloud about 10 mins later at 3800' (we were being vectored in the TCA to join V2-298 from the sea VORTAC). The route crosses the cascade mountains with an MEA of 8000'. About 45 mins later, we were notified by ZSE of loss of radar contact and asked to report back in at rumer intersection. Here is where my lack of experience got me behind the aircraft! My wife had been helping me check the wings for ice and she noticed some. I looked out my window and saw a small amount of rime ice on the stall strips. It was nothing more than frost and I wasn't too convinced because the MEA east of eln was 6000', which was well below the freezing level. But my attention had been drawn away from the instruments and my heading and altitude drifted (to the north and higher). Instead of noticing this, I turned immediately to the task of getting the chart unfolded so I could tune the #2 navigation to identify rumer. Halfway through that operation, I got back to my scan and I was 400' high and had a full needle deflection on navigation 1! Not being in radar contact, I had no idea how far off the arwy I was. I stayed high and regained my heading plus a 30 degree intercept. I estimate I was west/O course guidance for about 5-10 mins. When I got back on course I idented rumer (I had already passed it). Just then center called me (with the wenatchee altitude setting) and asked me to identify. They had me back on radar mi west of eln. I immediately got back on altitude and got 6000' after crossing eln. 6000' was VMC and 40 degrees F. I should not have attempted this flight! The briefers told me enough that I should have known that at least a good portion of the flight would be in clouds. My experience level is adequate for going up or down through a layer, but nothing more. To lose course guidance in a mountainous area west/O radar coverage is a very good way to kill oneself! I don't know about prevention. I read a lot of accident descriptions (NTSB reports, etc), and often wondered what causes pilots to do such stupid things! The ingredients were all here--lack of experience, minimal equipment (no DME or autoplt) and get homeitis.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA TRACK HEADING DEVIATION AND ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT.

Narrative: OPERATING ON A NEW IFR RATING (THIRD FLT), I DEPARTED S88 FOR RLD. I HAD 2 THOROUGH PREFLT BRIEFINGS AND EXPECTED TO BE IN CLOUD FOR THE FIRST HR OF THE 1:50 FLT. THE FLT PREDICTION WAS FOR LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB ABOVE 12000 OR 18000', AND RIME OR MIXED ICE ABOVE THE FREEZE LEVEL, WHICH WAS ESTIMATED TO BE 6500-8500'. I ASKED ABOUT PIREPS ON ICE AND THERE WERE NONE OVER THE RTE. WE DEPARTED AND ENTERED CLOUD ABOUT 10 MINS LATER AT 3800' (WE WERE BEING VECTORED IN THE TCA TO JOIN V2-298 FROM THE SEA VORTAC). THE RTE CROSSES THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS WITH AN MEA OF 8000'. ABOUT 45 MINS LATER, WE WERE NOTIFIED BY ZSE OF LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT AND ASKED TO RPT BACK IN AT RUMER INTXN. HERE IS WHERE MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE GOT ME BEHIND THE ACFT! MY WIFE HAD BEEN HELPING ME CHK THE WINGS FOR ICE AND SHE NOTICED SOME. I LOOKED OUT MY WINDOW AND SAW A SMALL AMOUNT OF RIME ICE ON THE STALL STRIPS. IT WAS NOTHING MORE THAN FROST AND I WASN'T TOO CONVINCED BECAUSE THE MEA E OF ELN WAS 6000', WHICH WAS WELL BELOW THE FREEZING LEVEL. BUT MY ATTN HAD BEEN DRAWN AWAY FROM THE INSTS AND MY HDG AND ALT DRIFTED (TO THE N AND HIGHER). INSTEAD OF NOTICING THIS, I TURNED IMMEDIATELY TO THE TASK OF GETTING THE CHART UNFOLDED SO I COULD TUNE THE #2 NAV TO IDENT RUMER. HALFWAY THROUGH THAT OPERATION, I GOT BACK TO MY SCAN AND I WAS 400' HIGH AND HAD A FULL NEEDLE DEFLECTION ON NAV 1! NOT BEING IN RADAR CONTACT, I HAD NO IDEA HOW FAR OFF THE ARWY I WAS. I STAYED HIGH AND REGAINED MY HDG PLUS A 30 DEG INTERCEPT. I ESTIMATE I WAS W/O COURSE GUIDANCE FOR ABOUT 5-10 MINS. WHEN I GOT BACK ON COURSE I IDENTED RUMER (I HAD ALREADY PASSED IT). JUST THEN CENTER CALLED ME (WITH THE WENATCHEE ALT SETTING) AND ASKED ME TO IDENT. THEY HAD ME BACK ON RADAR MI W OF ELN. I IMMEDIATELY GOT BACK ON ALT AND GOT 6000' AFTER XING ELN. 6000' WAS VMC AND 40 DEGS F. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED THIS FLT! THE BRIEFERS TOLD ME ENOUGH THAT I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT AT LEAST A GOOD PORTION OF THE FLT WOULD BE IN CLOUDS. MY EXPERIENCE LEVEL IS ADEQUATE FOR GOING UP OR DOWN THROUGH A LAYER, BUT NOTHING MORE. TO LOSE COURSE GUIDANCE IN A MOUNTAINOUS AREA W/O RADAR COVERAGE IS A VERY GOOD WAY TO KILL ONESELF! I DON'T KNOW ABOUT PREVENTION. I READ A LOT OF ACCIDENT DESCRIPTIONS (NTSB RPTS, ETC), AND OFTEN WONDERED WHAT CAUSES PLTS TO DO SUCH STUPID THINGS! THE INGREDIENTS WERE ALL HERE--LACK OF EXPERIENCE, MINIMAL EQUIP (NO DME OR AUTOPLT) AND GET HOMEITIS.

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.