Narrative:

At a point northeast of chowchilla, saw scattered clouds at 4500' MSL to the west of me about 1 or 2 mi. As I continued, the clouds appeared to be getting closer, so I descended to 3000' MSL to stay clear of clouds. I altered my course due north to remain clear of castle arsa. Near merced falls I turned to a th of 300 to continue to oakdale. Shortly after, I started to encounter WX and clouds and instructions from castle approach to alter course for traffic. A WX cell was coming in rapidly. The headings of west and north were into low clouds and rain, so I informed castle I needed to turn south. I was told to do whatever was necessary to remain VFR. I was instructed to make heading changes to avoid traffic and soon informed castle that I was becoming disoriented and losing visibility due to heavy rain. I was advised by someone to, 'get it on the ground, son.' I informed castle that I was getting in a gad situation and was instructed to land at castle. I was given a heading and informed of my position (4 mi east). At about 2 mi I reported seeing the airport and bmb on final. I was told to follow the aircraft in and cautioned about wake turbulence. At about 1 mi I lost sight of airport and informed castle. They turned the runway lights on and I was able to land safely in heavy rain. The contributing factors I feel were: WX briefing--forecast not accurate, my limited experience as a student pilot, and proximity to heavy bmb traffic at time of necessary diversion to avoid WX. I feel that the action taken by the tower at castle to talk me into the airport and facilitate a safe landing prevented a potentially dangerous situation from occurring. Had I not been given clearance and guidance to land, I may have been caught in less than VFR conditions west/O reaching an airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT, ON CROSS-COUNTRY FLT ENCOUNTERED HEAVY RAIN, WAS VECTORED INTO CASTLE AFB FOR LNDG.

Narrative: AT A POINT NE OF CHOWCHILLA, SAW SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 4500' MSL TO THE W OF ME ABOUT 1 OR 2 MI. AS I CONTINUED, THE CLOUDS APPEARED TO BE GETTING CLOSER, SO I DSNDED TO 3000' MSL TO STAY CLR OF CLOUDS. I ALTERED MY COURSE DUE N TO REMAIN CLR OF CASTLE ARSA. NEAR MERCED FALLS I TURNED TO A TH OF 300 TO CONTINUE TO OAKDALE. SHORTLY AFTER, I STARTED TO ENCOUNTER WX AND CLOUDS AND INSTRUCTIONS FROM CASTLE APCH TO ALTER COURSE FOR TFC. A WX CELL WAS COMING IN RAPIDLY. THE HDGS OF W AND N WERE INTO LOW CLOUDS AND RAIN, SO I INFORMED CASTLE I NEEDED TO TURN S. I WAS TOLD TO DO WHATEVER WAS NECESSARY TO REMAIN VFR. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO MAKE HDG CHANGES TO AVOID TFC AND SOON INFORMED CASTLE THAT I WAS BECOMING DISORIENTED AND LOSING VISIBILITY DUE TO HEAVY RAIN. I WAS ADVISED BY SOMEONE TO, 'GET IT ON THE GND, SON.' I INFORMED CASTLE THAT I WAS GETTING IN A GAD SITUATION AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO LAND AT CASTLE. I WAS GIVEN A HDG AND INFORMED OF MY POS (4 MI E). AT ABOUT 2 MI I RPTED SEEING THE ARPT AND BMB ON FINAL. I WAS TOLD TO FOLLOW THE ACFT IN AND CAUTIONED ABOUT WAKE TURB. AT ABOUT 1 MI I LOST SIGHT OF ARPT AND INFORMED CASTLE. THEY TURNED THE RWY LIGHTS ON AND I WAS ABLE TO LAND SAFELY IN HEAVY RAIN. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS I FEEL WERE: WX BRIEFING--FORECAST NOT ACCURATE, MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT PLT, AND PROX TO HVY BMB TFC AT TIME OF NECESSARY DIVERSION TO AVOID WX. I FEEL THAT THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE TWR AT CASTLE TO TALK ME INTO THE ARPT AND FACILITATE A SAFE LNDG PREVENTED A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION FROM OCCURRING. HAD I NOT BEEN GIVEN CLRNC AND GUIDANCE TO LAND, I MAY HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IN LESS THAN VFR CONDITIONS W/O REACHING AN ARPT.

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.