Narrative:

My student, who is also filing a report, was on a x-country from O22 to ptv and back. We got a WX briefing before his departure. WX was forecast to be good VFR all day for the whole route, so he departed. A few hours later I began to encounter lowering visibilities in light rain at O22. I called FSS and found that he had closed his flight plan at porterville and had not reopened. Asking about the WX, the briefer indicated that for his route back, things should be VFR, but that there were lowering ceilings to the north of his route and some instability. I assumed he would receive the same information and probably stay on the ground at ptv. He got a briefing which reported and forecast good VFR for his route and reported possible mountain obscurement at O22. He opted to continue on his return trip and have the option of landing at oakdale, in the valley, if there was any mountain obscurement. While VFR was reported and forecast for his route, he was not made aware of variable and unstable nature of the WX for the area. Most of the way back some rain showers closed in on him. He was on flight following with castle AFB approach and as the rain and turbulence and visibility got worse, castle vectored him in for a landing and all turned out well. In my opinion, his decision to fly was a justified decision. Based on the WX briefing he received and the current conditions at ptv, he had no reason not to. I also think the subsequent decision and actions of both he and castle AFB were commendable in the face of rapidly deteriorating WX. One thing that could bear improvement, and my reason for filing this report is the practice of FSS giving standard briefings, consisting of a checklist of items, which may or may not give complete picture of the WX. In the standard briefing that he got, there was no mention of frontal activity, radar pictures, stability charts or WX outside his area of flight, which in this case, I believe would have been relevant, and may have alerted him to the VFR but unstable nature of the WX. In briefings, I am experienced enough to ask for any additional items, but for the less experienced pilots, they are not automatically provided, and do not give the pilot the whole picture.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON CROSS-COUNTRY FLT ENCOUNTERS WX AND RECEIVES FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: MY STUDENT, WHO IS ALSO FILING A RPT, WAS ON A X-COUNTRY FROM O22 TO PTV AND BACK. WE GOT A WX BRIEFING BEFORE HIS DEP. WX WAS FORECAST TO BE GOOD VFR ALL DAY FOR THE WHOLE RTE, SO HE DEPARTED. A FEW HRS LATER I BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER LOWERING VISIBILITIES IN LIGHT RAIN AT O22. I CALLED FSS AND FOUND THAT HE HAD CLOSED HIS FLT PLAN AT PORTERVILLE AND HAD NOT REOPENED. ASKING ABOUT THE WX, THE BRIEFER INDICATED THAT FOR HIS RTE BACK, THINGS SHOULD BE VFR, BUT THAT THERE WERE LOWERING CEILINGS TO THE N OF HIS RTE AND SOME INSTABILITY. I ASSUMED HE WOULD RECEIVE THE SAME INFO AND PROBABLY STAY ON THE GND AT PTV. HE GOT A BRIEFING WHICH RPTED AND FORECAST GOOD VFR FOR HIS RTE AND RPTED POSSIBLE MOUNTAIN OBSCUREMENT AT O22. HE OPTED TO CONTINUE ON HIS RETURN TRIP AND HAVE THE OPTION OF LNDG AT OAKDALE, IN THE VALLEY, IF THERE WAS ANY MOUNTAIN OBSCUREMENT. WHILE VFR WAS RPTED AND FORECAST FOR HIS RTE, HE WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF VARIABLE AND UNSTABLE NATURE OF THE WX FOR THE AREA. MOST OF THE WAY BACK SOME RAIN SHOWERS CLOSED IN ON HIM. HE WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING WITH CASTLE AFB APCH AND AS THE RAIN AND TURB AND VISIBILITY GOT WORSE, CASTLE VECTORED HIM IN FOR A LNDG AND ALL TURNED OUT WELL. IN MY OPINION, HIS DECISION TO FLY WAS A JUSTIFIED DECISION. BASED ON THE WX BRIEFING HE RECEIVED AND THE CURRENT CONDITIONS AT PTV, HE HAD NO REASON NOT TO. I ALSO THINK THE SUBSEQUENT DECISION AND ACTIONS OF BOTH HE AND CASTLE AFB WERE COMMENDABLE IN THE FACE OF RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WX. ONE THING THAT COULD BEAR IMPROVEMENT, AND MY REASON FOR FILING THIS RPT IS THE PRACTICE OF FSS GIVING STANDARD BRIEFINGS, CONSISTING OF A CHKLIST OF ITEMS, WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT GIVE COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE WX. IN THE STANDARD BRIEFING THAT HE GOT, THERE WAS NO MENTION OF FRONTAL ACTIVITY, RADAR PICTURES, STABILITY CHARTS OR WX OUTSIDE HIS AREA OF FLT, WHICH IN THIS CASE, I BELIEVE WOULD HAVE BEEN RELEVANT, AND MAY HAVE ALERTED HIM TO THE VFR BUT UNSTABLE NATURE OF THE WX. IN BRIEFINGS, I AM EXPERIENCED ENOUGH TO ASK FOR ANY ADDITIONAL ITEMS, BUT FOR THE LESS EXPERIENCED PLTS, THEY ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY PROVIDED, AND DO NOT GIVE THE PLT THE WHOLE PICTURE.

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.